Energy Explained -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Acronyms -- I -- 1 -- Why Is This Topic So Important Now? -- 2 -- A Brief History of Energy -- II -- 3 -- Black Gold: A Brief History of Oil -- 4 -- The Science and Technology of Oil -- 5 -- Refining and Distribution -- 6 -- How Do Gasoline Prices Work? -- 7 -- Peak Oil: How Much Do We Have Left? -- 8 -- OPEC and the Role of the Oil Cartel -- 9 -- Oil and the Environment -- 10 -- The Future of Oil -- III -- 11 -- King Coal -- 12 -- Natural Gas -- 13 -- Global Warming -- IV -- 14 -- What Is Electricity? -- 15 -- Power Generation -- 16 -- Transmission and Distribution -- 17 -- Our Electric System -- V -- 18 -- Energy Policy at Home and Abroad -- 19 -- Energy Market Regulation -- 20 -- Deregulation -- Notes -- Selected Bibliography -- Energy Explained -- Acronyms -- I -- 1 -- Wind Energy -- 2 -- Solar Energy -- 3 -- Tidal Energy -- 4 -- Biomass Energy -- 5 -- Geothermal Energy -- 6 -- Bottle That Electron! (Energy Storage) -- II -- Energy and Transportation -- 7 -- Land, Sea, and Air- Energy in Transportation -- 8 -- Fuels from Fossils (Revisited) -- 9 -- Biodiesel -- 10 -- Ethanol -- 11 -- Hybrids, Plug-Ins, and Electric Vehicles -- 12 -- Fuel Cells and Hydrogen -- 13 -- The Road Ahead -- III -- 14 -- Security, Reliability, Diversity, and Independence -- 15 -- Our Aging Power Grid -- 16 -- Nuclear Energy -- 17 -- The Geopolitics of Oil -- IV -- 18 -- 19 -- Energy Efficiency Begins at Home -- 20 -- Green Living -- 21 -- Energy Efficiency on a Broader Scale -- V -- 22 -- Cleantech Investments -- 23 -- Energy, Economy, Jobs, and Education -- 24 -- The Coming Energy Revolution -- Epilogue -- Notes -- Selected Bibliography -- About the Authors.