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Beef: The Untold Story of How Milk, Meat, and Muscle Shaped the World
by Andrew Rimas Evan D. FraserThe cow. The most industrious animal in the world. A beast central to human existence since time began, it has played a vital role in our history not only as a source of food, but also as a means of labor, an economic resource, an inspiration for art, and even as a religious icon. Prehistoric people painted it on cave walls; explorers, merchants, and landowners traded it as currency; many cultures worshipped it as a god. So how did it come to occupy the sorry state it does today—more factory product than animal?In Beef, Andrew Rimas and Evan D. G. Fraser answer that question, telling the story of cattle in its entirety. From the powerful auroch, a now extinct beast once revered as a mystical totem, to the dairy cows of seventeenth-century Holland to the frozen meat patties and growth hormones of today, the authors deliver an engaging panoramic view of the cow's long and colorful history.Peppered with lively anecdotes, recipes, and culinary tidbits, Beef tells a story that spans the globe, from ancient Mediterranean bullfighting rings to the rugged grazing grounds of eighteenth-century England, from the quiet farms of Japan's Kobe beef cows to crowded American stockyards to remote villages in East Africa, home of the Masai, a society to which cattle mean everything. Leaving no stone unturned in its exploration of the cow's legacy, the narrative serves not only as a compelling story but as a call to arms, offering practical solutions for confronting the current condition of the wasteful beef and dairy industries. Beef is a captivating history of an animal whose relationship with humanity has shaped the world as we know it, and readers will never look at steak the same way again.
Beehive Alchemy: Projects and Recipes Using Honey, Beeswax, Propolis, and Pollen to Make Soap, Candles, Creams, Salves, and More
by Petra AhnertA comprehensive introduction to making candles, home and body products life from the author of Beeswax Alchemy.Beehive Alchemy is a continuation of Petra Ahnert’s bestselling Beeswax Alchemy. With this new book, beekeepers (and bee lovers) will learn about the benefits and attributes of beeswax, honey, propolis, and more alongside a full range of projects and techniques to process and harness the amazing gifts of bees. Inside, you’ll find instructions to make Ahnert’s award-winning hand-dipped birthday candles, the classic French dessert canele bordelais, and much more, including:Alchemy for the BodyLiquid soap with honeyBeard balmOlive and honey lotionAlchemy of LightTaper candlesTea lightsPillarsAlchemy for the HomeFurniture polishWaxed cotton food wrapsWoodcutter incenseAlchemy in the StudioBeeswax crayonsEncausticBatikAlchemy in the KitchenCookies and candiesBeveragesFermentationsWhether you keep bees or just love them, Beehive Alchemy will become your go-to comprehensive guide for hive-to-home creations.Praise for Beeswax Alchemy:“An excellent introduction and solid technique instruction to make candles, lotions, and soaps with beeswax. . . . The true strength of this book is its instructions for making homemade body products. While similar in coverage to Leeann Coleman and Jayne Barnes’s Honey Crafting, Ahnert’s book provides better body products and more detailed technical instruction. Strongly recommended.” —Library Journal“This is the book I’ve been waiting for. Excellent instructions. Bountiful information. Beautifully done.” —Kim Flottum, author of The Backyard Beekeeper and editor of Bee Culture magazine
Beekeeper's Lab: 52 Family-Friendly Activities and Experiments Exploring the Life of the Hive
by Kim Lehman"Very informative and fun . . . Science, art, bee care, 52 different labs to entertain, delight, educate and inspire everyone in your family." —A Net in TimeBeekeeping's popularity as a hobby continues to skyrocket. And now, with Beekeeper's Lab, you can fill the year ahead with weekly activities from around and about the hive—including art projects, recipes, experiments, garden activities, and more!Bees are important to local ecosystems,now more than ever. Whether you're already a beekeeper, or are still considering getting your first hive, Beekeeper's Lab has projects perfect for you. This extensive guide book features 52 beekeeping and hive-inspired projects to keep you involved with your buzzing friends all year long.The tutorials are brief, accomplishable, rewarding, and best of all, they are presented in afriendly lab-style format. Try a new technique each weekwith how-tos and sidebars with tips that are perfect for the whole family. Beekeeping is a fun hobby to enjoy, plus, who doesn't want their own supply of honey?
