The road to global security," writes Jeremy Rifkin, "lies in lessening our dependence on Middle East oil and making sure that all people on Earth have access to the energy they need to sustain life. Weaning the world off oil and turning it toward hydrogen is a promissory note for a safer world." Rifkin's international bestseller The Hydrogen Economy presents the clearest, most comprehensive case for moving ourselves away from the destructive and waning years of the oil era toward a new kind of energy regime. Hydrogen-one of the most abundant substances in the universe-holds the key, Rifkin argues, to a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable world.
The Hydrogen Economy
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"Rifkin, who is an influential writer and lecturer at a major American business school, has produced a very readable book with an important message. It deserves to be studied in governments, in the boardrooms of business and, more important, by the citizens of the world -- for it is up to them to plan their destiny within realistic options. In short, it speaks of nothing less than the survival of the species." Times Higher Education Supplement
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About the Author
One of the most popular social thinkers of our time, Jeremy Rifkin is the bestselling author of The European Dream, The Hydrogen Economy, The Age of Access, The Biotech Century, and The End of Work. A fellow at the Wharton School's Executive Education Program, he is president of The Foundation on Economic Trends in Bethesda, MD.
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One of the most popular social thinkers of our time, Jeremy Rifkin is the bestselling author of The European Dream, The Hydrogen Economy, The Age of Access, The Biotech Century, and The End of Work. A fellow at the Wharton School's Executive Education Program and an adviser to several European Union heads of state, he is the president of the Foundation on Economic Trends in Bethesda, Maryland.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
55 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Jeremiah Rifkin's book "The Hydrogen Economy" does not give what its title promises.
Most of the book is devoted to historical, political, social considerations, most of which I find well written and even convincing, but which have nothing to do with hydrogen.
However, to me as an engineer, his recourse to thermodynamics to explain the fall of past civilizations appears ludicrous and unnecessary - there is no need to appeal to thermodynamics to make us understand that our world will collapse if it will run short of reasonably cheap energy.
Whether the production of liquid fuels and natural gas will peak within the time frames advocated by Rifkin, or at some other time, there is no doubt in my mind that it will peak, and that well before that time the world must start to convert to renewable energies (assuming that energy from nuclear fusion is still far away from being harnessed).
However Rifkin sees everything easy and cheap. In his chapter on Reglobalization from the Bottom up he advocates the installation of fuel cells in every household or neighbourhood or community, but he seems to forget that "upstream" of each fuel cell there must be a power generator (wind turbine or photo-voltaic cell), electrolytic cells to produce hydrogen and a hydrogen storage facility. Scale economies will certainly reduce the cost of these commodities, but in my mind it is difficult to think that with their combined cost, and the energy losses that will be incurred at each step (electricity to hydrogen gas, hydrogen gas to stored hydrogen, hydrogen to electricity) electricity generation will be cheaper than present day cost from fuel or gas fired power plants.
Also the numbers are staggering. Rifkin writes "Providing these 100 million (per year) new users with an average per capita consumption of electricity equivalent to what US consumers enjoyed in 195 would require the creation of 10 million megawatts of new electricity capacity globally by 2005". Should this capacity have to be provided entirely by renewable sources, as a rough order of magnitude this would require the installation of either:
- From 300 to 500 million 300 KW capacity wind turbines, or
- from 1 to 1.5 million square kilometres of photovoltaic cells
All the above seems to me quite sobering. Particularly the shift to renewable energy sources does not give many hopes to be a way "to lift billions of people out of poverty". Therefore I cannot be as optimistic as Rifkin does - however I share with him the conviction that the shift to these sources is inevitable, and that the world must brace itself to meet the challenges and sacrifices that it will entail. The sooner, the better.
Most of the book is devoted to historical, political, social considerations, most of which I find well written and even convincing, but which have nothing to do with hydrogen.
However, to me as an engineer, his recourse to thermodynamics to explain the fall of past civilizations appears ludicrous and unnecessary - there is no need to appeal to thermodynamics to make us understand that our world will collapse if it will run short of reasonably cheap energy.
Whether the production of liquid fuels and natural gas will peak within the time frames advocated by Rifkin, or at some other time, there is no doubt in my mind that it will peak, and that well before that time the world must start to convert to renewable energies (assuming that energy from nuclear fusion is still far away from being harnessed).
