A delightful romp through history with all its economic forces laid bare, Cod is the biography of a single species of fish, but it may as well be a world history with this humble fish as its recurring main character. Cod, it turns out, is the reason Europeans set sail across the Atlantic, and it is the only reason they could. What did the Vikings eat in icy Greenland and on the five expeditions to America recorded in the Icelandic sagas? Cod--frozen and dried in the frosty air, then broken into pieces and eaten like hardtack. What was the staple of the medieval diet? Cod again, sold salted by the Basques, an enigmatic people with a mysterious, unlimited supply of cod. As we make our way through the centuries of cod history, we also find a delicious legacy of recipes, and the tragic story of environmental failure, of depleted fishing stocks where once their numbers were te fate of the universe. Here--for scientist and layperson alike, for philosopher, science-fiction reader, biologist, and computer expert--is a startlingly complete and rational synthesis of disciplines, and a new, optimistic message about existence.

You probably enjoy eating codfish, but reading about them? Mark Kurlansky has written a fabulous book--well worth your time--about a fish that probably has mattered more in human history than any other. The cod helped inspire the discovery and exploration of North America. It had a profound impact upon the economic development of New England and eastern Canada from the earliest times. Today, however, overfishing is a constant threat. Kurlansky sprinkles his well-written and occasionally humorous history with interesting asides on the possible origin of the word codpiece and dozens of fish recipes. Sometimes a book on an offbeat or neglected subject really makes the grade. This is one of them.

Remember that old PBS series where connections were made between seemingly unrelated topics? This reminds me of the show ... great read of even better historical research.

More than most people would need or want to know about the fish that launched a thousand ships, Cod is the logical conclusion to Mark Kurlansky's saga of the Basques and Salt. The trilogy should be read in total to appreciate not only the industry and people who fished, but the depth of research and devotion of the author.

Cod was about the first big export of british colonists in America. The first one that made a lot of permanent settlers wealthy. That is one way Cod is the fish that changed the world. Kurlansky even posits some theories that Basque fishermen had been fishing off New England well before Columbus hit the new world: like many great fishermen they kept their stash a secret so no one else could take it.

Like many early resources of British Colonial America, cod were eventually tapped out. It helped that new technology was developed for catching them, hauling them, and selling them. This book is great for its photos from days that might still be considered glorious.

Whenever I need to recommend an offbeat and enjoyable book to someone, this is the one I mention. The history of the New World interpreted thematically by retracing the search for and exploitation of the cod fishing grounds of North America turns out to be surprisingly gripping.

Cod is an engaging history of the fish that changed the world. As an eye opening adventure, cod takes the reader from low impact commercial fishing of ancient Europe to the destructive power of modern fisheries. Mark Kurlansky shows his creativity and skill as he brings to focus the plight of cod. The author further illustrates the ability of super consumers to deplete a previously perceived inexhaustible cod population. In this biography is shown the effect cod fishing has had on individual lives, nations and the world. The book keeps the reader thirsting for more. The main weakness of this book would be the abrupt ending to the enchanting tale. Cod is for historians and scientists alike. Fishermen and those that enjoy sea food will appreciate this book. Cod is a book that should be read and reread by everyone as a reminder of mankind's dependence upon and responsibility to conserve earth's diminishing supply of natural resources.