Beekeeping (Self-Sufficiency)
by Joanna RydeLearn what all the buzz is about with this guide to the fascinating and sustainable hobby of keeping bees. Plus: honey recipes for food and skin care!Beekeeping is about management, control and learning to understand the honeybee. It can also become a very enjoyable and sociable pastime—visiting others&’ hives and picking up vital hints and tips is all part of the fun—and farming and eating honey that your own bees have produced is a pure delight. Joanna Ryde covers all aspects of beekeeping, from the basic tools and equipment needed for setting up a hive to detailed advice on when to harvest honey and honey-inspired recipes, from delicious cakes to beauty products. This really is the definitive guide for anyone thinking of keeping bees.
Beekeeping - A Practical Guide: A Practical Guide
by Roger PattersonA practical book for new beekeepers and those interested in keeping their own bees, explaining everything they need to know to get started. It also covers how to make your garden attractive for bees. Published to coincide with the biggest beginners' day for beekeeping which takes place in February each year.
Beekeeping - A Practical Guide: A Practical Guide
by Roger PattersonA practical book for new beekeepers and those interested in keeping their own bees, explaining everything they need to know to get started. It also covers how to make your garden attractive for bees. Published to coincide with the biggest beginners' day for beekeeping which takes place in February each year.
Beekeeping For Dummies
by Howland Blackiston David WiscombeThe fast and easy way to start and maintain a hiveBeekeeping For Dummies is a practical, step-by-step beginner's guide to beekeeping. It gives you plain-English guidance on everything you need to know to start your own beehive, from buying the right equipment, sourcing bees, and locating your hive to maintaining a healthy colony and harvesting honey. Plus, you'll get the latest information on the causes and effects of bee disease, colony collapse disorder, and the impact the sudden disappearance of the honeybee has on our environment and economy.Here, you'll get trusted information on beekeeping in the UK, specifically written to address climate, buying equipment, locating hives, the local impact of colony collapse disorder and ways to avoid or minimise the risk to your hive, seasonal beekeeping tasks, local beekeeping associations, and updated content on urban beekeeping. Understand the anatomy of your bees Learn techniques and tips for harvesting, bottling, packaging, and selling honey Discover the benefits of beekeeping Learn techniques on obtaining and hiving your beesIf you're a beginner beekeeper, taking a beekeeping course, or just have an interest in the plight of the honeybee, Beekeeping For Dummies has you covered!
Beekeeping For Dummies
by Howland BlackistonBeekeeping For Dummies, 2nd Edition reviews the tools of the trade, including complete instructions for building and maintaining beehives; offers detailed and easy-to-follow guidelines for all phases of honey production--including harvesting, bottling, packaging and marketing your honey; explores theories into the recent unexplained collapse of colonies and its environmental and economic on society; and provides new information on mites and diseases and recommend changes in bee medication and treatments.
Beekeeping For Dummies: 4th Edition
by Howland BlackistonThe single best and most comprehensive guide for prospective, new and experienced hobbyist beekeepers Beekeeping For Dummies, 5th Edition, is one of the most popular titles in the For Dummies series available today. Including the latest information regarding every aspect of backyard beekeeping and honey production, this book describes how to get started, how to care for and safely handle bees, and how to maintain healthy and productive colonies. This book is loaded with up-to-date, practical examples and helpful illustrations of proven techniques and strategies for both new and seasoned hobbyist beekeepers. Some of the updates for this brand-new edition include: New information regarding the critical role that nutrition plays in the health and productivity of your bees News about the latest beekeeping products, medications, and all-natural remedies Information regarding dozens of helpful beekeeping resources Redeemable coupons from beekeeping suppliers that save the reader money Beekeeping For Dummies embodies the straightforward and simple approach made famous by the For Dummies series. Each and every reader will benefit from its accessible and approachable take on beekeeping.
Beekeeping for Beginners: How To Raise Your First Bee Colonies
by Amber BradshawHelp your hive thrive with this guide to beekeeping for new-bees.Wouldn't it be great to raise your own bees, have a fresh supply of honey, and bring thousands of healthy pollinators into your yard? Beekeeping for Beginners is a simple, step-by-step guide that helps you learn the fundamentals of modern beekeeping. You (and your bees) will be buzzing with delight.From picking the right hive and bringing your bees home to surviving winter and collecting honey, experienced beekeeper Amber Bradshaw takes you on an easy-to-follow journey through your first year of beekeeping and beyond.Beekeeping for Beginners includes:Just the essentials—Learn everything you need to know to begin your first colony—written with brand new beekeepers in mind.Modern beekeeping—Start your colony off right with guides that feature the newest practices and current, natural approaches.Learn to speak bee—Clearly defined terms and a complete glossary will have you talking like a pro beekeeper in no time.Begin your beekeeping the right way—and avoid getting stung by mistakes—with Beekeeping for Beginners.
