The publishing house itself notes, with regard to the book: “This captivating essay, full of fascinating stories, takes us from the dawn of our existence to the challenges of the present in a broad exploration of the influence ice has exerted on our thinking, our actions and the development of civilizations, as well as the danger of its gradual disappearance. The Spell of Cold uses ice as the through line to narrate an astonishing story of obsessions, inventions and adventures: the way we live and celebrate, the ways we innovate in science, in art and in commerce, the ways we investigate our past, the ways we challenge and contend for millennia have been largely defined by that elusive and powerful compound that forms part of our daily lives.
With rigor and skill, Max Leonard interweaves in his narrative topics as diverse as glacial archaeology, the golden age of alpinism in the nineteenth century, the milestones that ice propelled in medicine and in anatomy, or the wars and battles it conditioned; its influence on masterpieces of art and literature, or the theme parks that draw mass tourism. In short, ice is a mirror that reveals the best and the worst of human beings: the creativity and audacity to transcend limits, but also an excessive greed to dominate nature.”
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Author: Max Leonard. Translator: Julio Hermoso. Title: The Spell of Cold. Publisher: Siruela. Retailer: Todos tus libros.