Encyclopedia of Energy

Reviews / Votes

"This six-volume encyclopedia is a timely information resource as rising energy costs and consumption engenders a renewed focus on the subject. Comprised of 380 articles, it provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of energy. Not only does it address the expected scientific and technological areas such as engineering, physics, geology, and environmental science, but it also includes a strong social science component with history, economics, public policy, and sociology. Cleveland (director, Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, Boston Univ.) and over 400 contributors from academia, government, and industry provide authoritative information in the form of lengthy, well-organized articles that are accessible to undergraduates and researchers. Each article has definitions, cross-references, and suggested readings to aid the user. Extras include a glossary, an extensive chronology of energy-related developments, a small annotated bibliography, key international organizations, and a wide range of energy-related tables such as measurement and units, physical property data, and production and consumption figures. Bottom Line The material here is on a more advanced level than the the three-volume Macmillan Encyclopedia of Energy. Whereas Macmillan provides overviews of the major energy topics, the articles in Encyclopedia of Energy have greater breadth and depth. Both encyclopedias complement each other well because of the difference in scope and surprisingly small overlap in content. But Macmillan may be a more affordable choice for smaller public, high school, and undergraduate libraries, while the Encyclopedia of Energy is strongly recommended for academic and large public libraries." --Library Journal, November 2004


"Cleveland's attempt to gather all existing knowledge about the world's energy problems into six volumes (5,400 pages) largely succeeds. Each of the 380 articles, "Acid Deposition" to "Energy Use" to "World History and Energy," written by 400 experts from 40 countries in a wide range of specialties, begins with a list of subtopics, then a glossary of specialized terms, then a "Defining Statement" paragraph. Following the body of the article are cross-references to related material and a list of further readings. A subject index concludes v.6, where readers will do well to start, since material of interest is often not revealed in article titles. Charts, graphs, tables, and photographs clarify the text. Articles cover discrete topics, and readers who need information on specific topics will find that the format invites both searching and browsing. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All libraries." --Choice, October 2004


"The Encyclopedia of Energy provides an invaluable reference laying out the energy options available, their pros and cons, and how they might best be fit together in local, national, and global energy systems. Its comprehensive coverage should help planners, analysts, and policy makers at all levels to identify the right choices and promote them effectively." -- Hans-Holger Rogner
Section Head, Planning and Economic Studies Section, Department of Nuclear Energy, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

"I strongly recommend this most thorough and up-to-date work to energy engineers, planners and decision makers, as well as to the researchers and students of energy, economics and global interactions." --T. Nejat Veziroglu, President, International Association for Hydrogen Energy.
Professor & Director, Clean Energy Research Institute, University of Miami