The Thermodynamics of Pizza: Essays on Science and Everyday Life

by Harold J. Morowitz

Why do pizzas stay hot? Why are olives edible? How does ice carry electricity? Why is blood redder in the tropics? How much is a fingertip worth? Why do camps require health forms? What do drooping eyelids, electric eels, and curare have in common? What was the secret of the Sphinx?  In fifty-plus essays, Harold J. Morowitz, a distinguished biophysicist with a very active sense of curiosity, muses over these and other questions that arise in the course of his daily life, his scientific research, and his miscellaneous reading.  Morowitz's wit, warmth, and ability to make the most surprising connections will delight every reader.

Praise for Morowitz's earlier collections of
"Morowitz is a pleasing cracker-barrel philosopher of biochemistry and biophysics. . . . [His] scientific musings both illuminate and safeguard what we are accustomed to call the mystery of life. You can't ask for more than that."ÐÐAnatole Broyard, The New York Times

"Morowitz can handle the profoundest bits of information with the lightest and best-humored of touches."ÐÐLewis Thomas

"Bite-sized essays in the biological sciences . . . a delight to read."ÐÐCarl Sagan                                          

"Morowitz is . . . one of those scientists with a passion for explaining his field to laymen.  Happily, he has the wit to elucidate the Big Questions underlying the most trivial-seeming of facts. . . . With admirable brevity (few of his . . . essays are more than four pages), Morowitz ranges wide."ÐÐNewsweek

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Physics, Essays

247 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Harold Joseph Morowitz was an American biophysicist who studied the application of thermodynamics to living systems. Author of numerous books and articles, his work includes technical monographs as well as essays. The origin of life was his primary research interest for more than fifty years. He was the Robinson Professor of Biology and Natural Philosophy at George Mason University after a long career at Yale.

Reviews

[Vivek · Rating 2 out of 5]

These essays on science in everyday life read like a grandfather trying to connect the dots between a lifetime's experience through prose. I don't agree with many of his insights (the author is a biologist and gets lost whenever he strays too far off the natural sciences), but appreciate his efforts in somehow managing to cover such a wide array of topics.

From the ecological economics of breakfast cereal, to a syntactic analysis of Robert Frost's dark and deep woods, to the mitochondric connection in anthropology, this book will leave you with a plethora of facts - that will broaden your horizons whilst making you slightly less attractive to the opposite sex.

Not a book you would read in bed. Though its bite size anectodal format makes it ideal for short tram rides... just be sure to expect some strange looks from your fellow commuters.

[Alex Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting. Morowitz is a fairly complex thinker, someone who approaches life with a STEM type view focused on discovering correct content. Sometimes he drifts into waxing about various topics but always with humor. There are a few gems in this book, which are excellent as sometimes from a specific topic Morowitz comes out with a greater statement about life in general.

[Talla Hamouche · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a book that explicitly connects scientific concepts to everyday life, Thermodynamics of Pizza might not be what you expect (for something that does I’d recommend For the Love of Physics) that said, this book has its own strengths. It reads more like a memoir, and what it does best is portray scientists as deeply curious people, not just in their fields but in how they observe and engage with the world. Some essays stood out more than others, but overall, it’s a book best enjoyed slowly in your free time, without pressure to read through it consecutively, which isn't always the case with books that are a collection of essays. As someone who spends a lot of time around people passionate about their research, I appreciated seeing how Horowitz, a dedicated biologist, processed the world. While the scientific dots aren’t explicitly connected here, that’s part of the charm, since not all science lies in formulas.

[Mark Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a series of short (3-4 page) columns about various things that piqued Morowitz's interest. Most of them are very interesting, some not so interesting. But for me it's a hard book to read because the subjects change so quickly. Now, if this were a weekly column (which it might have been) and I read only one per week, that would have been much more pleasurable because I would have had a week to ruminate on each one.

[Chriskelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely collection of essays from a very interesting, and interested, biophysicist.
At times slow, but primarily entertaining and informative, this is a good read.

[Eugene Mah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I bought this book was because of the title. Saw it in the bookstore and I just had to have it. Fortunately I wasn't disappointed. The title essay is an entertaining read on modeling heat transfer of a pizza. For young scientists, it's a very good tutorial on the process of developing models of real life situations. Worth the price of the book by itself. The remaining essays diverge to cover a wide range of sciency topics, most of which are worth a read.

[Fernando del Alamo · Rating 3 out of 5]

"La termodinámica de la pizza" es el título de este libro en castellano. Se trata de la vida vista desde el punto de vista de un coentífico. Su estilo está entre Asimov (salvando mucho la distancia) y John ALlen Paulos: pequeños capítulos donde explica sus curiosidades e interacciones con el mundo con la ciencia de fondo.. Entertenido, pero no imprescindible.

[Rayroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something tells me Thomas Pynchon would enjoy this book. Maybe it's just me.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just great

[Bill Leach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting short essays. Quite witty at times.