Beekeeping for Poverty Alleviation and Livelihood Security: Vol. 1: Technological Aspects of Beekeeping
by Rakesh Kumar Gupta Wim Reybroeck Johan W. Veen Anuradha GuptaThis Book intends to address all aspects needed to develop beekeeping into a powerful instrument of rural development and will focus on beekeeping as a tool for Poverty Alleviation and Livelihood security. In the backdrop of the social and economic issues of the people living in poverty region, the book aims to delineate specific motivation approaches to engage them in beekeeping and will serve as a guide for effective marketing through diversification and value addition of bee products. Nevertheless, marketing and environmental issues will remain an important component of this book. The aim is also to focus on indirect benefit of beekeeping so that it is integrated with farming and nature conservation. Other topics include ensuring the provision of practical techniques in handling and management of bees. It will provide detailed information on good contacts with policymakers and authorities; and channels for attracting finance especially in the third world countries. An interdisciplinary approach is the key feature of the book and it will also focus on few case histories and success stories to encourage the reader to take up beekeeping as a new venture gradually in a phased manner like traditional-transitional and modernised beekeeping. With the publication of this book, we hope to hand out a practical guide that will assist all those who are involved in beekeeping for development. We hope it will stimulate beekeeping as an integrated activity with farming and nature conservation and will serve in many households for poverty alleviation and livelihood security.
Beekeeping: A Practical Guide
by Richard E. BonneyKeep your own bees and enjoy delicious golden honey from your own backyard. With his respect and admiration for bees evident on every page, Richard E. Bonney describes how to acquire bees, manage a hive, prevent and treat diseases, and extract a crop of honey. Enthusiastic beekeepers of every stripe and experience level will benefit from Bonney’s astonishing knowledge of the craft — from beekeeping history and honeybee biology to the complex social structure of the hive.
Beep to Boom: The Development of Advanced Runtime Sound Systems for Games and Extended Reality (Audio Engineering Society Presents)
by Simon N GoodwinDrawing on decades of experience, Beep to Boom: The Development of Advanced Runtime Sound Systems for Games and Extended Reality is a rigorous, comprehensive guide to interactive audio runtime systems. Packed with practical examples and insights, the book explains each component of these complex geometries of sound. Using practical, lowest-common-denominator techniques, Goodwin covers soundfield creation across a range of platforms from phones to VR gaming consoles. Whether creating an audio system from scratch or building on existing frameworks, the book also explains costs, benefits and priorities. In the dynamic simulated world of games and extended reality, interactive audio can now consider every intricacy of real-world sound. This book explains how and why to tame it enjoyably.
Beer Craft: The no-nonsense guide to making and enjoying damn good craft beer at home
by Jon FinchFact: If you can make soup, you can make beautiful and delicious craft beer.Armed with this book, a stock pot and a mesh bag, you'll be drinking your own freshly crafted, hoppy aromatic beers in a matter of weeks. BEER CRAFT will teach you how to make awesome beer, mix tasty beer cocktails and rustle up mouth-watering food, as well as providing a guide to some of the best breweries the craft beer world has to offer.Brewing beer needn't be a complicated, drawn-out process involving a cupboard full of equipment straight out of a laboratory and ingredients you can only order from overseas! BEER CRAFT gives readers a simplified approach to the process, translating the necessary science into layman's terms and making the process fun, approachable and just a little bit rock and roll. A must-have buy for absolutely anyone who likes beer, not just the geeks.Welcome to your new favourite hobby.
Bees Make the Best Pets: All the Buzz about Being Resilient, Collaborative, Industrious, Generous, and Sweet—Straight from the Hive
by Jack MingoAll the Buzz on Bees and BeekeepingWhat happens when a writer sets up a backyard beehive? You get a book full of fun and fascinating facts on bumblebees, honeybees, worker bees, and the rest of our favorite pollinators.A bee swarm of trivia, tips, legend, and lore. Writer and beekeeper Jack Mingo lives with half a million bees. So, it’s safe to say he’s picked up a thing or two at his bee farm. In this collection of humorous, unique, and often unusual observations, Mingo shows us a glimpse of the mystical and matriarchal world of bees and bee culture.A book full of bee facts, anecdotes, and advice. How many legs do bees have? Enough not to crowd your bed at night. They don't track mud or fleas into the house, and if you leave them in the yard they won’t bark and whine. They greet you with honey and beeswax, not dead mice. And these are just some of the reasons bees make the best pets. Whether you’re flirting with beekeeping, looking to save the bees, or growing into your role as reigning queen bee, there’s something new to learn. Step into Mingo’s quirky hive to get a taste of tidbits like:The role of bees in the Civil WarThe legend of caroling bees on Christmas EveThe color and quality of local honeyIf you enjoyed books like The Beekeepers Bible, The Bees in Your Backyard, or The Lives of Bees, then you’ll love Bees Make the Best Pets.
