Energy Explained: v. 1&2: Conventional Energy and Alternative

[The authors] method . . . is to take a weighty subject and make it an easy read. ― New York Journal of Books

These two volumes are an excellent introductory resource for secondary school education or perhaps college-level study as supplements in a nontechnical course where energy is a major area of study, such as in society and technology series courses. Janardhan (energy consultant) and Fesmire (writer/editor and communications manager in energy industry) write in a very readable, comparative narrative style ideal for the lay reader. They do an excellent job of conveying scientific principles and engineering applications without using esoteric formulations and detailed mathematics. The graphs and illustrations are accurate and simple for nontechnical audiences to understand. The books cover every major technical and societal issue in energy and energy conversion, from basic operation of traditional energy generation and distribution sources to current and future nontraditional technology. The authors do not avoid the many ecological, political, and economic controversies surrounding energy decisions; on the contrary, they provide commendably balanced, though somewhat simplified, presentations of the major issues and arguments. Any technical person would enjoy reading the “Fun Facts” sections in almost every chapter; they provide enlightening “gee whiz” quantitative facts and factoids from across the energy and energy conversion topics spectra. Summing Up: Recommended. ― CHOICE

The text is engaging and interesting, presenting good information in non-technical language. It should interest high school students as well as adults wanting to learn more about energy. It fills the important need of better informing individuals about the importance of energy….In the second volume in the series, the authors discuss a wealth of ideas about energy sources that do not contribute very much to global warming….The text is clear and easy to understand. In many ways, it reads like a novel and can be started and stopped at any point….The authors achieve the goal they describe: ‘We set out to make energy understandable with a healthy dose of humor because, well, you just can’t be that serious all the time, even about a topic as serious as this.’ ― National Science Teachers Association

[Volume 1] Well-suited for academic studies and most general readers, the first volume of this work sets a high standard for other books on the subject. [Volume 2] The result is a second volume that works as well as the first in presenting relevant information on energy issues succinctly and well. An easy-to-understand guide for those interested in alternative energy. ― Kirkus