Lights On!: The Science of Power Generation

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Watt's up? A reader-friendly introduction to all things power.

Power generation is a relatively recent concern because humans had little need for sustained power until the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Today, modern civilization is wholly dependent on the production and distribution of power. Without it, our way of life would be extinguished.

In Lights On! , Mark Denny reveals the mysterious world of power generation. He takes us on a fun tour, examining the nature of energy, tracing the history of power generation, explaining the processes from production through transmission to use, and addressing questions that are currently in the headlines, such as:
* Is natural gas the best alternative energy source in the near term?
* Could solar power be the answer to all our problems?
* Why is nuclear power such a hard sell, and are the concerns valid?

Devoting individual chapters to each of the forms of power in use today--electrical, coal, oil and natural gas, hydro, nuclear, and solar--Denny explains the pros and cons of each, their availability worldwide, and which are in dwindling supply. Making clear that his approach is that of "a scientist and engineer, not a politician or businessman," Denny addresses environmental concerns by providing information to help readers understand the science and engineering of power generation so they can discuss contemporary energy issues from an informed perspective. For those who wish to delve deeper into the science, a technical appendix provides estimations for a variety of power generators.

Anyone who is interested in how energy works and how it is transformed to power our lives will get a charge out of Lights On!

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• 0 Acknowledgments
• 0 Introduction
• 1 Newton's Legacy
• 2 What All the World Wants
• 3 The\Vital Spark
• 4 Old King Coal
• 5 The\Seven Sisters--Old and New
• 6 Water, Water, Everywhere
• 7 Too Cheap to Meter
• 8 Here Comes the Sun
• 0 Afterword
• 0 Appendix
• 0 Notes
• 0 Bibliography
• 0 Index

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Power generation is a challenging social issue. The global demand for energy doubled between 1965 and 2005, mostly due to increasing consumption in developing countries. As the main energy sources are fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), growing scientific evidence warns against their negative environmental impacts, drawing attention to renewable sources, solar energy in particular. In Lights On!, prolific science writer/theoretical physicist Denny explains the history of power generation and presents important facts about renewable energy. The book starts with the basic definitions and discussions of energy and power. The next two chapters focus on sources of power and power transmission. A historical review of coal, oil, and natural gas production and use with emphasis on their importance in modern societies as well as their environmental impacts follows. Three chapters cover renewable energy sources including water, wind, solar, and nuclear (!). The last is included in the renewable category due to enriched uranium's long life-span as an energy source. The book concludes with the notion that in the interest of short- and long-term demand, a mix of these energy types should be utilized for power generation. The examples provided will help readers understand complex concepts. --Javad Tavakoli, Lafayette College