Where does the energy we use come from? It's absolutely vital to every single thing we do every day, but for most people, it is utterly invisible. Flick a switch and the lights go on. It might as well be magic. Science writer Jeremy Shere shows us in Renewable: The World-Changing Power of Alternative Energy that energy is anything but magical. Producing it in fossil fuel form is a dirty, expensive―but also hugely profitable― enterprise, with enormous but largely hidden costs to the entire planet. The cold, hard fact is that at some point we will have wrung the planet dry of easily accessible sources of fossil fuel. And when that time comes, humankind will have no choice but to turn―or, more accurately, return―to other, cleaner, renewable energy sources. What will those sources be? How far have we come to realizing the technologies that will make these sources available? To find the answers, Shere began his journey with a tour of a traditional coal-fueled power plant in his home state of Indiana. He then continued on, traveling from coast to coast as he spoke to scientists, scholars and innovators. He immersed himself in the green energy world: visiting a solar farm at Denver's airport, attending the Wind Power Expo and a wind farm tour in Texas, investigating turbines deep in New York City's East River, and much more. Arranged in five parts―Green Gas, Sun, Wind, Earth, and Water― Renewable tells the stories of the most interesting and promising types of renewable energy: namely, biofuel, solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower. But unlike many books about alternative energy, Renewable is not obsessed with megawatts and tips for building home solar panels. Instead, Shere digs into the rich, surprisingly long histories of these technologies, bringing to life the pioneering scientists, inventors, and visionaries who blazed the way for solar, wind, hydro, and other forms of renewable power, and unearthing the curious involvement of great thinkers like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Nicola Tesla. We are at an important crossroads in the history of renewable technologies. The possibilities are endless and enticing, and it has become increasingly clear that renewable energy is the way of the future. In Renewable , Jeremy Shere's natural curiosity and serious research come together in an entertaining and informative guide to where renewable energy has been, where it is today, and where it's heading. With the emerging worldwide consensus that humanity needs to reduce greenhouse gases and prepare for the depletion of oil reserves, more and more books are appearing on alternative-energy schemes. Most of them present how-to or where-and-when approaches. In a change of focus, this lively and informative overview by prolific radio science reporter Shere looks at green energy from another angle, highlighting its surprising history, dynamic contemporary development, and looming probable future. Readers may be astonished to learn, for instance, that solar power devices have been around for almost a century and that the earth’s abundant hot rocks, if properly tapped, could easily supply all the world’s energy needs. Beyond interesting facts, however, Shere also gives an in-depth report on each major renewable energy source, including green gas, solar, wind, water, and geothermal, demonstrating how engineers are overcoming the limitations of each. In contrast to many of alternative energy’s status quo–supporting critics, Shere provides many sound reasons for optimism about a future in which power generation causes minimal damage to the environment. --Carl Hays “A bright, accessible account of renewable energy and its role in our lives.” ― Kirkus Reviews “A refreshing yet serious look at alternative energy sources...[Shere] invites readers to tag along on his journey of discovery as he visits particular locales, interviews today's experts, and tours renewable energy facilities...Shere does all this without getting bogged down in scientific details an djargon. Shere's use of abundant current and historical anecdotes provides general readers with a clearer picture of renewable energy technologies than a more scholarly treatise would. recommended for all readers interested in a deeper understanding of this subject.” ― Library Journal JEREMY SHERE is a science writer who has written and produced for some of public radio's top nationally syndicated science programs, including  Sound Medicine ,  Earth & Sky , and A Moment o f Science.  His work has appeared in  Talking Points Memo , Reuters, Matter Network , The Jerusalem Report , Bloom , and Reform Judaism , among others. He is the author of Renewable: The World-Changing Power of Alternative Energy . Shere teaches journalism and magazine writing at the School of Journalism at Indiana University in Bloomington, where he lives with his wife and twin sons. Renewable The World-Changing Power of Alternative Energy By Jeremy Shere St. Martin's Press Copyright ©