Includes bibliographical references and index.

From hunter-gatherers to English factories -- Energy : what is it and how do we measure it? -- Wood, photosynthesis, and the carbon cycle -- Coal : origin, history, and problems -- Oil : properties, origin, history, problems, and prospects -- Natural gas : origin, history, and prospects -- Energy from water and wind -- Nuclear power -- Steam power -- Electricity -- Automobiles, trucks, and the internal combustion engine -- The challenge of global climate change -- Prospects for carbon capture and sequestration -- Ethanol from biomass : can it substitute for gasoline? -- Current patterns of energy use -- Vision for a low-carbon energy future.