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The Science of Energy cover art

The Science of Energy

By: Michael E. Wysession,The Great Courses
Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession
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Summary

Energy is, without a doubt, the very foundation of the universe. It's the engine that powers life and fuels the evolution of human civilization.

To better put into perspective the various issues surrounding energy in the 21st century, you need to understand the essential science behind how energy works. And you need a reliable source whose focus is on giving you the facts you need to form your own educated opinions.

In the 24 riveting lectures of The Science of Energy: Resources and Power Explained, expert geophysicist Professor Wysession presents an unbiased investigation into the energy sources that power our world. With clear and easy-to-follow explanations that make scientific and mathematical concepts approachable and understandable, this course is a marvelous window into the inner workings of energy that will keep you constantly engaged. You'll examine a wide portfolio of energy sources, how these sources work, the engineering marvels that adapt them to human needs, the economic and environmental consequences of using them, and more. Whatever exciting changes await us in the coming decades (from food production to public transportation to industrial manufacturing), they'll most certainly require lots of power. For this reason and many more, this course imparts essential information for any well-informed citizen of the world - whether you're powering a major city or simply turning on the light.

The world-spanning civilizations that we have built rely on a vast, dependable, and lasting supply of energy. The choices we make have profound consequences for how the world will continue to develop. Get the facts you need to choose well.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2016 The Great Courses

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Comprehensive picture of energy resources

I bought this book with a hope of understanding more about the processes involved in recovering energy, and the strengths of the various resources and forms. It is such a hotly contested topic, which rarely comes with clean cut information, that it's easy to get a biased opinion on the area.

This certainly isn't the case here. The professor is very balanced, and from the start of the audiobook, he asks you to take the same approach, leaving aside any preconceptions. After introducing some basic physics (don't be put off here, it's very light), he then introduces the various energy forms one by one. For each form, he then describes the physical process involved in obtaining the energy and various aspects of this process (the efficiency, availability of production materials, safety, etc). It is easy to see how complex the picture is after just a couple of lectures, and to see that the strengths and weaknesses vary greatly. In particular, while it's clear that a move away from fossil fuels is desirable in the long run, the change is going to be slow, and he gives several reasons to suspect this.

By far, my favourite section was the 3 lectures on nuclear energy. The descriptions of the processes involved / challenges faced are really exciting, and I have no doubt I'll listen to this part of the book again. I also enjoyed various `thought experiments' he runs at several parts of the book, like `How much of the US land would be required obtain the entire countries energy needs from solar power?'.

I definitely think that the book has given me a bigger appreciation and understanding for the topic, and would recommend it to anyone who would like to know more. I should say, I found that some parts of the series require some effort, as the material is quite dry (unavoidably, I think) in some parts. I'm not saying that the whole book was a slog or anything, I'm definitely happy I read it, but it requires quite a lot of attention, as for the most part it is quite heavy on information.

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10 people found this helpful

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great course

fascinating and brilliantly delivered lectures. great balance of general and detailed info on the uses and costs of energy.

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3 people found this helpful

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A great listen. very balanced and easy to follow.

A great listen. Very balanced and easy to follow. doesn't go massively in depth but in a good way. each of the chapters could potentially be a complete book in itself.

If you're after a well balanced overview of world energy. You've found it here.

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Excellent

Engaging, well structured, and covers a large array of topics without ever becoming repetitive. Would recommend this to anyone with even the faintest interest in civil infrastructure.

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Very simplistic

Very simplistic, not sure who the target audience is when the average 18 year old understands energy in more detail than this.

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love it

great book, understandable by any one, insightful. the best book i have found on the subjects

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Great dense way to learn about energy supplies

Enjoyed listening to this book and get up to date on energy supply forms and pros and cons

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excellent

very informative. I have no background in energy systems or science and I found it easy to follow with engaging narration throughout. I am now looking at other books from the same provider

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I learnt so much.

I love these lectures. They are delivered so well and at a level that an ordinary person like myself can easily understand and comprehend the information. Michael Wysession's delivers these so well and makes the subject matter of each lesson sound so interesting. I ve listened to 3 of the great courses books now and being s bit of a science nerd I've loved everyone.

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Fascinating

A fascinating, thoughtful and impartial look at the different types of fuels that we have been used and may yet be used to power our world, and their pros and cons. I think I’ll find myself recommending this one and probably going back and listening again!

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