Bees Make the Best Pets: All the Buzz about Being Resilient, Collaborative, Industrious, Generous, and Sweet—Straight from the Hive
by Jack MingoAll the Buzz for Beekeeping Beginners#1 New Release in Entomology and Insects & SpidersWhat happens when a writer sets up a backyard beehive? You get a beekeeping book full of fun and fascinating facts about honey bees and our other favorite pollinators.A nature guide book for beekeeping beginners. Full of trivia, tips, legends, and lore —this quirky bee book swarms with interesting information, so you can have fun, learn stuff, grow your farm, or just relax. Writer and beekeeper Jack Mingo lives with half a million bees, and has picked up a thing or two at his bee farm. In this collection of humorous and often unusual observations, Mingo shows us a glimpse of the mystical and matriarchal world of bees.The save the bees sign you’ve been looking for. How many legs do bees have? Enough not to crowd your bed at night. They don't track mud or bugs into your house, and they won’t bark and whine. They even greet you with raw honey and beeswax. And these are just some of the reasons bees make the best pets of all. Whether you’re a beekeeping beginner, looking to save the bees, or interested in fun nature facts about bugs and insects, there’s something here for every nature lover.Step into Mingo’s hive for tidbits like:Fun and interesting tips and tricks for beekeeping beginnersKnowledge about the color, quality, and benefits of local honeyThe history and legendary stories of bees, like the role they played in the Civil War and the Legend of the Caroling BeesIf you liked Beekeeping for Dummies, The Beekeeper’s Handbook, or Beekeeping for Beginners, you’ll love Bees Make the Best Pets.
Bees and Beekeeping in the United Arab Emirates
by Denis L. Anderson, Ihsan Abu AlrubBees and Beekeeping in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) marks the first publication in the UAE of a book focusing on bees, honey bees, and beekeeping. Wild and managed bees are known as "keystone species" because of their significance as pollinators of flowering plants in nature and agriculture, but despite this, little is known about bees in the UAE. This book is designed to captivate a broad audience, blending general knowledge about the diversity, significance, and conservation of bees with specific insights into challenges unique to honey bees (Apis mellifera) in the UAE. Key topics include sustainable beekeeping practices, managing hives in hot, arid environments, and identifying and addressing major pests and diseases. Special attention is given to the wild dwarf honey bee (Apis florea), a prevalent species in the UAE. While not a basic guide to beekeeping, this book offers valuable information for both novice and experienced beekeepers.
Bees and Their Keepers: From waggle-dancing to killer bees, from Aristotle to Winnie-the-Pooh
by Lotte MöllerA beautifully illustrated and thoroughly engaging cultural history of beekeeping - packed with anecdote, humour and enriching historical detail. The perfect gift."A charming look at the history of beekeeping, from myth and folklore to our practical relationship with bees" Gardens Illustrated"An entertaining collation of bee trivia across the millennia" Daily Telegraph* Sweden's Gardening Book of the Year 2019 * Shortlisted for the August Prize 2019 * Winner of the Swedish Book Design Award for 2019Beekeeper and garden historian Lotte Möller explores the activities inside and outside the hive while charting the bees' natural order and habits. With a light touch she uses her encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject to shed light on humanity's understanding of bees and bee lore from antiquity to the present. A humorous debunking of the myths that have held for centuries is matched by a wry exploration of how and when they were replaced by fact. In her travels Möller encounters a trigger-happy Californian beekeeper raging against both killer bees and bee politics, warring beekeepers on the Danish island of Læso, and Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey, breeder of the Buckfast queen now popular throughout Europe and beyond, as well a host of others as passionate as she about the complex world of apiculture both past and present.Translated from the Swedish by Frank Perry
Bees and Their Keepers: From waggle-dancing to killer bees, from Aristotle to Winnie-the-Pooh
by Lotte MöllerWith deep knowledge and a sharp wit, Lotte Möller unfolds our understanding of bees and bee lore from antiquity to the present. A beekeeper herself, she gives insight into the activity in the hive and describes the bees' natural order and habits. She explores the myths of the past, and how and when they were replaced by fact. For example, the heated discussions that broke out in the eighteenth century when it was discovered that the hive was ruled by a queen, not a king as had been the belief since Aristotle. In her travels Möller encounters a host of colourful characters, from a trigger-happy Californian beekeeper raging against both killer bees and bee politics, to the warring beekeepers on the island of Læso and Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey, breeder of the Buckfast queen now popular throughout Europe and beyond. Bees and Their Keepers is a compelling cultural history for the beekeeper and general reader alike.Translated from the Swedish by Frank Perry(P)2020 Quercus Editions Limited
Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation
