Neil Young Book:

Editorial Review:
Discover the amazing story of energy -- where we can find it and how we can make the most of it.

Here is a spectacular, thought-provoking, and highly informative guide to the fascinating story of energy. Superb full-color photography of original equipment, intricate scientific instruments, 3-D models, and revealing experiments bring to life the ideas and discoveries that have changed our perception of the universe. See plants that bend toward light, alternative energy in action, the first batteries, the food chain, photosynthesis in plants, and how telephones convert the human voice into electronic signals. Learn how energy is measured, how without energy there would be no life at all, why matches burn, why recycling makes the most of energy, how waterwheels work, how efficient light bulbs save electricity, and how geothermal energy creates hot water. Discover the link between friction and heat, the development of steam turbines, how magnets work, how to make air liquid, how to heat coal to produce gas, the difference between renewable energy sources and fossil fuels, why sugar gives you energy, and much, much more.

Energy (Science for Kids) Reviews:
We're not as smart as we'd like to think
2003-11-12 - In the introduction Challoner writes that ancient people did not understand energy and an understanding of energy has only emerged in the past several hundred years. This is innacurate. People who still live ancient indigenous lifestyles often have a very sophisticated understanding of energy that is in fact far more functional than that of many modern people. While we often use energy indiscriminately without realizing the source of the energy of our food or our fuel, ancient people and those who still live in ancient ways are far more conscious of the energy they consume and where it comes from. Because they live in the ecosystems from which their energy comes, they have no choice but to use it responsibly, unlike "advanced" civilizations. The book may have plenty of accurate information about energy, but there is no need to introduce it with the myth that "advanced" cultures are superior in wisdom to ancient ones. I don't critique this because it is offensive, but because it is dangerous. Modern people must relearn what was once known by everyone: that if we don't understand our resources and use them wisely, we will have to live in the mess we create.

We're not as smart as we'd like to think
2003-11-12 - In the introduction Challoner writes that ancient people did not understand energy and an understanding of energy has only emerged in the past several hundred years. This is innacurate. People who still live ancient indigenous lifestyles often have a very sophisticated understanding of energy that is in fact far more functional than that of many modern people. While we often use energy indiscriminately without realizing the source of the energy of our food or our fuel, ancient people and those who still live in ancient ways are far more conscious of the energy they consume and where it comes from. Because they live in the ecosystems from which their energy comes, they have no choice but to use it responsibly, unlike "advanced" civilizations. The book may have plenty of accurate information about energy, but there is no need to introduce it with the myth that "advanced" cultures are superior in wisdom to ancient ones. I don't critique this because it is offensive, but because it is dangerous. Modern people must relearn what was once known by everyone: that if we don't understand our resources and use them wisely, we will have to live in the mess we create.