A Question of Power

“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“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“Informative and highly readable”–Foreign Affairs“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“Shocking revelations about electricity…. A robust look at where the juice flows around the planet-and its planetary implications.”–Kirkus Reviews

Robert Bryce is the acclaimed author of five previous books, including Smaller, Faster, Lighter, Denser, Cheaper: How Innovation Keeps Proving the Catastrophists Wrong, and Power Hungry: The Myths of “Green” Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Austin Chronicle, Guardian, and National Review. He has given over 300 invited or keynote lectures to groups ranging from the Marine Corps War College to the Sydney Institute and has appeared on dozens of media outlets ranging from Fox News to Al Jazeera. Bryce is also the producer of a new feature-length documentary, Juice: How Electricity Explains the World. He lives in Austin, Texas.

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