“[A] history of air conditioning, chronicling the numerous gimmicks, failed attempts, con jobs, and eventual successes . . . a surprisingly interesting journey.” —San Francisco Book Review The air conditioner is often hailed as one of the modern world’s greatest inventions—yet nearly as often blamed for global disaster. It has changed everything from architecture to people’s food habits; saved countless lives, and caused countless deaths. First appearing in 1902, when Willis Carrier, an engineer barely out of college, developed the “Apparatus for Treating Air,” everyone assumed it would instantly change the world. But the story of air conditioning and its rise to ubiquity is far from simple. In Cool, Salvatore Basile tracks two fascinating stories: the struggle to perfect an effective 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 to Richard Nixon and Felix the Cat, Cool showcases the myriad reactions to air conditioning as it was developed and introduced to the world. Here is a unique perspective on a common convenience: how we came to rely on it today, and how it might change radically tomorrow.

This “ambitious [and] delightful” (The New York Times) work of literary nonfiction interweaves the science and history of the powerful refrigerant (and dangerous greenhouse gas) Freon with a haunting meditation on how to live meaningfully and morally in a rapidly heating world. In After Cooling, Eric Dean Wilson braids together air-conditioning history, climate science, road trips, and philosophy to tell the story of the birth, life, and afterlife of Freon, the refrigerant that ripped a hole larger than the continental United States in the ozone layer. As he traces the refrigerant’s life span from its invention in the 1920s—when it was hailed as a miracle of scientific progress—to efforts in the 1980s to ban the chemical (and the resulting political backlash), Wilson finds himself on a journey through the American heartland, trailing a man who buys up old tanks of Freon stockpiled in attics and basements to destroy what remains of the chemical before it can do further harm. Wilson is at heart an essayist, looking far and wide to tease out what particular forces in American culture—in capitalism, in systemic racism, in our values—combined to lead us into the Freon crisis and then out. “Meticulously researched and engagingly written” (Amitav Ghosh), this “knockout debut” (New York Journal of Books) offers a rare glimpse of environmental hope, suggesting that maybe the vast and terrifying problem of global warming is not beyond our grasp to face.

This comprehensive book has been developed to quickly train an average person for the vast commercial and residential refrigeration and air-conditioning market within a short period of time. It provides all the technical knowledge needed to start a successful refrigeration and air-conditioning business anywhere in the world.

As the temperatures rise, finding effective ways to keep your home cool without solely relying on air conditioning can not only help you save energy but also create a more sustainable and comfortable living environment. This list presents 50 innovative and practical methods to beat the heat and maintain a refreshingly cool atmosphere within your home. Whether you're looking for simple lifestyle adjustments, clever DIY hacks, or environmentally friendly choices, these solutions offer a range of options to suit various preferences and circumstances. From optimizing airflow to utilizing natural cooling methods, these techniques empower you to cool your home while minimizing your carbon footprint. Explore these strategies and tailor them to your unique situation to enjoy a cooler and more enjoyable living space, even during the hottest days of the year.

Intended for advanced students of building services, this practical book describes the design of air conditioning systems. Readers are assumed to have a knowledge of the basic principles of air conditioning, which are covered in the companion volume Air Conditioning Engineering. This new edition takes account of the latest building codes and pays greater attention to energy conservation. The section on systems characteristics is expanded and extensively revised to take account of developments in the technology of air conditioning since publication of the previous edition. There are expanded sections on specialist applications such as systems for clean rooms in the semiconductor industry. The author has wide experience both in lecturing on the subject and in the practical design and installation of air conditioning systems.

Losing Our Cool exposes the surprising ways in which air conditioning changes human experience: giving a boost to global warming that it is designed to help humans endure; enabling an otherwise impossible commuter economy; and altering human migration patterns. Stan Cox argues that by reintroducing traditional cooling methods and putting newer technologies into practice - and by moving beyond industrial definitions of comfort - people can keep themselves comfortable and keep the planet comfortable too.