A Perfect Red - Amy Butler Greenfield

This was one of two books a friend traveled across the country to share with me. I am so glad she did. I would never have picked up this book on my own. I have a terrible time finding non-fiction works that are interesting - unless they are recommended. I look at the table of books and decide something looks good. Then when I get it home, I have a hard time getting to my 100 page allowed stopping point.

Greenfield does a wonderful job of describing the importance of the color red throughout history and the different compounds used to create it. With a focus on the cochineal originating in Mexico, this book covers the fortunes of Spain and the industry itself. Weaving the domestication of cochineal with the efforts of other countries to destroy Spain's monopoly, the book moves quickly. there were very few sections of the book where I was willing to put it down. Yes, I could stop at the chapters, but I only once put it down while in the middle of a chapter.

I highly recommend this book - and if I didn't have to send it back to its owner, I would keep it in the library. I will be recommending it to my mother for her book club. With their focus on women authors and a mix of fiction and non-fiction, this book will give them much to discuss.

Salt: A World History - Mark Kurlansky

This sounded so good - a book about how Salt was used around the world and how it impacted history. This is one of the few books I am giving up on 100 pages or so in. I found the information interesting, but the narrative was very choppy. I have enjoyed non-fiction more lately, so I was surprised by my negative reaction to the book. It felt more like a text book - in 1500 the Venetian government did XXX or in 600 BC the Chinese did XXX. I didn't see the story line - the thread that tied it all together.

I was supposed to read it for book group tonight, but I just don't think it is worth the effort. If the other folks loved it, maybe I'll give it another go. Otherwise, into the donate pile (I might even send it off to the desert).