michiel reviewed Energy : a beginner's guide by Vaclav Smil
Makes you understand how energy dominates human society
4 stars
Lots of numbers, facts, figures, and explanation about energy; how it dominates our climate, our societies, and our history.
This is one of those books that makes you realize why the world works the way it does, instead of how. Why are traditional diets full of starches? Because starch-heavy crops are the most efficient way to convert solar energy into digestible food.
Even though my copy was revised in 2015, there are some anachronisms in the text. A reference to "Zaïre" rather than Congo. The chapter about lighting talks exclusively about CFLs, treating LED lighting as a future development.
Worth it. I'll probably read other books by him.