Energy in World History

by Smil, Vaclav

• ISBN13: 9780813319025
• ISBN10: 0813319021
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1994-10-30
• Publisher: Westview Pr

Summary

Every human activity entails the conversion of energy. Changes in the fundamental sources of energy, and in the use of energy sources, are a basic dimension of the evolution of society. Our appreciation of the significance of these processes is essential to a fuller understanding of world history.Vaclav Smil offers a comprehensive look at the role of energy in world history, ranging from human muscle-power in foraging societies and animal-power in traditional farming to preindustrial hydraulic techniques and modern fossil-fueled civilization. The book combines a vast historical sweep with cross-cultural comparisons and is enhanced by illustrations and accessible quantitative material. Students and general readers alike will gain an understanding of energy's fundamental role in human progress.Smil illuminates the role played by various means of harnessing energy in different societies and provides new insights by explaining the impact and limitations of these fundamental physical inputswhether it is in the cultivation of crops, smelting of metals, waging of war, or the mass production of goods. While examining the energetic foundations of historical changes,Energy in World Historyavoids simplistic, deterministic views of energy needs and recognizes the complex interplay of physical and social realities.

Author Biography

Vaclav Smil teaches at the University of Manitoba. He has written thirteen books, including Energy, Food, Environment: Realities, Myths, Options; General Energetics; and Global Ecology, Environmental Change, and Social Flexibility.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xvii
Energy and Society	p. 1
Appendixes	p. 10
Energy in Prehistory	p. 15
Appendixes	p. 24
Traditional Agriculture	p. 28
Appendixes	p. 85
Preindustrial Prime Movers and Fuels	p. 92
Appendixes	p. 152
Fossil-Fueled Civilization	p. 157
Appendixes	p. 218
Energy in World History	p. 223
Basic Measures	p. 257
Chronology of Energy-Related Developments	p. 259
Power in History	p. 268
Suggested Readings	p. 270
References	p. 272
About the Book and Author	p. 292
Index	p. 293
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