A top-ten book list for energy history, policy and geopolitics

100 Best Energy Books of All Time (Updated for 2021)

The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power

La épica búsqueda de petróleo, dinero y poder

The Prize

El Premio

Life After Warming

Vida Después del Calentamiento

The Uninhabitable Earth

La Tierra Inhabitable

5 Must-Read Books on Clean Energy | Star Energy Partners

Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era

Audaces Soluciones Empresariales para la Nueva Era de la Energía

Reinventing Fire

Reinventando el Fuego

Growing up in a small farming village outside Kasungu, Malawi, William Kamkwamba's life is deeply grounded in the agricultural rhythms of maize and tobacco cultivation. His family, like most in Malawi, survive without electricity and the community is steeped in the traditions of magic and superstition. As a child, William's inquisitive nature is evident. Along with his cousin Geoffrey and friend Gilbert, the son of the village chief, William shows an early interest in understanding how things work. This leads them to dismantle and investigate radios, and they quickly become proficient in repairing them, sparking William's fascination with bicycle-powered lights.

A destructive flood in December 2000, followed by a harsh drought, pushes Malawi into a dire famine. The country's corrupt leadership exacerbates the crisis by selling off grain reserves and removing farming subsidies, causing food prices to skyrocket. This forces William’s family to drastically reduce their meals to one small ration a day. As a result of their financial straits, William doesn't qualify for boarding school and is unable to afford the fees for the local secondary school in Kachokolo. His schooling comes to a premature end.

With no means to continue his education and limited farm work, William finds solace in the pages of borrowed physics books. He becomes fascinated by the idea of electric windmills, dreaming of constructing one to generate light and pump irrigation water for his family's farm. Utilizing a bicycle dynamo and scavenged parts from a scrapyard, William constructs a functional windmill atop a 16-foot tower. His achievement astonishes the villagers, who had previously thought him mad. Word of his accomplishment spreads, earning him recognition from Dr. Mchazime, the head of the Malawi Teacher Training Activity. This leads to media coverage, an invitation to present at a TED conference in Tanzania, and sponsorship for his education and electrification of his home. His journey eventually takes him to America and finally to the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, an institution dedicated to fostering the potential of Africa's future leaders.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

El Chico Que Domesticó el Viento

A History

Una Historia

Energy and Civilization

Energía y Civilización

Bill Gates Offers 4 Books To Improve Your Knowledge on Energy Issues

Without the Hot Air

Sin el Aire Caliente

Sustainable Energy

Energía Sostenible

Bringing Science to the Energy Policy Debate

Aportando Ciencia al Debate de la Política Energética

Energy Myths and Realities

Mitos y Realidades de la Energía

Global and National Perspectives

Perspectivas Globales y Nacionales

Energy Transitions

Transiciones Energéticas

ExxonMobil and American Power

ExxonMobil y el Poder Americano

Private Empire

Imperio Privado

A Human History

Una Historia Humana

Coal

Carbón

Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet

Innovaciones para Aprovechar la Energía Solar y Alimentar el Planeta

Taming the Sun

Domando el Sol

Top 10 Most Popular Renewable Energy Books in 2023 - Earthava

The World-Changing Power of Alternative Energy

El poder transformador de la energía alternativa

Renewable

Renovable

12 Best Energy Books of All Time

The Prize

The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power

The Uninhabitable Earth

Life After Warming

Reinventing Fire

Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Energy and Civilization

A History

Sustainable Energy

Without the Hot Air

Energy Myths and Realities

Bringing Science to the Energy Policy Debate

Energy Transitions

Global and National Perspectives

Private Empire

ExxonMobil and American Power

Coal

A Human History

Taming the Sun

Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet

Renewable

The World-Changing Power of Alternative Energy

Sources

What To Read Next

12 Best Energy Books of All Time

The Prize

The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power

The Uninhabitable Earth

Life After Warming

Reinventing Fire

Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Energy and Civilization

A History

Sustainable Energy

Without the Hot Air

Energy Myths and Realities

Bringing Science to the Energy Policy Debate

Energy Transitions

Global and National Perspectives

Private Empire

ExxonMobil and American Power

Coal

A Human History

Taming the Sun

Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet

Renewable

The World-Changing Power of Alternative Energy

Sources

What To Read Next

Share this page