Cool - by Salvatore Basile

About the Book

A narrative history of the development of air conditioning from its beginnings to its current state, with an emphasis on its reception by members of the public.

Book Synopsis

It's a contraption that makes the lists of "Greatest Inventions Ever"; at the same time, it's accused of causing global disaster. It has changed everything from architecture to people's food habits to their voting patterns, to even the way big business washes its windows. It has saved countless lives . . . while causing countless deaths. Most of us are glad it's there. But we don't know how, or when, it got there.

It's air conditioning.

For thousands of years, humankind attempted to do something about the slow torture of hot weather. Everything was tried: water power, slave power, electric power, ice made from steam engines and cold air made from deadly chemicals, "zephyrifers," refrigerated beds, ventilation amateurs and professional air-sniffers. It wasn't until 1902 when an engineer barely out of college developed the "Apparatus for Treating Air"--a machine that could actually cool the indoors--and everyone assumed it would instantly change the world.

That wasn't the case. There was a time when people "ignored" hot weather while reading each day's list of heat-related deaths, women wore furs in the summertime, heatstroke victims were treated with bloodletting . . . and the notion of a machine to cool the air was considered preposterous, even sinful.

The story of air conditioning is actually two stories: the struggle to perfect a cooling device, and the effort to convince people that they actually needed such a thing. With a cast of characters ranging from Leonardo da Vinci and Richard Nixon to Felix the Cat, Cool showcases the myriad reactions to air conditioning-- some of them dramatic, many others comical and wonderfully inconsistent--as it was developed and presented to the world. Here is a unique perspective on air conditioning's fascinating history: how we rely so completely on it today, and how it might change radically tomorrow.

Review Quotes

. . . A lively and endlessly informative tale about how air conditioning happened scientifically and what it has done for and to us.-- "The Common Reader"

Cool: How Air Conditioning Changed Everything provides history readers and social science students alike with a review of how air conditioning evolved and changed life in America, and is recommended not just for college collections but for any seeking a pairing
of history and lively social insights.

-- "Midwest Book Review"

"A joy . . . I wish you coolth!"-- "KCRW-FM"

"A look at our love affair with air-conditioning ... breezily anecdotal."-- "The New York Times"

"Charming . . . Much fun . . . short, sharp micro-history."-- "New Scientist"

"COOL tells the surprisingly suspenseful story of the development and gradual adoption of air conditioning in the United States. The puckish Basile is more than up to the task, and his copious research pays off: Not only is COOL an informative read, each chapter is strewn with more anecdotes than there are sprinkles on an ice cream cone. Some are hilarious; others, jaw-dropping. Best of all, each chapter leaves you wanting more."-- "American Scientist"

"Fascinating ... examines the technology and its penetration into American life."-- "First Things"

"Snarky ... entertaining."-- "Weekly Standard"

"Some surprising things you probably don't know about air conditioning."-- "Los Angeles Times"

"The all-encompassing guidebook to the history of air conditioning, chronicling the numerous gimmicks, failed attempts, con jobs, and eventual successes ... a surprisingly interesting journey."-- "San Francisco Book Review"

About the Author

Salvatore Basile was educated at the Boston Conservatory and The Juilliard School and began his career as a professional musician. After penning various music-related articles, he entered the field of social commentary with his history Fifth Avenue Famous: The Extraordinary Story of Music at St. Patrick's Cathedral (Fordham).