by Tammy Horn"Queen Bee," "busy as a bee," and "the land of milk and honey" are expressions that permeate the language within American culture. Music, movies, art, advertising, poetry, children's books, and literature all incorporate the dynamic image of the tiny, industrious honey bee into our popular imagination. Honey bees -- and the values associated with them -- have influenced American values for four centuries. Bees and beekeepers have represented order and stability in a country without a national religion, political party, language, or family structure. Bees in America is an enlightening cultural history of bees and beekeeping in the United States. Tammy Horn, herself a beekeeper, offers a social and technological history from the colonial period, when the British first brought bees to the New World, to the present, when bees are being trained by the American military to detect bombs. Horn shows how the honey bee was one of the first symbols of colonization and how bees' societal structures shaped our ideals about work, family, community, and leisure. In turn, the Puritan work ethic was modeled after the beehive, and this model continues to influence American definitions of success. Still a powerful symbol today, the honey bee is both a source of income and a metaphor for America's place at the center of global advances in information and technology.
Beeswax Alchemy: How to Make Your Own Candles, Soap, Balms, Salves, and Home Décor from the Hive
by Petra Ahnert“Provides an excellent introduction and solid technique instruction to make candles, lotions, and soaps with beeswax. Strongly recommended.” —Library JournalFeaturing over forty DIY projects that illustrate how to transform one of the world’s most natural ingredients into tangible creations, Beeswax Alchemy is the perfect amalgamation of recipe craft book and beekeepers’ guide.Considered the miracle of the beehive and used by humans for 8,000 years, beeswax remains a vital ingredient and is still used as the foundation for many household products in the twenty-first century. Learn from apiarist and entrepreneur Petra Ahnert about the history of beeswax, as well as tips and techniques on how to mold it into beautiful, reusable creations.You’ll also find an explanation of the different types of beeswax, as well as insider tips on working with beeswax, followed by step-by-step instructions for making candles, balms, salves, creams, scrubs, soaps, ornaments, art, and more out of beeswax (either your own or store-bought). Color photos illustrate the processes. Among the useful and beautiful things you’ll learn to make out of beeswax:Hand-Dipped Birthday CandlesLip Balm with Cocoa ButterRosebud SalveSolid Natural PerfumesHoney, Oats, and Beeswax SoapBeeswax LuminariesWhether you are an expert beekeeper or experimental crafter, Beeswax Alchemy is the best guide for anyone aspiring to make wellness-boosting treasures to keep or gift to friends and family. “This is the book I’ve been waiting for. Excellent instructions. Bountiful information. Beautifully done.” —Kim Flottum, author of The Backyard Beekeeper and editor of Bee Culture magazine
Before We Eat (2nd Edition): From Farm To Table
by Pat Brisson Mary Azarian* MOONBEAM GOLD AWARD * * GROWING GOOD KIDS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY AND NATIONAL MASTER JUNIOR GARDENER PROGRAM * Milk doesn't just appear in your refrigerator, nor do apples grow in the bowl on the kitchen counter. Before We Eat has been adopted by the USDA’s Agriculture in the Classroom program. Before we eat, many people work very hard—planting grain, catching fish, tending farm animals, and filling crates of vegetables. With vibrant illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Mary Azarian, this book reminds us what must happen before food gets to our tables to nourish our bodies and spirits. This expanded edition of Before We Eat includes back-of-book features about school gardens and the national farm-to-school movement. Fountas & Pinnell Level L
Before the Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe and What Lies Beyond
by Laura Mersini-HoughtonA revolutionary new account of our universe’s creation—and a breathtaking exploration of the landscape from which we sprang—from one of the world’s most celebrated cosmologistsWhat came before the Big Bang, and what exists outside of the universe it created? Until recently, scientists could only guess at what lay past the edge of space-time. However, as pioneering theoretical physicist Laura Mersini-Houghton explains, new scientific tools are now giving us the ability to peer beyond the limits of our universe and to test our theories about what is there. And what we are finding is upending everything we thought we knew about the cosmos and our place in it.Mersini-Houghton is no stranger to boundaries—or to pushing through them. As a child growing up in Communist Albania, she discovered a universe beyond her walled-off world through the study of math and science, and through music. As a female cosmologist in a male-dominated field, she transcended the limits that society and her profession tried to place on her. And as a trailblazing researcher, she helped to revolutionize the study of our universe by revealing that, far from living in a cosmic Albania, with a world that ends at its borders, we are part of a larger family of universes—a multiverse—that holds wonders we are only beginning to unlock. Mersini-Houghton’s groundbreaking research suggests that we sit in a quantum landscape whose peaks and valleys hide a multitude of other universes, and even hold the secret to the origins of existence itself. Recent evidence has revealed the signatures of such sibling universes in our own night sky, confirming Mersini-Houghton’s theoretical work and offering humbling evidence that our universe is just one member of an unending cosmic family.The incredible scientific saga of one woman’s mind-expanding journey through the multiverse, Before the Big Bang will reshape our understanding of humanity’s place in the unfathomable vastness of the cosmos.
