Summary of Paul Sen's Einstein's Fridge

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Sample Book Insights:

#1 Jean-Baptiste Say, a French businessman, was sent to Britain in 1814 to study the country’s economy. He was impressed by the country’s technological innovation, and he believed that this was what had fueled its economic growth.

#2 By 1820, steam power had revolutionized Britain’s mining industry. mines are shafts dug into the ground, and they are prone to flooding. The preindustrial horse-driven pumps struggled to lift water out of any mines that were more than a few yards deep. But by 1820, steam technology had advanced to the point where engines could easily pump water out of shafts that were over three hundred yards deep.

#3 The steam engine was a huge improvement over the Newcomen engine, as it was much more efficient. However, it still consumed a lot of coal, and the people of England had a love-hate relationship with science.

#4 The French were the first to recognize the economic benefits of using steam power. They faced a problem, however: coal was scarce south of the Channel. French engineers cared about engine efficiency in a way that British engineers did not.