Energy of Nature

by E.C. Pielou

Energy is crucial for events of every kind, in this world or any other. Without energy, nothing would ever happen. Nothing would move and there would be no life. The sun wouldn't shine, winds wouldn't blow, rivers wouldn't flow, trees wouldn't grow, birds wouldn't fly, and fish wouldn't swim; indeed no material object, living or dead, could even exist. In spite of all this, energy is seldom considered a part of what we call "nature."



In The Energy of Nature, E. C. Pielou explores energy's role in nature—how and where it originates, what it does, and what becomes of it. Drawing on a wide range of scientific disciplines, from physics, chemistry, and biology to all the earth sciences, as well as on her own lifelong experience as a naturalist, Pielou opens our eyes to the myriad ways energy and its transfer affect the earth and its inhabitants. Along the way we learn how energy is delivered to the earth from the sun; how it causes weather, winds, and tides; how it shapes the earth through mountain building and erosion; how it is captured and used by living things; how it is stored in chemical bonds; how nuclear energy is released; how it heats the unseen depths of the planet and is explosively revealed in the turmoil of earthquakes and volcanoes; how energy manifests itself in magnetism and electromagnetic waves; how we harness it to fuel human societies; and much more.



Filled with fascinating information and and helpful illustrations (hand drawn by the author), The Energy of Nature is fun, readable, and instructive. Science buffs of all ages will be delighted.



“A luminous, inquiring, and thoughtful exploration of Earth’s energetics.”—Jocylyn McDowell, Discovery

259 pages

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Evelyn Chrystalla "E.C." Pielou is a statistical ecologist. She began her career as a researcher for the Canadian Department of Forestry and the Canadian Department of Agriculture. Later she was professor of biology at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, and at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and then Oil Sands Environmental Research Professor working out of the University of Lethbridge, Alberta.

She has contributed significantly to the development of mathematical ecology, the mathematical modeling of natural systems and wrote six academic books on the subject.

She now lives in Comox, British Columbia, Canada, and writes popular books on natural history.

Reviews

[Michael Desautels]

Best overall science book I've ever read, and I have read a lot.

Perspective is important, and I have come to appreciate E. C. Pielou's hand drawing more and more. "After the Ice Age" was superb and focused on its topic.

"The Energy of Nature", written in 2001, is simply incomparable - physics, chemistry from a quantitative biologist - a rare combination - and a genius for understandable examples and analogs to explain some pretty sophisticated concepts.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a little gem. Lucid, well-informed, and entertaining.

[Alan Eyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished. Hard, more math than I’m used to. But good insights.