Energy and Civilization
Vaclav Smil is an Emeritus Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba. He is the author of forty books, including the MIT Press title Energy and Civilization. Foreign Policy named him one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2010. On his website in 2013, Bill Gates stated, "There is no author whose books I look forward to more than Vaclav Smil."
Energy is the only universal currency; it is required to complete any task. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from plate tectonic forces to the cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. The photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass is essential for life on Earth. For their civilized existence, humans have come to rely on many more energy flows, ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic electricity generation. Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies to today's fossil fuel-driven civilization, in this monumental history.
Humans are the only species capable of systematically harnessing energies outside their bodies, using the power of their intellect and a vast array of artifacts ranging from simple tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. Agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment were all impacted by the epochal shift to fossil fuels. Smil provides a magisterial overview of humanity's energy eras in a panoramic and interdisciplinary manner. Energy and Civilization is an updated and expanded edition of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has included a massive amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic advances in energy studies over the last two decades as well as his own research during that time.
Author: Vaclav Smil
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0262035774/
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