Overview

This text begins with the premise that energy is the only universal currency. One of its many forms must be transformed into another in order for stars to shine, planets to rotate, living things to grow, and civilizations to evolve. Recognition of this universality was one of the great achievements of 19th-century science, and this book has been written to view the world broadly through the prism of energy. Ecologist, Vaclac Smil takes the principle of universality, presenting a comprehensive and integrated survey of all the forms of energy that shape our world, from the sun to the human body, from bread to microchips. Written under six headings: Sun and Earth, plants and animals, people and food, preindustrial societies, fossil-fueled civilization, and motion and information. Each essay explains the science of the energy form as well as its implications for the functioning of the universe, life or human society. Cross-links and summary diagrams allow easy comparisons among the various levels and flows of energy.

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9780262194105

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A thought-provoking and enjoyable piece of work. --Wolfgang Rueckner, Harvard University

Author Information

"Vaclav Smil is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba. He is the author of forty books, including Power Density: A Key to Understanding Energy Sources and Uses and Made in the USA: The Rise and Retreat of American Manufacturing, both published by the MIT Press. In 2010 he was named by Foreign Policy as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers. In 2013 Bill Gates wrote on his website that ""there is no author whose books I look forward to more than Vaclav Smil."""

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