Alternative energy /

Black (history and environmental studies, Penn State, Altoona) has authored two previous Greenwood books focusing on environmental issues (Nature and the Environment in Nineteenth-Century American Life, CH, Feb'07, 44-3034; Nature and the Environment in Twentieth-Century American Life, 2006). Here, he joins Flarend (physics, Penn State, Altoona) to address the subject of energy. The first two chapters discuss why the world needs energy and if there is, indeed, an energy crisis. In the next three chapters, the authors deftly weave together historical background and current issues. The last two chapters emphasize the energy needs of today and the future, and what energy resources could be utilized. The authors analyze various types of alternative (not just sustainable) energy sources and the implications of their use. The volume contains well-chosen illustrations/charts and appendix material. The bibliography is excellent. Useful works like Howard Odum's Environment, Power and Society for the Twenty-first Century (CH, Dec'07, 45-1996) and Christian Ngo and Joseph Natowitz's Our Energy Future (CH, May'10, 47-5042) are more in-depth, but this book will work extremely well for lower-level students, especially those writing papers or giving speeches on current topics and those who may not have a technical background. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates, two-year technical program students, and general readers. P. L. Enrici University of Minnesota--Duluth