Alternative Energy for Dummies

Alternative Energy for Dummies by Rik DeGunther was published in 2009 in the US. The book looks at the current energy situation, alternative energy for buildings and alternative fuels for transport.

As with other ‘Dummies’ books, this one is a thick volume but the subjects covered are broken down in a detailed contents section allowing the reader to skip to the most relevant parts if they don’t want to digest the whole book in one go.

The various energy alternatives are well documented in this book, and there is also a sizeable section on the energy use of today and how we have got where we are. The book is very careful to look at both the pros and cons of each energy source and it also includes nuclear energy reminding the reader that, not only is this in use today, but that it is an alternative to fossil fuels. With transportation fuels also covered, this book really does offer a comprehensive picture of the possible future of energy. The nifty icons help the reader to, for example, sort out which bits of information, of which there is a great deal, are important to remember and which bits are ‘technical stuff’.

As a UK reader, it is worth pointing out that many of the facts, figures and examples relate to the US, which is fine in terms of making the relevant points in question, but means that this is not a source of useful UK facts.

Overall I feel that this is a good book to take a look at for anyone interested in the alternatives to fossil fuels. The detailed contents section and index mean that the reader can dip in and out if they so wish or read the book as a whole. With a RRP of £15.99 this is similarly priced to other ‘Dummies’ books and represents good value given the size of the book and the amount of information it contains. The book does not contain information on whether it is printed on recycled or FSC paper so we presume that this is not the case.

Thanks to Wiley for sending us a sample of this product.