Lights On!: The Science of Power Generation

by Mark Denny

Watt’s up? A reader-friendly introduction to all things power. Power generation is a relatively recent concern because humans had little need for sustained power until the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Today, modern civilization is wholly dependent on the production and distribution of power. Without it, our way of life would be extinguished. In Lights On! , Mark Denny reveals the mysterious world of power generation. He takes us on a fun tour, examining the nature of energy, tracing the history of power generation, explaining the processes from production through transmission to use, and addressing questions that are currently in the headlines, such as:
• Is natural gas the best alternative energy source in the near term?
• Could solar power be the answer to all our problems?
• Why is nuclear power such a hard sell, and are the concerns valid? Devoting individual chapters to each of the forms of power in use today―electrical, coal, oil and natural gas, hydro, nuclear, and solar―Denny explains the pros and cons of each, their availability worldwide, and which are in dwindling supply. Making clear that his approach is that of "a scientist and engineer, not a politician or businessman," Denny addresses environmental concerns by providing information to help readers understand the science and engineering of power generation so they can discuss contemporary energy issues from an informed perspective. For those who wish to delve deeper into the science, a technical appendix provides estimations for a variety of power generators. Anyone who is interested in how energy works and how it is transformed to power our lives will get a charge out of Lights On!

264 pages, Hardcover

First published July 26, 2013

About the author

Started writing in 2005, after 20 years working for a living...In fact, writing is work, of course, but I mean that I like it a lot more than the 9-to-5 grind of my office job (research engineer for a multinational aerospace corporation).

Ingenium was my first book, and I guess it shows, but I still have a great fondness for it. I was approached out of the blue by the editor of Johns Hopkins University Press who had seen a bunch of my published papers on historically important machines--he thought they could form the basis of an interesting popular science book. So I wrote it; the reviews were kind. I've recently completed my tenth book.

Reviews

[Bill Conrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book that gives lots of basic information on the modern state of power generation. I liked that it took a natural approach to modern power generation and gave a balanced description of the costs and benefits of each method. Despite being an Electrical Engineer, I learned a lot and I have a better appreciation of the miracle that happens every time the lights come on. This is a great read and I recommended it to two friends. My only comment is that I would have like to have seen more detail on the role of the power grid and the local utilities.

[Fips · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent enough little overview of energy production from water, wind, solar, coal, oil, gas and nuclear sources. I was a little concerned at a remark in an early chapter that nobody ever pumps energy as heat more than a few metres (which would certainly be a surprise to a lot of people living in eastern/northern Europe), but in general the facts are presented in a sober and neutral fashion, and Denny treats issues like global warming or nuclear safety with an even hand, and acknowledges where his limits of expertise lie, though his penchant for dad puns and the mixed use of imperial/metric measures was somewhat distracting.

Overall it’s a short volume, with little detail you couldn’t glean from a few hours on Wikipedia, but just enough information to highlight the basics of energy generation and distribution.

[Matthew Hendel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book that covers the engineering (and science) behind power generation and transportation. This book is a must-read for anybody who cares about energy, and by extension the environment. Will we be able to generate enough power from solar and wind to satisfy our power needs? Denny walks through the estimates of what percent of our current (and projected future) power needs to be met by the different technologies, while looking ahead at potential future technologies.

Before you can intelligently speak about the environment, you need to be educated about it. This book can help. The book is similar to Energy for Future Presidents in scope, but instead of drawing conclusions, Denny allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.

Highly recommended.

[Jackson Cutsor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for anyone aspiring to get into the energy field or understand the complexity of energy issues. Makes good valid points that minimize bias and paint a picture for the current problems and future. While he explains the necessary science, having a good background in physics and chemistry is beneficial while reading.