This book was a page turner from beginning to end. I am obsessed with the cold and if given the choice would pick the cold over the heat any other day. For a reason I am obsessed with what happens with hypothermia. It was so interesting to read stories of people who have survived for long periods of time outside in the cold and even declared dead and then later came back to life. So crazy. Strongly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’m not 100% sure what made me request this book on Netgalley - maybe it’s my penchant for mountaineering adventure books, where you often read about the chilling (excuse the pun) effects of extreme cold and low oxygen, or maybe it’s my affection for well-written science nonfiction, like any of Mary Roach’s or Bill Bryson’s books. This didn’t quite satisfy either “itch” I had, but was still a somewhat interesting read.

It’s not anything nearly as salacious or thrilling as those adventure books, and not narrative or colloquially-written enough to fit into the category of those scientific nonfiction bestsellers. It’s a bit too academic (historical/scientific) at times, and very much focused not just on hypothermia, but specifically on the history and evolution of the use of cold as a medical therapy or treatment.

The author introduces the subject by defining cold and one of the other fundamental concepts of the book: our stable internal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, why that exists, and how cold can impact it. He then tracks the history of the fatality of “coldness” back to the ancient Greeks and the Napoleonic wars, in which soldiers perished in cold water or died from prolonged exposure to cold. The earliest example of cold being used as a therapy was found by an Egyptologist, who discovered that ancient Egyptians used cold compresses to soothe wounds.

Other interesting historical anecdotes in the book include the inhumane mid to late 1800s practice of using cold water douching to treat mental illnesses in asylums, the invention of the thermometer, Nazi doctors experimenting on concentration camp prisoners to test how long humans can survive in cold water, explorations of what makes Himalayan or Inuit peoples more naturally acclimatized to cold or high altitudes, and developments in cryonics (spoiler alert: it’s still not real).

Overall, this is a pretty quick read on a topic you may not know a lot about. If you’re into that sort of thing, give it a go! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley.

This book is really cool! (Okay, no more temperature puns)

Formalities: I got a free e-ARC of Out Cold from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

So I’m going to start with the fact that I did struggle with this book a little bit. There was a <I>lot</I> of information and I feel like I would have absorbed it better with a physical copy or possibly an audiobook. However, I don’t really feel like that’s necessarily the book’s failing and more just my preference.

On to the book: Out Cold stretches from Ancient Greece and Egypt to the cutting edge of hypothermic treatment today, and manages to make what could easily be a boring subject very interesting. One of the first sidebars of the book is a story of a woman who fell under ice into freezing cold water and was without a heartbeat for three hours. However - you aren’t dead ‘til you’re warm and dead, and this woman survived.

Jaekl then takes us through the more modern history of how hypothermia has been deliberately used in the medical field to save lives, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Cryogenics makes an appearance, as does a superhuman “Optiman” that never came to be.

In the end, I greatly enjoyed Out Cold and will more than likely buy myself a physical copy so I can really absorb all of the information.

I really enjoyed reading Out Cold. Years ago I researched the Nazi experiments on hypothermia for a class paper and have been interested in hypothermia since. This book does a great job of tracing the history of the term 'hypothermia', research done on hypothermia by humans, and general interest in the subject. I learned a lot. It's a easy to understand book and a good read. I received an ARC copy in exchange for a review on netgalley, however, I will probably purchase this book for myself.

I love a nonfiction book where you put it down and just go “whew, that was some good sci-comm.” Buds, this is that book. As science fiction as it sounds, and it does sound very sci-fi because a good chunk of it was inspired by fictional science, the ultra cool (let me do one pun here) science explored in Out Cold is as real as it gets

In a similar vein to Mary Roach’s Packing For Mars and Jennifer Wright’s Get Well Soon, Jaekl traces the history of using cold therapy from the ancient Egyptians to the invention of thermometers to cryotherapy. It’s a fascinating look at how we can apply hypothermia survival strategies that our bodies naturally adopt to make emergency medicine safer.

There are a few things that I look for in scientific nonfiction before I feel good about recommending it: is there a holier-than-thou or condescending tone when explaining a concept, is there a knowledge barrier that you need to get over before you can read it, are there anecdotal explanations that can help someone understand? The best thing about this book is that pretty much anyone can read it. The science is explained in simple, but interesting, terms that doesn’t feel dumbed down at all. As outlandish and sci-fi as the concepts outlined in this one are, it’s all well-researched (the author has a neuroscience background) and genuinely fun to read.

