United States
£ GBP
In this highly original book, ecologist Vaclav Smil presents 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 in a scientifically sophisticated yet accessible style, Energies consists of eighty-two short essays organized under six headings: Sun and Earth, Plants and Animals, People and Food, Preindustrial Societies, Fossil-Fueled Civilization, and Transportation 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.
- An overview of concepts and units.
Part 1 Sun and earth
- sun
- solar radiation
- atmosphere
- planet Earth
- winds
- rains
- oceans
- rivers
- Earth's heat
- geotectonics
- earthquakes
- volcanoes
- denudation
- space encounters
Part 2 Plants and animals
- adenosine triphosphate
- archaea and bacteria
- photosynthesis
- C3 and C4 plants
- phytoplankton
- forests
- grasslands
- heterotropic metabolism
- reproduction
- growth
- endotherms and ectotherms
- food chains
- herbivores
- carnivores
- swimming
- running and jumping
- flying
Part 3 People and food
- basal metabolism
- thermoregulation
- pregnancy and lactation
- human growth
- walking and running
- labour and leisure
- nutrients
- grains
- bread
- lipids and meat
- milk
- ethanol
Part 4 Preindustrial societies
- hunters and gatherers
- shifting cultivation
- traditional agricultures
- cattle
- horses
- wood, charcoal and straw
- waterwheels
- windmills
- copper, iron and steel
- gunpowder
- sailships
Part 5 Fossil-fuelled civilization
- fossil fuels and electricity
- coals
- crude oils
- natural gases
- steam engines
- steam turbines
- water turbines
- fission reactors
- transmission
- electric motors
- lights
- internal combustion engines
- gas turbines
- blast furnaces
- aluminium
- nitrogen
- nuclear weapons
Part 6 Transportation and information
- trains
- ships
- bicycles
- cars
- airplanes
- rockets
- pipelines
- tankers
- telephones
- radio and television
- computer and microchips
"Dip into the book anywhere, and you will find a bracing fact or connection [...] dazzling."
– Scientific American
"Filled with interesting factual tidbits, this book rekindles the fascination with science that we all once had as children."
– Richard N. Cooper, Foreign Affairs
"A thought-provoking and enjoyable piece of work."
– Wolfgang Rueckner, Harvard University
