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Of Ice and Men: How We've Used Cold to Transform Humanity
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
An exploration of humanity’s relationship with ice since the dawn of civilization, Of Ice and Men reminds us that only by understanding this unique substance can we save the ice on our planet—and perhaps ourselves.
Ice tells a story. It writes it in rock. It lays it down, snowfall by snowfall at the ends of the earth where we may read it like the rings on a tree. It tells our planet’s geological and climatological tale.
Ice tells another story a story about us. It is a tale packed with swash-buckling adventure and improbable invention, peopled with driven, eccentric, often brilliant characters. It tells how our species has used ice to reshape the world according to our needs and our how we have survived it, harvested it, traded it, bent science to our will to make it—and how in doing so we have created globe-spanning infrastructures that are entirely dependent upon it.
And even after we have done all that, we take ice so much for granted that we barely notice it.
Ice has supercharged the modern world. It has allowed us to feed ourselves and cure ourselves in ways unimaginable two hundred years ago. It has enabled the global population to rise from less than 1 billion to nearly 7½ billion—which just happens to cover the same period of time as humanity has harvested, manufactured, and distributed ice on an industrial scale.
And yet the roots of our fascination with ice and its properties run much deeper than the recent past.
An exploration of humanity’s relationship with ice since the dawn of civilization, Of Ice and Men reminds us that only by understanding this unique substance can we save the ice on our planet—and perhaps ourselves.
Ice tells a story. It writes it in rock. It lays it down, snowfall by snowfall at the ends of the earth where we may read it like the rings on a tree. It tells our planet’s geological and climatological tale.
Ice tells another story a story about us. It is a tale packed with swash-buckling adventure and improbable invention, peopled with driven, eccentric, often brilliant characters. It tells how our species has used ice to reshape the world according to our needs and our how we have survived it, harvested it, traded it, bent science to our will to make it—and how in doing so we have created globe-spanning infrastructures that are entirely dependent upon it.
And even after we have done all that, we take ice so much for granted that we barely notice it.
Ice has supercharged the modern world. It has allowed us to feed ourselves and cure ourselves in ways unimaginable two hundred years ago. It has enabled the global population to rise from less than 1 billion to nearly 7½ billion—which just happens to cover the same period of time as humanity has harvested, manufactured, and distributed ice on an industrial scale.
And yet the roots of our fascination with ice and its properties run much deeper than the recent past.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published December 6, 2022
12 people are currently reading
325 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 7, 2023
Too many asides and tangential explorations. It covered a lot of ground and I was asking “ what’s this have to do with ice or the cold?”
April 25, 2023
I liked the storytelling in "Of Ice and Men" quite a lot. Had that been all that matters in a book, this one flirts with four stars, easily.
However, anytime a non-fiction science book - albeit a history/pop-science one - appears to treat fictional movies as reliable historical sources... yeah, that's a problem! There's also nothing exhaustive about this account of how humans have used ice in history. In fact, the sheer volume of omissions is mind-boggling.
What this book is, is a number of great stories - presumably ones that just tickled the author's fancy for one reason or another (and definitely not necessarily pertaining to the subject matter of the book he wrote) - told very well. But it is a pop-science non-fiction book that it is very, very close to not being non-fiction.
I do not recommend this one if you're interested in the history and science of ice-use throughout human history. If all you want is a collection of cool little anecdotes and stories told well, go for it.
However, anytime a non-fiction science book - albeit a history/pop-science one - appears to treat fictional movies as reliable historical sources... yeah, that's a problem! There's also nothing exhaustive about this account of how humans have used ice in history. In fact, the sheer volume of omissions is mind-boggling.
What this book is, is a number of great stories - presumably ones that just tickled the author's fancy for one reason or another (and definitely not necessarily pertaining to the subject matter of the book he wrote) - told very well. But it is a pop-science non-fiction book that it is very, very close to not being non-fiction.
I do not recommend this one if you're interested in the history and science of ice-use throughout human history. If all you want is a collection of cool little anecdotes and stories told well, go for it.
not-interested
March 7, 2023Random pick from the library new-book shelf. I'm always suspicious of pop-science books written by random journos with no particular expertise, and that this one apparently veers off onto a climate-change jeremiad is an immediate turnoff. Since I have no shortage of books to read, and since I almost certainly know more about climate science than the author -- I'm a professional geologist who has been interested in paleoclimates, and lately climate change, since student days -- I think this one can safely go back to the library with no regrets! Caveat lector.
February 20, 2023
This book left me cold. There were interesting parts like the history of refrigeration but then he slips on the ice and veers into discussions of the history of skiing, climate change, Arctic exploration. I guess it all ties together as related to ice and cold, but much of it seems gleaned from 4-5 books on the various topics which he quotes from and summarizes.