Before the Collapse: A Guide to the Other Side of Growth
by Ugo BardiNobody has to tell you that when things go bad, they go bad quickly and seemingly in bunches. Complicated structures like buildings or bridges are slow and laborious to build but, with a design flaw or enough explosive energy, take only seconds to collapse. This fate can befall a company, the stock market, or your house or town after a natural disaster, and the metaphor extends to economies, governments, and even whole societies. As we proceed blindly and incrementally in one direction or another, collapse often takes us by surprise. We step over what you will come to know as a “Seneca cliff”, which is named after the ancient Roman philosopher, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, who was the first to observe the ubiquitous truth that growth is slow but ruin is rapid. Modern science, like ancient philosophy, tell us that collapse is not a bug; it is a feature of the universe. Understanding this reality will help you to see and navigate the Seneca cliffs of life, or what Malcolm Gladwell called “tipping points.” Efforts to stave off collapse often mean that the cliff will be even steeper when you step over it. But the good news is that what looks to you like a collapse may be nothing more than the passage to a new condition that is better than the old.This book gives deeper meaning to familiar adages such as “it’s a house of cards”, “let nature take its course”, “reach a tipping point”, or the popular Silicon Valley expression, “fail fast, fail often.” As the old Roman philosopher noted, “nothing that exists today is not the result of a past collapse”, and this is the basis of what we call “The Seneca Strategy.” This engaging and insightful book will help you to use the Seneca Strategy to face failure and collapse at all scales, to understand why change may be inevitable, and to navigate the swirl of events that frequently threaten your balance and happiness. You will learn:How ancient philosophy and modern science agree that failure and collapse are normal features of the universePrinciples that help us manage, rather than be managed by, the biggest challenges of our lives and times Why technological progress may not prevent economic or societal collapseWhy the best strategy to oppose failure is not to resist at all costsHow you can “rebound” after collapse, to do better than before, and to avoid the same mistakes.
Before the Refrigerator: How We Used to Get Ice (How Things Worked)
by Jonathan ReesHow increased access to ice—decades before refrigeration—transformed American life.During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Americans depended upon ice to stay cool and to keep their perishable foods fresh. Jonathan Rees tells the fascinating story of how people got ice before mechanical refrigeration came to the household. Drawing on newspapers, trade journals, and household advice books, Before the Refrigerator explains how Americans built a complex system to harvest, store, and transport ice to everyone who wanted it, even the very poor.Rees traces the evolution of the natural ice industry from its mechanization in the 1880s through its gradual collapse, which started after World War I. Meatpackers began experimenting with ice refrigeration to ship their products as early as the 1860s. Starting around 1890, large, bulky ice machines the size of small houses appeared on the scene, becoming an important source for the American ice supply. As ice machines shrunk, more people had access to better ice for a wide variety of purposes. By the early twentieth century, Rees writes, ice had become an essential tool for preserving perishable foods of all kinds, transforming what most people ate and drank every day. Reviewing all the inventions that made the ice industry possible and the way they worked together to prevent ice from melting, Rees demonstrates how technological systems can operate without a central controlling force. Before the Refrigerator is ideal for history of technology classes, food studies classes, or anyone interested in what daily life in the United States was like between 1880 and 1930.