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Chilled: How Refrigeration Changed the World and Might Do So Again

Chilled: How Refrigeration Changed the World and Might Do So Again

by TomJackson (Author)

  • Used

    Hardcover 2015

    $4.32
Synopsis

Heat and fire have been at humanity's command for at least 100,000 years, but we've been in control of the cold for barely one hundred. Why it took so long is quite a story. Figuring out the cold would involve some gnomes, a fake perpetual motion machine and a fresh chicken bought in a blizzard. The struggle to put cold to work was just as diverse, with Boston's Ice King Frederick Tudor vying with the likes of Albert Einstein and Michael Faraday. In the end the fridge as we know it was perfected by a wine-making monk. Where did it get us in the end? First there's the obvious - understanding cold has allowed us to rewrite the rules of food. However, there is much more to it than that. Space rockets, skyscrapers, medical scanners and even party balloons could not exist without the refrigerator. And today, refrigeration is still at the cutting edge as we seek to turn the science fiction of teleportation, immortality and conscious computers into scientific fact. In Chilled, Tom Jackson delivers the cold hard facts on refrigeration and our battle to keep things cool over the centuries, from the ice houses of ancient Persia to the present day, where a seemingly mundane whirring white box in the kitchen represents one of the genuine wonders of the modern age - lifesaver, food preserver and social liberator.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
 Pages: 288
 Publisher: Bloomsbury Sigma
Published: 16 Jul 2015
ISBN 10: 1472911431
ISBN 13: 9781472911438
Book Overview: A thrilling, mystery-lifting narrative history of the refrigerator and the process of refrigeration

Media Reviews
Buoyant, idiosyncratic and very funny ... this history of what is, ultimately, a rather mundane piece of kitchenware is consistently fascinating. Cool story. * Financial Times *
Fun and eye-opening ... this is an inspiring, compelling and utterly convincing book. * The Sunday Times *
Jackson sees the appliance as 'humanity's greatest achievement' ... Chilled attests to his abilities as a historian and a bit of a comedian. * Times Literary Supplement *
Jackson handles tricky ideas deftly ... like a well-stocked refrigerator, this book is packed with tasty morsels. -- Timandra Harkness * BBC Focus *
...a chill-cabinet of curiosities: hot stuff, and deeply cool... * The Spectactor *
I can't think of a better light non-fiction summer read than this. * Independent *
...this book feels like you're on a voyage: being entertained by a knowledgeable host, and gathering information from all ports. * BBC Focus *
In his entertaining new book, Chilled, Jackson walks us through the creation of cold - or, at least, man-made cold. An he explains how frigid air made all sorts of thing possible, from the variety of food we eat to the hydrogen bomb. -- Amanda Erickson * The Washington Post *
...a nutritious little book. -- Roger Lewis * The Daily Mail *
Without refrigeration, this delightfully illuminating book reminds us, not only would there be no ice cream or cold lager, there would be no MRI scanners in hospitals, no super-computers, no weekly food shop. * The Mail on Sunday *
One of the most entertaining sections of the book concerns the ice wars of 19th-century America where rivals competed to secure supplies...plenty of fascinating stuff. * The Times *
An entertaining romp through the history of refrigeration * Wall Street Journal *
Author Bio
Tom Jackson is a science writer based in Bristol, UK. Tom specialises in recasting science and technology into lively historical narratives. After almost 20 years of writing, Tom has uncovered a wealth of stories that help to bring technical content alive and create new ways of enjoying learning about science. In his time, Tom has been a zoo keeper, travel writer, buffalo catcher and filing clerk, but he now writes for adults and children, for books, magazines and TV.