April 22, 2024
If casually used as an audiobook to pass the time in the car like I did, great choice. 5/5 score–especially if into medicine or food history. The anecdotes and storytelling were perfect for keeping me awake on a drive that is quite boring and full of traffic. This was a combination of the narrator’s voice, topics I generally am into, and sometimes being confused at where the storyline was actually going. However, I feel like I wouldn’t have liked it as much if I had physically read it. It is much more appropriate as an introduction to history/science for people who are not in those circles professionally. To be fair, I will never ever think of an ice cube the same way again. Isn’t that what the author wanted all along?
December 31, 2022
It's the end of the year, which means it's time for books about winter, ice, cold, and snow. This book was all over the place with far too many digressions into history that, while interesting, detracted from the particular focus promised in the title. But I learned many things--all about the origins of the refrigerator (did you know ice houses were first documented in the desert of the Middle East?), air conditioning (movie houses played a key role in commercializing it), the cold chain (I do love my strawberries all year)--and how those things have affected humanity in ways both good and bad. Hogge ends with a chapter on climate change and the ways our efforts to cool ourselves and our food have contributed to it. I especially liked these two quotes, which capture the essence of the problems that are preventing us from tackling it to the extent that we should.
The first is from a 2014 article by Jean-Daniel Colomb: "Global warming poses a philosophical challenge to libertarian and small-government conservatives: their world view is premised on the idea that government power should always be held in check lest it destroy individual freedom, while the world is faced with a crisis of global proportions that could only be averted by a strong and prolonged government action....Denial appears to be a more desirable strategy than a devastating reappraisal of one's deeply held beliefs." This is a kind but true view of the motivations of most conservatives who are uncertain about climate change. They are often characterized as rapacious capitalists who don't want to fix the climate because doing so would undermine their own potential profits. Some of them are that short-sightedly evil, but I don't think most are. Most just don't like to be told what to do, even when it's for their own and everyone else's good. Aren't we all like that sometimes?
The second statement, Hogge's own, is the clearest I've read yet of why solving this problem is hard even for those of us who have embraced the science and the truth of climate change from the beginning: "If you ask most people, 'Do you want to protect the environment?' the answer is usually yes. If you follow that up with, 'At what cost to yourself?' the subtext of their reply usually boils down to 'As little as possible.'"
That, frankly, is human nature. Every summer, my family cranks up our AC and ice maker. We can't afford an electric car or solar panels and are unwilling to go into debt to get them. We have to commute to work by car; public transportation doesn't cut it around here. Yet I want to keep my ice and snow and my long winters by the fireplace and my blizzards that roll down from the mountains like an act of God. I want never to have to tell stories of the beauties of winter to my great-grandchildren in some horrible hot future where those things have passed into myth. Something's got to give. Here's hoping we can get that strong and prolonged government action. I want someone to tell me what to do--and to help me pay for it.
The first is from a 2014 article by Jean-Daniel Colomb: "Global warming poses a philosophical challenge to libertarian and small-government conservatives: their world view is premised on the idea that government power should always be held in check lest it destroy individual freedom, while the world is faced with a crisis of global proportions that could only be averted by a strong and prolonged government action....Denial appears to be a more desirable strategy than a devastating reappraisal of one's deeply held beliefs." This is a kind but true view of the motivations of most conservatives who are uncertain about climate change. They are often characterized as rapacious capitalists who don't want to fix the climate because doing so would undermine their own potential profits. Some of them are that short-sightedly evil, but I don't think most are. Most just don't like to be told what to do, even when it's for their own and everyone else's good. Aren't we all like that sometimes?
The second statement, Hogge's own, is the clearest I've read yet of why solving this problem is hard even for those of us who have embraced the science and the truth of climate change from the beginning: "If you ask most people, 'Do you want to protect the environment?' the answer is usually yes. If you follow that up with, 'At what cost to yourself?' the subtext of their reply usually boils down to 'As little as possible.'"
That, frankly, is human nature. Every summer, my family cranks up our AC and ice maker. We can't afford an electric car or solar panels and are unwilling to go into debt to get them. We have to commute to work by car; public transportation doesn't cut it around here. Yet I want to keep my ice and snow and my long winters by the fireplace and my blizzards that roll down from the mountains like an act of God. I want never to have to tell stories of the beauties of winter to my great-grandchildren in some horrible hot future where those things have passed into myth. Something's got to give. Here's hoping we can get that strong and prolonged government action. I want someone to tell me what to do--and to help me pay for it.
