"Our future president must understand energy: what is it, what options humanity faces today to obtain it, what is the efficiency of each one, what are the environmental consequences of those alternatives, which industries exploit them. If we leave aside for a moment politics and looking at energy objectively, we will come to conclusions that are often counterintuitive and therefore unexpected. In this book, Richard A. Muller does not set out to give advice or raise a flaming finger, but to educate his goal is for every citizen to have a basic, physics-based understanding of men's complex relationship with energy. A good president has to be a leader, and that means not just making the right decisions: for Muller, the president must also be the instructor of the nation. No scientific adviser or energy secretary can convince the public that common perceptions are not necessarily true. And this can only be achieved by the person they trust more than anyone else: the person they chose. With data, compelling explanations, valuations of the present and the imminent future of power generation, this work will help the reader to look at the scientific background behind what the news says.

"Muller offers a roadmap through the minefield facing security analysts, environmentalists and potential investors. It is an informative and comprehensive approach to important economic and environmental issues."
Kirkus Reviews

"The reader will disagree with everything Muller says - I am not! - but here you will find a stimulating introduction to some issues that we will be discussing for a long time."
John L. Hubisz, The Physics Teacher "