The Years of Rice and Salt Audiobook

It is the fourteenth century, and one of the most apocalyptic events in human history is set to occur—the coming of the Black Death. History teaches us that a third of Europe's population was destroyed. But what if the plague had killed 99 percent of the population instead? How would the world have changed? This is a look at the history that could have been—a history that stretches across centuries, a history that sees dynasties and nations rise and crumble, a history that spans horrible famine and magnificent innovation. These are the years of rice and salt.

This is a universe where the first ship to reach the New World travels across the Pacific Ocean from China and colonization spreads from west to east. This is a universe where the Industrial Revolution is triggered by the world's greatest scientific minds—in India. This is a universe where Buddhism and Islam are the most influential and practiced religions, and Christianity is merely a historical footnote.

Through the eyes of soldiers and kings, explorers and philosophers, slaves and scholars, Robinson renders an immensely rich tapestry. Rewriting history and probing the most profound questions as only he can, Robinson shines his extraordinary light on the place of religion, culture, power, and even love on such an Earth. From the steppes of Asia to the shores of the Western Hemisphere, from the age of Akbar to the present and beyond, here is the stunning story of the creation of a new world.

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" This book is endlessly interesting, beginning to end. It follows many characters and lives over the chapters. It follows a time period from the 600s AD to 2002 (which was in the future when the book was written). It has some novel, perhaps shocking themes. One of its basic assumptions is that reincarnation exists and that people reincarnate in groups (known as 'jahtis'). In every group, one person is the "Monkey," or the person who is trying to help others. Part of the "hook" of the novel is trying to identify the Monkey in each life story. Reincarnation is something of a slightly scandalous concept to a Westerner, so there is also an element of shock as well as newness to the book. The book describes a world in which Christians have been eliminated by a plague. What is left are the Muslims and Buddhists with a sprinkling of other religions tossed in for good measure. Kim Stanley Robinson fleshes this world out through the eyes of his characters, rather than through narrative. It leaves the reader playing catchup from time to time. The book emphasizes China and Chinese culture, which is instructive to Westerners. He makes distinctions that I certainly did not have before reading/listening to this book. I did not know that Han Chinese are the majority in China with 56 minorities listed. Since Robinson's book begins with Mongols, the reader/listener gets to know them first. I happen to appreciate books that teach me something I didn't know before, and The Years of Rice and Salt certainly has done that. Given that China is, once again, becoming a world power, I think this is a very timely book to read/listen to."

— Dr. Brook (5 out of 5 stars)