December 26, 2022
The book spends many of its pages talking about ice/refrigeration/cold things and how it has at times thwarted and advanced humankind. It takes us through the history of ice. The last chapter is an environmental rant about vanishing ice with little of the history and story telling that make the book both enjoyable and informative. If Hogge had wanted to try and awaken the world to climate change, perhaps a different vehicle.
I was enjoying the book but didn't need to chastised and threatened in the end.
I was enjoying the book but didn't need to chastised and threatened in the end.
August 8, 2023
This story went into the fascinating history of ice and how it was used throughout history.
I found it interesting on the different uses that ice such as medical care, food packaging, and early stages of refrigeration. It makes you think about what had to be done to persevere and take care of different foods back then. We would not have some of the freshest food without the proper refrigerator system between grocery stores and home kitchens. Ice brought a fresh and clean quality to the food.
The medical component was extremely interesting with how it plays a crucial role in organ transplants. I know that organs are put on ice, but I never really knew why it was done. This is done with the heart and the use of oxygen. It just fascinates me on how ice can keep the body cool to keep the body alive and functioning. The thought of that is just mind boggling. Stuff like that just might stick in your brain.
Once I started reading, I did find that it did go off topic to an extent that it lost full connection to the story. Most of the background information was useful to provide more context for what ice can be used for at the time, but at some parts it seemed unnecessary to an extent. I got lost slightly, but I got back on track after passing the confusion. At some point it just felt like there was too much information that just did not flow together.
In the end, I did learn something new about ice and the countless uses it obtains. Some information was insightful, but some was not needed.
An educational read about an everyday item.
I found it interesting on the different uses that ice such as medical care, food packaging, and early stages of refrigeration. It makes you think about what had to be done to persevere and take care of different foods back then. We would not have some of the freshest food without the proper refrigerator system between grocery stores and home kitchens. Ice brought a fresh and clean quality to the food.
The medical component was extremely interesting with how it plays a crucial role in organ transplants. I know that organs are put on ice, but I never really knew why it was done. This is done with the heart and the use of oxygen. It just fascinates me on how ice can keep the body cool to keep the body alive and functioning. The thought of that is just mind boggling. Stuff like that just might stick in your brain.
Once I started reading, I did find that it did go off topic to an extent that it lost full connection to the story. Most of the background information was useful to provide more context for what ice can be used for at the time, but at some parts it seemed unnecessary to an extent. I got lost slightly, but I got back on track after passing the confusion. At some point it just felt like there was too much information that just did not flow together.
In the end, I did learn something new about ice and the countless uses it obtains. Some information was insightful, but some was not needed.
An educational read about an everyday item.
May 28, 2023
The purpose of this book was to inform readers on the history of ice and how it affects human society. For the first half of the book, I think it does a reasonably good job at that. The timeline on refrigeration and ice as a luxury were very interesting, and appeared to be well-researched.
The second half of the book (the chapters on skiing and climate change) was less effective. The skiing chapter briefly introduced the idea that skis and snowshoes may have affected communities in colder climates, but the remainder of the chapter focuses on the recreational aspect. It also has a bizarre and unnecessary 10-page tangent on the concept of weekends and work holidays, all to explain why people started skiing more.
"Bizarre and unnecessary" describes a lot of the tangents and footnotes (some of which are half a page long!) in this book.
The climate change chapter does a poor job at contextualizing the issue with respect to ice. It briefly discusses how melting Antarctic ice may impact the world, but little mention is given to sea ice or permafrost. Both are fascinating topics highly relevant to the climate change issue, and the fact that they are glossed over in a book devoted to ice is problematic.
The second half of the book (the chapters on skiing and climate change) was less effective. The skiing chapter briefly introduced the idea that skis and snowshoes may have affected communities in colder climates, but the remainder of the chapter focuses on the recreational aspect. It also has a bizarre and unnecessary 10-page tangent on the concept of weekends and work holidays, all to explain why people started skiing more.
"Bizarre and unnecessary" describes a lot of the tangents and footnotes (some of which are half a page long!) in this book.
The climate change chapter does a poor job at contextualizing the issue with respect to ice. It briefly discusses how melting Antarctic ice may impact the world, but little mention is given to sea ice or permafrost. Both are fascinating topics highly relevant to the climate change issue, and the fact that they are glossed over in a book devoted to ice is problematic.
August 5, 2023
Hogge thought up a clever title, and probably compiled a dozen loosely related articles and called it a book. The section on convection driven engineered ice pits in the ancient deserts of Mesopotamia was novel and engaging, but all the rest kind of just dragged with minutia. The final paragraph on the climate crisis is meaningful and accurate, but like so much else, it just doesn't fit into any cohesive memorable narrative. Additionally, Hogge borrows heavily for each section on a few key sources, in a way that a rushed student essay might, and I feel he doesn't add much to the originals. The documentary "Chasing Ice" I enjoyed much more than the sections he paraphrased from it.