However Rifkin sees everything easy and cheap. In his chapter on Reglobalization from the Bottom up he advocates the installation of fuel cells in every household or neighbourhood or community, but he seems to forget that "upstream" of each fuel cell there must be a power generator (wind turbine or photo-voltaic cell), electrolytic cells to produce hydrogen and a hydrogen storage facility. Scale economies will certainly reduce the cost of these commodities, but in my mind it is difficult to think that with their combined cost, and the energy losses that will be incurred at each step (electricity to hydrogen gas, hydrogen gas to stored hydrogen, hydrogen to electricity) electricity generation will be cheaper than present day cost from fuel or gas fired power plants.
Also the numbers are staggering. Rifkin writes "Providing these 100 million (per year) new users with an average per capita consumption of electricity equivalent to what US consumers enjoyed in 195 would require the creation of 10 million megawatts of new electricity capacity globally by 2005". Should this capacity have to be provided entirely by renewable sources, as a rough order of magnitude this would require the installation of either:
- From 300 to 500 million 300 KW capacity wind turbines, or
- from 1 to 1.5 million square kilometres of photovoltaic cells
All the above seems to me quite sobering. Particularly the shift to renewable energy sources does not give many hopes to be a way "to lift billions of people out of poverty". Therefore I cannot be as optimistic as Rifkin does - however I share with him the conviction that the shift to these sources is inevitable, and that the world must brace itself to meet the challenges and sacrifices that it will entail. The sooner, the better.
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I thought this book was excellent and that everyone should read it. I found Rifkins arguments about the role of energy in the rise and fall of civilizations and the thermodynamics of Rome to be extremely interesting and thought provoking. Also, anyone interested in a very readable yet detailed overview of the whole fossil fuel picture its history, future potential, and global impact on politics, humanity, and the environment would find this book enjoyable. These parts alone make the book worth buying. However, his eventual discussion about the hydrogen economy seems like it was written late at night after a few beers. In comparison with the very analytical earlier sections, he provides only a warm and fuzzy vision of a hydrogen future. Three specific criticisms I had were: 1) Although he uses words like hydrogen and fuel cell a lot, Rifkins vision really depends on the use of renewable energy technologies. And since most people dont live near a thermal vent or can easily dam a river, the fundamental question is whether solar and wind power can provide enough power to meet the high energy demands of 10 billion people. This issue was not addressed. 2) Although he makes a compelling and analytical argument against oil alternatives such as natural gas, coal, and tar sand, the potential role of nuclear power seems to have slipped his mind completely. This is a rather large omission, considering several European countries get more than two-thirds of their electricity form nuclear sources. This should have been a chapter, but was instead not discussed at all. 3) It is not clear that the costs and technical expertise required to build and maintain a distributed energy production network would be more efficient than having several elite companies manage mega-fuel cell facilities. Again, a little more analysis would help convince me that a global democratization of energy is actually possible. In summary, the weakness of the current energy regime is explained well, but one is left wondering if the bright and happy picture of the hydrogen economy that is presented is more than just a house of cards.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book based mainly on the title and the brief description of the book on the cover. It's a good book, but I think it would be more accurate to name the book "The History of the Oil Industry, and some stuff at the end about hydrogen". I guess I should have browsed through it more before I bought it, but the book doesn't really begin to focus on hydrogen (as opposed to oil) until the last two chapters.
My other complaint about the book is that it tries to explain very complex world issues/events in very simple cause/effect terms. While I agree that future of the oil industry will be closely intertwined with the various religions and cultures of the Middle East, it's a bit of a stretch for a book that is supposed to be about hydrogen to start *explaining* world religions and Middle Eastern social structures.
It also basically concludes that Rome fell because it couldn't support its energy needs. OK, that could have been one of the causes, but it's a lot trickier than that.
It seems to be a well-researched book, but if you're just looking for information about "The Hydrogen Economy", skip to the last two chapters.
My other complaint about the book is that it tries to explain very complex world issues/events in very simple cause/effect terms. While I agree that future of the oil industry will be closely intertwined with the various religions and cultures of the Middle East, it's a bit of a stretch for a book that is supposed to be about hydrogen to start *explaining* world religions and Middle Eastern social structures.
It also basically concludes that Rome fell because it couldn't support its energy needs. OK, that could have been one of the causes, but it's a lot trickier than that.
It seems to be a well-researched book, but if you're just looking for information about "The Hydrogen Economy", skip to the last two chapters.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fascinating ideas
A great book with a novel concept on redesigning our energy infrastructure. Recommend to average reader or anyone interested in energy systems.
Published 13 hours ago by Brian
H2 economy...
