For non-majors introductory energy courses in the departments of Physics, Geology, and Geography. * The most complete book of its kind on the market, this text focuses on energy needs, trends, and long-term prospects and resource supplies. It addresses all the various issues involved with energy, from population to production to distribution to the consequences of the choices made in supplying the energy. Energy is defined and the history of energy use is explored. The book is organized into a general introduction, electricity generation and transmission, thermal aspects of energy, material resources, fossil energy resources and consequences of its use, an extensive section on solar energy and its future, and alternative energy. * In this edition, the text discussion has been more tightly focused on the core elements of energy production, distribution, and utilization as well as the consequences flowing from choices made in doing all of these.