Lastly, Hogge is not the best storyteller.. he narrates mechanically, factually, stoically. Where he interjects into the storyline, I rarely appreciate my deviation, but when he doesn't he only has a dry storyline, detached from overarching meaning.
Lastly, Hogge is not the best storyteller.. he narrates mechanically, factually, stoically. Where he interjects into the storyline, I rarely appreciate my deviation, but when he doesn't he only has a dry storyline, detached from overarching meaning.
June 18, 2024
Another audiobook! 2.5. Enjoyable/interesting book to listen to while driving and running, but I don't think I would have finished it if I was actually reading it. There was soooo much information in this book, and after reading other reviews, it seems there was a lot of important/relevant information about the topic that was left out. I didn't mind the unpopular detour chapter on skiing, but agree that the book rambled quite a bit and felt distracted at times. I found myself having to really make an effort to pay attention at many points. That said, I found some of the sections, particularly in the first half (keeping food cool, ice in drinks, air conditioning in tall buildings, etc.), really interesting.
January 20, 2025
The reviewers who pointed out excessive references to only a handful of sources were right on the money, it felt like a lack of effort. The footnotes on *every* page were unnecessary and eventually I found myself ignoring them altogether, as they didn't add anything, like a citation, a half-page footnote describing the definition of a "generation", or a very brief cheeky aside. (I was wholly unsurprised when Good Omens, a novel which makes good and frequent—though not constant— use of footnotes, itself was mentioned in a footnote.)
The middle chapters outlining the evolution of the ice trade, refrigeration, air conditioning and medical hypothermia were interesting and straightforward, though.
The middle chapters outlining the evolution of the ice trade, refrigeration, air conditioning and medical hypothermia were interesting and straightforward, though.
December 22, 2024
I love books like this, that track human history through one specific focus. There were some really good gems in this book, some interesting information, and I really liked the focus at the end... but there were times where he would go off on an ( interesting) historical tangent that wasn't related exactly to ice. Also there were some interesting pop culture references, some which I got and some I didn't, that I didn't think added anything to the book.
Overall, a nice quick read/listen (I listened to the audiobook).
Overall, a nice quick read/listen (I listened to the audiobook).
March 15, 2023
This had a lot of promise, and it was relatively well written for the most part. The first part was more interesting than the 2nd half - the history of the ice trade/ice houses/development of refrigeration, AC, and the use of cold in medicine was interesting. I was expecting a bit more of some things, but overall a decent read.
April 29, 2024
I found this book really interesting regarding how ice has become a necessity. It's very informative of how it became commercialized. It's true to today that the United States is so accustomed to lots of ice that other countries barely use it. I like the informative chapters of how we must understand the devastation of climate change.
March 13, 2023
3.5
Some of this was interesting, but it wasn't written in such a way that it really held my attention. Even just a few days later, I don't remember much of this compared to the book I finished before this one.
Some of this was interesting, but it wasn't written in such a way that it really held my attention. Even just a few days later, I don't remember much of this compared to the book I finished before this one.
April 18, 2023
Well researched, writes in a light hearted way. Really focuses on how global warming has impacted icebergs and ice covered land mass. A must read for those making decisions on policies that affect global warming.
February 11, 2023
A mildly amusing book about the relationship between mankind and ice, with a reminder at this time we are about to end this planet if we do not take this seriously and do something about it.
March 15, 2023
Good but a little thin. I’m sure there’s much more to be said about ice than this.
Read
March 19, 2023From the dawn of civilization through the COP26 Conference in Glas
March 29, 2023
Interesting.
May 12, 2023
This was a little too all over the place. Some of the stories were well worth reading, but the connection between them felt lost.
February 23, 2024
24/150 for Mama in 2024
March 16, 2024
The book doesn’t start off that interestingly but soon becomes a fascinating account of ice from early times through current era. It ends with an excellent discussion of global climate change.
August 17, 2024
Food for thought.
December 23, 2024
Great storytelling. Scratches the surface of a lot of interesting history, but doesn’t do the best job at truly explaining things.
March 8, 2025
31 Books in 31 Days Challenge: Book 9, day 7
March 13, 2025
too many footnotes ☹️
March 25, 2025
A sleepy kind of fascinating.
August 20, 2025
Lots of interesting information about how ice has shaped the world. I found some of the tangents to be unnecessary, but enjoyed the narrator's voice.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews