Turning the Corner: Energy Solutions for the 21st Century [Paperback]

Dohn Riley (Author), Mark McLaughlin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0967311829 | ISBN-13: 978-0967311821 | Edition: 1st

Alternative Energy Institute, Inc, (AEI) is a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to informing the public about the upcoming non-renewable fuel crisis. AEI's revolutionary new book, "Turning the Corner: Energy Solutions for the 21st Century" presents the latest information about new energy research, both conventional and exotic, written in clear, straight-forward and compelling text. The energy field changes quickly, and, in order to keep pace with it, AEI has coupled this book with a portion of its website in order to provide the reader with the latest developments. The book covers the possibilities of energy conservation and efficiency, as well as renewable energy resources, but is also focused on potential emerging energy and propulsion technologies that may be developed in the 21st Century. This 385-page book is completely footnoted with Internet links and print media sources for the reader interested in delving deeper into the new energy field or relevant topics. Chapters include: "Cold Fusion: Fact or Fiction?", "Zero-Point Energy: Sailing the Sea of Energy," and "Universal Forces: Blackholes, Electrogravitics, & Deep Space Propulsion." This is a very exciting and well-researched book, one that AEI believes is long overdue.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dohn Riley graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences. In 1976 he received a Masters from Stanford University in Geophysics. Dohn has worked as a geophysical consultant in a variety of fields and taught college classes in Physical Sciences for 22 years for Sierra College in California. He has been Executive Director of Alternative Energy Institute, Inc. since its inception in 1997. Dohn also currently owns and manages a graphic design business, Riley Works, located in Tahoe City, California.

Mark McLaughlin, a professional researcher and writer with more than 200 published articles, trained as a historian and cultural geographer at the University of Nevada, Reno. McLaughlin's work appears regularly in California and Nevada newspapers; he was awarded the Nevada State Press writing award five times. Author of three books, McLaughlin frequently writes historical articles for such magazines as Sierra Heritage, Nevada, Weatherwise, and his work appears in the Grolier Educational 2002 Science Annual. McLaughlin, is a professional lecture, a frequent guest on regional television and radio programs, and a consultant for The History Channel. Mark owns Mic Mac Publishing, located at Lake Tahoe, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 385 pages
• Publisher: Alternative Energy Inst Inc; 1st edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967311829
• ISBN-13: 978-0967311821
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,444,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best,, most complete book about energy and our future, November 1, 2001

By 

Nora O'Neill (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Turning the Corner: Energy Solutions for the 21st Century (Paperback)

This book is the first I have read that puts the entire energy picture together. It is quite easy to read and very engaging considering the subject matter, which is probably the most important issue the world faces. The writing is clear and appears to be well researched with lots of quotes and footnotes. The references are from both print media and the Internet, so at least some of the sources are easily available if you want to read them. The quotes by politicians and energy experts accompanying the main text were particularly interesting.

The book starts by examining the world's dependence on fossil fuels and other nonrenewable energy. The picture painted is complementary to but broader than that found in "Hubbert's Peak" by Ken Deffeyes (another excellent book I read recently).
"Turning the Corner: Energy Solutions for the 21st Century" discusses oil, coal, natural gas, and nuclear power and shows that these resources are quite limited and will need to be replaced for economic stability. Then the topic moves to renewable energy and covers solar, wind, hydropower, tidal power and more. The book stresses that these clean energy systems are critical to changing away from nonrenewable power. Probably the most controversial part of the book is the third part, which talks about the broad field of research into exotic forms of energy such as cold fusion, electrogravitics and NASA's research into new forms of propulsion. The final section is focused on transition from nonrenewable energy and the problems associated with this transition. The final chapter lists things that need be done to help ensure that our children and grandchildren have the energy available to live their lives in full.

All in all, I think this an important book that everyone should read who cares about where our energy comes from and how it makes America vulnerable to Persian Gulf oil suppliers, what it does to our geopolitics, and ultimately, where do we go from here.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Turning the Corner is great for educators and researchers, December 7, 2001

By 

Thomas Valone (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Turning the Corner: Energy Solutions for the 21st Century (Paperback)

For the first time a book has been published on the subject of energy that honestly shows the public what really is available for the future. Section III is my favorite. It has a balanced review of cold fusion, zero point energy, electrogravitics and space propulsion, as well as new energy. This book also contains lots of annotated references at the end of each chapter for further information. It is a great book on a difficult subject with a fresh viewpoint unavailble elsewhere.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The 1st step in taking responsibility for our planet., May 9, 2002

By 

Genelle Austin-Lett (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Turning the Corner: Energy Solutions for the 21st Century (Paperback)

At last a book that responsibly tackles the issue of finding alternative energy sources. I require my students at San Jose State to use this well researched text to develop arguments for their debates on energy. Turning the Corner offers a balanced, no nonsense view of what we can do to alter the world's dependency on fossil fuels. My colleagues agree, this text does more to explain our current dilemma and ways to solve it than other books that only offer a one-sided view of the subject.