It is a follow-up to Kurlanksky's 1997 book, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World.

[2] The book details how salmon has been used across various countries and cultures, including Japan, Colombia, and Scotland,[3] where it has been fished, and used as food and currency.

[4] The book also features various recipes to show how salmon has been historically prepared, and how this has changed over time.

[4] Additionally, the book describes how some solutions to these problems, such as the construction of fish hatcheries, are often counterproductive.

[4] Foreword Reviews called Salmon a "fascinating mosaic of history and science", praising its ability to talk about multiple subjects – "the real beauty of the book is in its subtle transformation of a species often thought of in terms of food into one that needs to be considered with care and even championed.