Without energy, nothing would ever happen. There would be no life. The sun wouldn't shine, winds wouldn't blow, rivers wouldn't flow, trees wouldn't grow, birds wouldn't sing and fish wouldn't swim. Nothing could exist without enegry. Yet inspite of all that, energy is seldom considered a part of what we call "nature". This text explores energy's role in nature, how and where it originates, what it does, and what becomes of it. Using a wide range of scientific disciplines, Pielou looks at the myriad of ways in which energy and its transfers affect the earth and its inhabitants. Learn how energy is delivered to earth from the sun, how it causes the weather, how it shapes the world through building and erosion, how it is captured and used by living things, how it is harnessed to fuel human society , and much more. This book should delight scientists of all ages.

Energy is crucial for events of every kind, in this world or any other. Without energy, nothing would ever happen. Nothing would move and there would be no life. The sun wouldn't shine, winds wouldn't blow, rivers wouldn't flow, trees wouldn't grow, birds wouldn't fly, and fish wouldn't swim; indeed no material object, living or dead, could even exist. In spite of all this, energy is seldom considered a part of what we call "nature." In The Energy of Nature, E. C. Pielou explores energy's role in nature-how and where it originates, what it does, and what becomes of it. Drawing on a wide range of scientific disciplines, from physics, chemistry, and biology to all the earth sciences, as well as on her own lifelong experience as a naturalist, Pielou opens our eyes to the myriad ways energy and its transfer affect the earth and its inhabitants. Along the way we learn how energy is delivered to the earth from the sun; how it causes weather, winds, and tides; how it shapes the earth through mountain building and erosion; how it is captured and used by living things; how it is stored in chemical bonds; how nuclear energy is released; how it heats the unseen depths of the planet and is explosively revealed in the turmoil of earthquakes and volcanoes; how energy manifests itself in magnetism and electromagnetic waves; how we harness it to fuel human societies; and much more. Filled with fascinating information and and helpful illustrations (hand drawn by the author), The Energy of Nature is fun, readable, and instructive. Science buffs of all ages will be delighted. "A luminous, inquiring, and thoughtful exploration of Earth's energetics."-Jocylyn McDowell, Discovery