General Energetics: Energy in the Biosphere and Civilization [Hardcover]

Vaclav Smil (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 1991 | ISBN-10: 0471629057 | ISBN-13: 978-0471629054 | Edition: 1

Presented here for the first time is a comprehensive, single-volume treatment of all the important aspects of biospheric civilizational energetics. The author uses measurements of energy and power densities and intensities throughout to provide an integrated framework of analysis. All segments of energetics are examined, including planetary energetics (solar radiation and geomorphic processes) and bioenergetics (photosynthesis) to human energetics (metabolism and thermoregulation) traced from hunting-gathering and agricultural societies through modern day industrial civilization. Concludes with general patterns, trends and socio-economic considerations of energy use today plus their impact on the environment.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Presented here for the first time is a comprehensive, single-volume treatment of all the important aspects of biospheric civilizational energetics. The author uses measurements of energy and power densities and intensities throughout to provide an integrated framework of analysis. All segments of energetics are examined, including planetary energetics (solar radiation and geomorphic processes) and bioenergetics (photosynthesis) to human energetics (metabolism and thermoregulation) traced from hunting-gathering and agricultural societies through modern day industrial civilization. Concludes with general patterns, trends and socio-economic considerations of energy use today plus their impact on the environment.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 369 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Interscience; 1 edition (January 25, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471629057
• ISBN-13: 978-0471629054
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,100,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Vaclav Smil is currently a Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. He completed his graduate studies at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Carolinum University in Prague and at the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences of the Pennsylvania State University. His interdisciplinary research interests encompass a broad area of energy, environmental, food, population, economic, historical and public policy studies, and he had also applied these approaches to energy, food and environmental affairs of China.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Science Academy) and the first non-American to receive the American Association for the Advancement of Science Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology. He has been an invited speaker in more than 250 conferences and workshops in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and Africa, has lectured at many universities in North America, Europe and East Asia and has worked as a consultant for many US, EU and international institutions. His wife Eva is a physician and his son David is an organic synthetic chemist.

Official Website: www.vaslavsmil.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive review of population energetics, May 16, 2007

By 

Mark Mills (Glen Rose, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: General Energetics: Energy in the Biosphere and Civilization (Hardcover)

This book is a comprehensive introduction to energetics. The book takes the view that energy balance calculations are useful predictors of biological population dynamics. There is first a review of the current terrestrial energy provided by the sun and the earth (the earth's core is very hot). This may seem like a simple topic, but there are an enormous number of ways energy reveals itself for measurement, so a third of the book is devoted to this subject.

The middle third considers the energy balance implications of various plant and animal populations. The final third considers the human energy balance.

I would have liked to have seen consideration of power-law distributions of energy consumption by population group, but this omission doesn't subtract from the value of the book.