Microhistories

A microhistory is a history of something very specific. Here are some fun ones to choose from.

Salt: a world history by Mark Kurlansky

Bicycle: the history by David V. Herlihy

The Box: how the shipping container made the world smaller and the world economy bigger by Marc Levinson

Birth: the surprising history of how we are born by Tina Cassidy

Rain: a natural and cultural history by Cynthia Barnett

Consider the fork: a history of how we cook and eat by Bee Wilson

Butter: a rich history by Elaine Khosrova

Uncommon Grounds: the history of coffee and how it transformed our world by Mark Pendergrast

At Home: a short history of private life by Bill Bryson

Heart: a history by Sandeep Jauhar

Quackery: a brief history of the worst ways to cure everything by Lydia Kang

Cannibalism: a perfectly natural history by Bill Schutt

Holy Shit: a brief history of swearing by Melissa Mohr

The Immortal Game: a history of chess or how 32 carved pieces on a board illuminated our understanding of war, art, science, and the human brain by David Shenk

The Golden Thread: how fabric changed history by Kassia St. Clair