Books on:

Energies

An Illustrated Guide to the Biosphere and Civilization

by Vaclav Smil

MIT Press, Paperback, 2000, 228 pp., 314 illus., $19.95

This book 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.

Praise for Energies

"Filled with interesting factual tidbits, useful charts and drawings, and relevant background on policy issues such as global warming and increased energy security, this book rekindles the fascination with science that we all once had as children." -- Richard N. Cooper, Foreign Affairs

Table of Contents of Energies

Energy's Unique Allure: An Unorthodox Look

An Overview of Concepts and Units

1. Sun and Earth

Sun
Solar Radiation
Atmosphere
Planet Earth
Winds
Rains
Oceans
Rivers
Earth's Heat
Geotectonics
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Denudation
Space Encounters

2. Plants and Animals

Adenosine Triphosphate
Archaea and Bacteria
Photosynthesis
C3 and C4 Plants
Phytoplankton
Forests
Grasslands
Heterotrophic Metabolism
Reproduction
Growth
Endotherms and Ectotherms
Food Chains
Herbivores
Carnivores
Swimming
Running and Jumping
Flying

3. People and Food

Basal Metabolism
Thermoregulation
Pregnancy and Lactation
Human Growth
Walking and Running
Labor and Leisure
Nutrients
Grains
Bread
Lipids and Meat
Milk
Ethanol

4. Preindustrial Societies

Hunters and Gatherers
Shifting Cultivation
Traditional Agricultures
Cattle
Horses
Wood, Charcoal, and Straw
Waterwheels
Windmills
Copper, Iron, and Steel
Gunpowder
Sailships

5. Fossil-Fueled 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
Aluminum
Nitrogen
Nuclear Weapons

6. Transportation and Information

Trains
Ships
Bicycles
Cars
Airplanes
Rockets
Pipelines
Tankers
Telephones
Radio and Television
Computers and Microchips

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