Energies

An Illustrated Guide to the Biosphere and Civilization

Vaclav Smil

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English

MIT Press
28 February 2000

Thermodynamics & heat; Ecological science, the Biosphere; Biogeography; Alternative & renewable energy sources & technology

Series: Energies

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 nineteenth-century science, yet even today there is little literature that tries to view the world broadly through the prism of energy.

In this highly original book, ecologist Vaclav Smil takes the principle of universality seriously, 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 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 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.

By: Vaclav Smil
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 203mm, Spine: 13mm
Weight: 431g
ISBN: 9780262692359
ISBN 10: 026269235X
Series: Energies
Pages: 228
Publication Date: 28 February 2000
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational , ELT Advanced , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

"Vaclav Smil is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba. He is the author of forty books, including Energy and Civilization, 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."""