1. Energy, the Great Driver takes a very broad perspective on life both in relation to time span [4 billion years], and subject areas/disciplines. The latter range from physics through biology to anthropology, agricultural science, sociology and behavioural psychology to economics. 2. The book seeks to explore common cross-disciplinary threads and the integration of our understanding not its atomization. Jones suggests some threads which run though biological and human history over the billennia and narrative which underpins much of planetary life. 3. It reinforces the importance of the seven revolution i.e. energising human society while drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But it offers a new perspective on our reluctance to do so. 4. Although many of the conclusions appear gloomy, the book asserts that a recognition of the underlying problems and trends is the beginning of wisdom and a new relationship with energy can enhance human well-being and our interaction with the rest of the natural world.

Drawing on research and concepts from fields as varied as physics, biology, anthropology, behavioural psychology and economics, this volume proposes that two unifying threads can be identified running through the 4-billion-year history of life on this planet. The first is the exploitation of energy sources, coupled to an attendant capacity to do work and exert power, generating increasing material and social complexity; the second is a hierarchy of homeostatic regulatory mechanisms, which sequentially stabilise these evolving complexities and are essential to their sustainability and well-being. Six major step-changes in energy use are highlighted, from energising the first cell, out of equilibrium with its environment, to the latest, the industrial revolution fuelled by burning fossil hydrocarbons. Humans now face a seventh revolution, to energise society without these greenhouse gas emissions – however ill-adapted our historic (as hunter-gatherers-cookers) and recently constructed (as Homo economicus) homeostatic mechanisms are to this challenge. 'Given the huge inequalities in wealth and lifestyle, the energy and consequently CO2 footprints of the jet-setting elite from any country must be at least double, probably, treble, the mean, even the ‘rich’ countries. Energy use permeates all aspects of modern life. This is supplied largely by burning fossil fuels. Regrettably, it appears that the non-catastrophic-resolution of one of humanity’s gravest problems, global warming, is made more difficulty by nature of the homeostatic mechanisms that have historically modulated human behaviour.' - Read more about this on page 14 https://www.booklaunch.london/issue-6

Who has been the world’s greatest driver, and how do you prove it? With an eye for detail and a flair for storytelling, this book explores motor racing’s rich history in pursuit of the best driver the world has ever seen. Most enthusiasts have a strongly held opinion as to racing’s finest driver over the century of the motor car. By putting aside bias and personal opinion, this book’s exhaustively researched, results-based analysis provides a definitive answer through clear and logical evaluation. These carefully considered, significant statistics, when merged together, reveal with incisive objectivity motor sport’s greatest driver as well as the qualities that define greatness. Contentious? Possibly. Thought-provoking? Definitely. Author Angus Dougall captures many aspects of the motor racing world with a selection of revealing anecdotes on the highlights of racing’s biggest stars, together with stories that bring to life people, places, insider’s opinions of drivers, circuits, constructors, politics, insights, and comments on many of the drivers. For readers wishing to peruse the actual detail, there is a vast array of appendices displaying extensive race results lists, charts on driver performance, and car analysis. Motor racing fans, climb on board and hold on for an intriguing ride to the pinnacle of greatness.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science, and finance, he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide to certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only explains why we need to work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal. He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market, he describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions, where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively, where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete, practical plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions—suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers, and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise. As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but if we follow the plan he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.

A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. "I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for the next 'Star Wars' movie. In his latest book, Energy and Civilization: A History, he goes deep and broad to explain how innovations in humans' ability to turn energy into heat, light, and motion have been a driving force behind our cultural and economic progress over the past 10,000 years. —Bill Gates, Gates Notes, Best Books of the Year Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from terra-forming forces of plate tectonics to cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. Life on Earth depends on the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass. Humans have come to rely on many more energy flows—ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic generation of electricity—for their civilized existence. In this monumental history, Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. Humans are the only species that can systematically harness energies outside their bodies, using the power of their intellect and an enormous variety of artifacts—from the simplest tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. The epochal transition to fossil fuels affected everything: agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment. Smil describes humanity's energy eras in panoramic and interdisciplinary fashion, offering readers a magisterial overview. This book is an extensively updated and expanded version of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has incorporated an enormous amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic developments in energy studies over the last two decades and his own research over that time.