Great book, very informative. The beginning of the book has a lot of facts and data, which if you were making a presentation would be very useful, but I was more interested in the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by S. Tiwari
Energy policy as if it mattered
No one can accuse Jeremy Rifkin of thinking small. The Big Picture has been his purview whether contemplating labor, diet, genetic engineering, voting or electronic communication. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Cecil Bothwell
Absoute Stinker
THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY(2002) makes a number of bold projections and predictions - NONE OF WHICH HAVE COME TRUE, nor are likely to come true anytime in the near future. Read more
Published on March 23, 2010 by Stewart Teaze
Extremely Informative
This Book brings our past,present and future energy issues into focus very clearly. I like the way author brought factual and statistical infomation and history of civilizations on... Read more
Published on December 27, 2008 by Timothy C. Ackerman
Where does all this Hydogen come from...for starters..
If you want nuts and bolts and some interesting discussion of a modern Manhattan Project.. this book covers about 30 years of progress in Hydrogen related energy research. Read more
Published on December 16, 2008 by B. Grant
Brave new energy world?
Or a new shell game?
The title of this book is a little misleading since most of the book is about the effect that energy has had on the rise and fall of human societies... Read more
The title of this book is a little misleading since most of the book is about the effect that energy has had on the rise and fall of human societies... Read more
Published on December 14, 2008 by Dennis Littrell
Great intro into the state of the worlds energy situation
The first few chapter are great. Lots of information. Well worth the read.
The last couple chapters seem a bit like filler. Read more
The last couple chapters seem a bit like filler. Read more
Published on November 6, 2008 by Owen Owens
Light at the end of the tunnel
Rifkin, in easily understandable language, provides a history of the US's reliance on OIL for energy. Read more
Published on August 28, 2008 by Anthony Lorizio
Great Read
This is a fantastic book. Well researched and Rifkin goes into more then just energy but also into geo politics, history, and the environment. Read more
Published on August 10, 2008 by P. V. Guincho
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Throughout history, human beings have occasionally found themselves caught between two very different ways of perceiving reality. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
entropy bill, hydrogen energy web, global oil production peaks, new energy regime, cheap crude oil, hydrogen era, estimated ultimately recoverable, ultimately recoverable reserves, leading energy companies, hydrogen future, distributed generation, hydrogen economy, global peak, energy webs, recoverable oil, petrochemical fertilizers, conventional oil, main grid, oil age, tar sand, energy throughput, proved reserves, world oil production Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Middle East, United States, Saudi Arabia, New York City, World War, World Wide Web, Persian Gulf, Soviet Union, Department of Energy, Third World, North America, North Sea, Roman Empire, World Trade Center, European Union, Geological Survey, Industrial Age, Royal Dutch, Southern Hemisphere, Electric Power Research Institute, New Jersey, Industrial Revolution, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Arnold Toynbee New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Throughout history, human beings have occasionally found themselves caught between two very different ways of perceiving reality. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
entropy bill, hydrogen energy web, global oil production peaks, new energy regime, cheap crude oil, hydrogen era, estimated ultimately recoverable, ultimately recoverable reserves, leading energy companies, hydrogen future, distributed generation, hydrogen economy, global peak, energy webs, recoverable oil, petrochemical fertilizers, conventional oil, main grid, oil age, tar sand, energy throughput, proved reserves, world oil production Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Middle East, United States, Saudi Arabia, New York City, World War, World Wide Web, Persian Gulf, Soviet Union, Department of Energy, Third World, North America, North Sea, Roman Empire, World Trade Center, European Union, Geological Survey, Industrial Age, Royal Dutch, Southern Hemisphere, Electric Power Research Institute, New Jersey, Industrial Revolution, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Arnold Toynbee New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
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51
books
cite this book:
See all 51 books citing this book
- A Green History of the World by Clive Ponting on 4 pages
- A Green History of the World: The Environment and the Collapse of Great Civilizations by Clive Ponting on 4 pages
- The Biotech Century by Jeremy Rifkin on 4 pages
- The End of Work by Jeremy Rifkin on 4 pages
- World Energy Outlook by International Energy Agency on page 128, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 100 books this book cites
- Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: A Comprehensive Guide by Rebecca L. Busby on 7 pages
- Sustainable Fossil Fuels: The Unusual Suspect in the Quest for Clean and Enduring Energy by Mark Jaccard on 4 pages
- Security and Climate Change: International Relations and the Limits of Realism (Routledge Research in Environmental Politics) by Mark Lacy on page 143, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Beyond Oil: The View from Hubbert's Peak by Kenneth S. Deffeyes on page 152, page 166, and Back Matter
- Solar House: A Guide for the Solar Designer by Terry Galloway PhD on page 7, page 183, and Back Matter
See all 51 books citing this book
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