This book offers a comprehensive look at the role of energy in world history, ranging from human muscle-power in foraging societies and animal-power in traditional farming to preindustrial hydraulic techniques and modern fossil-fueled civilization.
1. Energy and Society
2. Energy in Prehistory
3. Traditional Agriculture
4. Preindustrial Prime Movers and Fuels
5. Fossil-Fueled Civilization
6. Energy in World History
Vaclav Smil teaches at the University of Manitoba. He has written thirteen books, including Energy, Food, Environment: Realities, Myths, Options; General Energetics; and Global Ecology, Environmental Change, and Social Flexibility .
