Einstein's Fridge

How the Difference between Hot and Cold Explains the Universe

by Paul Sen

Einstein's Fridge Covers

Where to buy: USA, UK, ITALY, KOREA, JAPAN, SPAIN

My book Einstein's Fridge came out in 2021 and is a popular and accessible account of thermodynamics--the branch of physics that deals with energy, entropy and temperature. It's the least appreciated and yet most consequential of all the sciences. It governs everything from the behaviour of living cells to the black hole at the centre of our galaxy. Thermodynamics explains why we must eat and breathe, how the lights turn on, the limits of computing, and how the universe will end.

PRAISE FOR EINSTEIN'S FRIDGE

"An elegantly written and engaging book . .. By combining science, history, and biography Sen takes us on a successful tour through thermodynamics." - FINANCIAL TIMES (UK)
"Makes a strong case that thermodynamics is every bit as lively as those other fields-and vastly more useful for understanding what makes the universe tick . . . Thermodynamics does not bow to other fields; other fields bow to it" -THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
"A hugely readable and entertaining history of thermodynamics and how it has created and shaped our world."-PROFESSOR JIM AL-KHALILI
"Superb ... Einstein's Fridge offers an accessible and crystal clear portrait of this discipline's breadth. ... [The book] wanders widely while never losing its connection to the central theme. ... Splendid." -PHYSICS WORLD
"An entertaining, eye-opening account of the extraordinary team of innovators who discovered the laws of thermodynamics essential to understanding the world today-from refrigeration and jet engines to calorie counting and global warming. - NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB
"Although thermodynamics has been studied for hundreds of years, filmmaker Sen writes, few nonscientists appreciate how its principles have shaped the modern world." -SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
"A lesson in how to do popular science right" -KIRKUS REVIEWS
"Sen performs an exquisite examination of an ostensibly simple distinction, the difference between hot and cold." -BOOKLIST
"Told with panache ... Paul Sen brings the personalities to life: complex, fallible characters, sometimes inspired, sometimes misled by their powerful intuitions." -HISTORY TODAY (UK)
"I am grateful for Paul Sen's fascinating new scientific history of thermo-dynamics--now I can explain my son's two favorite things fire and ice" -JONNY DIAMOND, LITHUB