Refrigeration Nation A History of Ice, Appliances, and Enterprise in America

You must be logged in to access this title.

Sign up now

Already a member? Log in

Synopsis

Only when the power goes off and food spoils do we truly appreciate how much we rely on refrigerators and freezers. In Refrigeration Nation, Jonathan Rees explores the innovative methods and gadgets that Americans have invented to keep perishable food cold;¢;‚¬;€?from cutting river and lake ice and shipping it to consumers for use in their iceboxes to the development of electrically powered equipment that ushered in a new age of convenience and health.As much a history of successful business practices as a history of technology, this book illustrates how refrigeration has changed the everyday lives of Americans and why it remains so important today. Beginning with the natural ice industry in 1806, Rees considers a variety of factors that drove the industry, including the point and product of consumption, issues of transportation, and technological advances. Rees also shows that how we obtain and preserve perishable food is related to our changing relationship with the natural world.

Book details

Series:
Studies in Industry and Society
Author:
Jonathan Rees
ISBN:
9781421411071
Related ISBNs:
9781421411064
Publisher:
Johns Hopkins University Press
Pages:
248
Reading age:
Not specified
Includes images:
Yes
Date of addition:
2020-11-04
Usage restrictions:
Copyright
Copyright date:
2013
Copyright by:
The Johns Hopkins University Press 
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Categories:
Business and Finance, History, Nonfiction, Science