(Also the cover is GORGEOUS, so big bonus there, if you're me.)

What do you get when you cross a neuroscientist and journalist? You get book that will knock you <i><b>Out Cold </i></b>with a fascinating, albeit weird, journey though the science behind hypothermia.

The author, and his writing style (as if he is checking in with you throughout the book, like a protective big brother while you’re being told scary campfire stories,) kept my interest and attention all the way through this frosty journey.

We are shown what happens during hypothermia, whether therapeutic, torture induced, accidental, or just plain scientifically; given the definition of the words "cold" and "temperature"; and are brought to witness the invention of the first thermometer and the discovery and recognition of our accepted scientific heat measurement of 37 degrees Celsius. Our chilling brush with the past also includes examples of ancient forms and uses of cold therapy.

The author also discusses extremophiles (hey, if you can’t take the heat...), water torture, exploration of Antarctica, the use of cold for healing, as well as touching on the topic of cryogenics.

Another interesting fact the author touches on is how the determination is made by medical professionals as to whether someone is truly dead post a hypothermic exposure (as some do return to life after being pronounced dead, lending to the expression that “you’re not truly dead until you are WARM and dead.”)

If you’re like me, with all these facts now swirling in your brain, you’re teetering you on the edge of brain freeze, and then the author adds another hard, cold fact to your ever expanding neural connections by exploring how Nazi water tortures, conducted on helpless and innocent people in concentration camps during WWII, still play a part in our science of today. Talk about a thorough walk in the valley of cold.

This is a book you will return to to read and re-read. It definitely will appeal to science minded people, medical professionals, and people who just love obscure and ghoulish facts.

For me, it provided background and information on a therapy that was used on my father after he had a massive heart dysthymia, causing him an anoxic injury from ineffective CPR by a well meaning, yet under educated, bystander. While this therapy didn’t produce a desired outcome for my father, but rather prolonged a horrific journey for him and our family, the information provided and HOW it’s presented allowed this jaded daughter to see just how valuable cold therapy can be if and when used correctly. This is definitely a book that will inspire deep thought and hardy conversation material in an area of science and medicine that can cause great controversy. I highly recommend this book and suggest you grab your copy when it’s released on June 1, 2021. Grab a blanket, a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and snuggle up against the chill of <i><b>Out Cold</i></b>. Happy reading my friends!

You can always check out my reviews at http://oceansofbooks.com. Please stop by, leave a comment, follow my blog, or send me your book reading recommendations. After all, sharing is caring and I love to get new reading suggestions and conversations going!

My sincere thank you to Perseus Books, PublicAffairs, NetGalley, and the author Phil Jaekl for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinions and review.

Not your typical everyday book topic but a fascinating one! Which is what appeals so much to me. The author kept me riveted all the way through. As a teen I was involved in a cold water lake canoeing accident causing hypothermia so in a small way this is relatable. Like the author I also live in a cold climate where we annually experience the coldest region of the planet. But this book is more than that...we see what happens during hypothermia, whether therapeutic or not; read what defines "cold" and "temperature"; we discover the invention of the first thermometer, the thermoscope, and how it worked; we see ancient forms of cold therapy and also how 37C was determined.

Why are human beings not "cooked" at hot temperatures in some countries? The author discusses extremophiles, water torture, Antarctica exploration including that of infamous Amundsen, how to determine whether someone is truly dead (as some do return to life after being pronounced dead), the use of healing with cold and finally, cryogenics. Not only this but we learn how dreadful and tragic Nazi water tortures still play a part in science today. And there is so much more to learn, too. I like how the author takes the reader through the ends of each chapter personally with descriptions of how we must be feeling by now...

If you have a thirst for knowledge, especially for the obscure and/or scientific, please do read this enthralling book. Yesterday a friend and I had a lengthy discussion on it. It's that type of book.

My sincere thank you to Perseus Books, PublicAffairs and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this gripping and informative book!

I picked up this because I’m a big fan of nature and “lost in the woods” type stories. Those stories inevitably include mention of hypothermia so I find the subject fascinating. This book is an interesting look at hypothermia. The anecdotes and case studies are the best part of the book. Reading actual accounts of hypothermia and outdoor accidents was illuminating. The narrative could seem a bit disjointed and rambling at times which was distracting. The sentence structure and writing was a bit odd at times also.