13 Energy Books You Need to Read

The world's energy system is nearly as complex as it is important. The ways we make light, heat and power practically define the material possibilities of our lives. Yet for all the ubiquity of energy, many of the processes that deliver us electricity, coal and petroleum are opaque. Some are difficult to understand; others are just so old that no one really remembers them.

Meanwhile, we're trying to reinvent our energy, largely with two goals in mind: one, to lower the energy inputs required for goods and services and two, to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we create as a byproduct of making power.

The books included on this list will help you understand how we built our energy system -- and what it will take to overhaul it.