Energy and Civilization. A History (Vaclav Smil, 2017)

Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Germany

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Vaclav Smil, Energy and Civilization. A History
Référence(s) bibliographique(s)

Vaclav Smil, Energy and Civilization. A History (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2017)

Résumé

Energy and Civilization is a journey through the world history of energy from the discovery of fire to the latest energy transition. Smil reviews the evolution and differentiation of energy’s uses and transformations, and energy’s role in shaping economies. Furthermore, he evaluates energy’s many benefits and problematic aspects. However, the book presents some epistemic and methodological challenges.