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!
