Energy and Civilization

Energy and Civilization
Author :
Publisher : MIT Press
Total Pages : 564
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780262536165
ISBN-13 : 0262536161
Rating : 4/5 (161 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Energy and Civilization by : Vaclav Smil

Download or read book Energy and Civilization written by Vaclav Smil and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2018-11-13 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. "I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for the next 'Star Wars' movie. In his latest book, Energy and Civilization: A History, he goes deep and broad to explain how innovations in humans' ability to turn energy into heat, light, and motion have been a driving force behind our cultural and economic progress over the past 10,000 years. —Bill Gates, Gates Notes, Best Books of the Year Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from terra-forming forces of plate tectonics to cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. Life on Earth depends on the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass. Humans have come to rely on many more energy flows—ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic generation of electricity—for their civilized existence. In this monumental history, Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. Humans are the only species that can systematically harness energies outside their bodies, using the power of their intellect and an enormous variety of artifacts—from the simplest tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. The epochal transition to fossil fuels affected everything: agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment. Smil describes humanity's energy eras in panoramic and interdisciplinary fashion, offering readers a magisterial overview. This book is an extensively updated and expanded version of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has incorporated an enormous amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic developments in energy studies over the last two decades and his own research over that time.


Energy and Civilization Related Books

Energy and Civilization
Language: en
Pages: 564
Authors: Vaclav Smil
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2018-11-13 - Publisher: MIT Press

GET EBOOK

A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civil
In the Servitude of Power
Language: en
Pages: 314
Authors: Jean-Claude Debeir
Categories: Business & Economics
Type: BOOK - Published: 1991-11-14 - Publisher: Zed Books

GET EBOOK

This stimulating, informative and at times frightening book provides an overall history of energy usage as a fundamental factor in the evolution of the world's
Energies
Language: en
Pages: 210
Authors: Vaclav Smil
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 1999 - Publisher: Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press

GET EBOOK

A compliation of essays describes such natural and man-made energy forms as the sun, food, fossil fuels, and microchips, and examines their impact on society fr
General Energetics
Language: en
Pages: 392
Authors: Vaclav Smil
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 1991-02-08 - Publisher: Wiley-Interscience

GET EBOOK

Presented here for the first time is a comprehensive, single-volume treatment of all the important aspects of biospheric civilizational energetics. The author u
Energy at the Crossroads
Language: en
Pages: 452
Authors: Vaclav Smil
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2005-02-11 - Publisher: MIT Press

GET EBOOK

An objective, comprehensive, and accessible examination of today's most crucial problem: preserving the environment in the face of society's insatiable demand f