"[A] fascinating contemplation of all things frozen....Streever demonstrates an amazing zeal for collecting cold facts. If it hibernates, shivers, glaciates, migrates to the poles, skis, feels compelled to reach Ultima Thule or absolute zero, Streever is hot on its trail. His attention span may be somewhat limited...but his voice is so engaging and his writing so crisp that I was usually happy to keep him company wherever he zigzagged." "Mr. Streever's book...is an unusual and welcome addition to the literature of cold weather and the great north....COLD is more free-form than anything his predecessors have produced, one that moves easily from geography and biology to history, myth and folklore. Mr. Streever's writing style feels original and organic: it is flinty and tough-minded, with just enough humor glowing around the edges to keep you toasty and dry." "An unexpectedly fascinating look into a seemingly banal subject....With aplomb, Streever charts a meandering course of the land around him, providing an enthralling tour through haunting arctic tundra, permafrost tunnels of 40,000-year-old ice and the winter dens of hibernating beasts." (starred review) "COLD is a love song to science and scientists, to Earth and everything that lives on and flies over and tunnels under it. It's impossible to read the book and not fully realize that our planet must be protected." "This is a wonderful collection of one man's first-rate observations and commentary about the history and importance of cold to the earth and its occupants."