Vegetarian Books
Bookmark the site !
Select Country
UK Vegetarians
US Vegetarians
DE Vegetarier
FR Végétariens
Books : The Party's Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies
See Larger Image |
The Party's Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies by: Richard Heinberg |
|
Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 333.8232 EAN: 9780865714823 ISBN: 0865714827 Label: New Society Publishers Manufacturer: New Society Publishers Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 288 Publication Date: May 20, 2003 Publisher: New Society Publishers Studio: New Society Publishers Sales Rank: 947706 Related Items:
Related Items:      see moreBrowse for similar items by category:
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Interesting but speculative discussion on post-industrial, post-Peak Oil societiesRichard Heinberg's book, The Party's Over - Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies, is an overview of Peak Oil issues; the situation where easily recoverable and inexpensive oil reaches a maximum level of global output but demand continues to rise, leaving a net energy loss for its consumers. The book is divided into six logical chapters (and a 2005 updated Afterword), beginning with (1) what is energy and how have civilisations harnessed it over the centuries, moving through to (2) the industrial interval and what impact oil has played on the domestic and geopolitical scene, then looking at (3) how Peak Oil is actually ascertained. Chapter 4 gives a review of the potential of non-petroleum energy sources (coal, nuclear, ... Read More: Rating:  - An excellent broad overview of peak oilThere are many books on the subject of peak oil with authors coming from different perspectives. Some come from people who work or have worked in the oil industry (like petroleum geologists Colin Campbell or Kenneth Deffeyss) while others are in journalism like David Strahan (author of the excellent 'Last Oil Shock'). Heinberg's background is social anthropology and this book reflects that. What's good about this book is that it takes a really wide view on the subject. It describes the basic laws of energy in physics (1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics) and looks at energy use through mankinds evolution. It also has a great history of oils use during the twentieth century including the previous oil shocks, the way General Motors ... Read More: Rating:  - Alarmist A biased and very exaggerated view of a worst possible case scenario, boardering on the 'loony left'. There is no doubt that this is a very important topic that requires considerable consideration from all levels of society but to suggest that the world is on the verge of collapse and that a form of communism is our only hope is unhelpful and misleading. There's no doubt that the book is well written and researched but if you're looking for a balanced and well argued book on this subject i suggest you read something else. Rating: - A warning.This book is rather depressing and alarming in it's outlook, but maybe this is just what we need. We have to face facts. Richard Heinberg has gathered evidence from a variety of sources to paint a picture of the future if we continue to use and aim to use non-renewable energy sources. The theory is, and it is a theory that is backed up by most experts, that these sources of energy will become far rarer in the future. This will have economic consequences (ie a major downturn over time) as well as geopolitical (ie more resource-based wars). We are already seeing this played out now (oil price shooting up, Iraq etc). The outlook is gloomy. Thinking more positively for a second, the book has a great section ... Read More: Rating: - Start here!Having read many, many books on Peak Oil and the future of modern industrial society, i can say that this is the best and most comprehensive of those works. Anyone interested in wars, oil or the future of the human race should start here. A fascinating and worrying read! |
|
