Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author Richard Rhodes reveals the fascinating history behind energy transitions over time—wood to coal to oil to electricity and beyond.

Really enjoyed this one. It's a serious read to be sure. Not for the beach as they say. History of the various forms of energy going back in time. You will likely know much of this but will learn some new things along the way. Well-written.

With the same diligence to insightful detail as is found in his earlier works (such as Dark Sun and the Making of the Atom Bomb), Rhodes explores the history of energy from a human perspective. He explores the key scientists, engineers, and inventors responsible for shifting the dominant energy source from wood to coal and steam and onward to oil and electricity. This exploration focuses on four centuries of a Western (and mostly English and American) viewpoint of experiments, successes, and failures. I wish Rhodes did more than hint at the impact of climate change and the future of new energy technologies. As a general history of energy, it is informative and interesting and helps the reader understand how we arrived at the energies of today.

A "spotty" book. In places it gives great and fascinating detail, such as Edwin Drake's oil drilling, but in other places things that we want more detail on are treated rather cursorily. The impression it creates is that Rhodes has some favorite topics (maybe ones he has done previous research on) and others that he would just like to get out of the way,

ENERGY: A HUMAN HISTORY by Richard Rhodes is a new work of non-fiction by the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winning author. We already have several books by Rhodes in our collection and this one explores five centuries of change in energy sources from wood to coal to oil to electricity and renewable energy. The book is divided into three main sections: Power, Light and New Fires, with an extensive bibliography, significant endnotes and index.

Rhodes focuses on the social aspects of these changes - noting both positive and negative impacts for humans and the environment. He profiles a variety of inventors and advocates strongly for current day nuclear power. Our copy will be used by students in a number of classes and disciplines including English, Science, and Social Studies (AP European History, Modern World, American Studies to name a few). ENERGY received starred reviews from Booklist ("a beautifully written, often inspiring saga of ingenuity and progress, ideal for general readers"), Kirkus and Library Journal.

I love the opening pages of this book, the history of humanity, the dawn of fire and wood burning, logging, and all, but then we get into the inventor of steam engine, and so on, and this is totally the kind of book my husband would read, but for me it gets so scientific and technical, I have a hard time continuing. Normally, I love scientific anything, but drawings of machines... my brain collapses.

But I do love how the opening feels like Settlers of Catan.

If I ever finish this one, I'll come back with a review that does this Nobel Prize winner's extensive research more justice.

Rhodes applies his talent for explaining science and technology to a popular audience to the modern history of energy--the deforestation of Europe and the coming of coal of increasing efficiency and quality, rushlight, steam engines, whale oil, kerosene and turpentine, oil, nuclear and wind. Along the way, there are vivid portraits of the people who made the technological leaps, often at high cost to themselves and their families, and the political and cultural oddities (the attempt to lure Nantucket's whaling families to live in the UK, for one) which shape the implementation. I was also surprised to learn the connection between the brewing industry, which needed kilns to dry the malt, and blast furnaces.