Energies

Energy drives our universe. It causes the sun to shine and planets to rotate, it fuels living things' growth, and it helps civilizations develop. Ecologist Vaclav Smil is an expert on energy. He starts Energies with a look at the sun and Earth, moves on to plants and animals, then discusses people and food. Next he describes how preindustrial societies used energy, then moves on to discussing fossil-fueled civilizations. He ends by talking about motion and information.