A Question of Power

"Informative and highly readable"—Foreign Affairs

“Energy is our primary defense against poverty, disorder, hunger, and death. Meeting soaring global demand for abundant, affordable, and clean electricity is among the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century. In this book, energy analyst Robert Bryce provides an engaging and rational analysis of a topic that is both fascinating and timely.”—Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Enlightenment Now

“Electricity is essential today and fundamental to the future. Nobody understands or explains this better than Robert Bryce, as he chronicles the ingenious technologies that both generate and consume electricity to make modern society work. Fluently told, jam-packed with fascinating facts, and unflinching in its honesty, this book should be read by everybody who cares about energy.”—Matt Ridley, author of The Rational Optimist and How Innovation Works

"Shocking revelations about electricity.... A robust look at where the juice flows around the planet-and its planetary implications."—Kirkus Reviews

"Of all the aspects of modern life in the developed world, flipping a switch and having the lights come on ranks as one of the most underrated. It's good to be reminded, as Bryce does through powerful examples, that such convenience was unheard of until the late nineteenth century...In this wide-ranging history of electricity, power expert Bryce takes readers beyond the table lamp and microwave to demonstrate how crucial safe, dependable, and plentiful electricity is to a host of contemporary innovations, from cryptocurrency mining to marijuana cultivation."—Booklist