Michael Levi (1)

Levi's book is a detailed look at the debate over energy policy in this country, and the way that oversimplifying and underestimating that debate can impact national security. Levi is a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations focusing on energy and the environment, and he clearly understands his subject in great depth and has taken great pains to see firsthand where energy is produced and how the technology is researched. At times, this makes for an overwhelming read. Fortunately, he frequently takes a more journalistic approach and tells the stories of real people affected by efforts to find new, cheaper, and more efficient sources of energy. The author doesn't place himself firmly on either side of most major energy issues, but instead takes an objective look at the challenges we are facing and the impact of the way we choose to approach them.… (meer)

The future of energy is no easy conversation, and yet it's integral to the lives of nearly every person living today. Where our energy sources are going to come from and how much it's going to cost are discussions that are just as rife with misinformation as information.

Michael Levi's book makes a decent case for an optimistic future, but this is not light reading if you're a layman like me when it comes to the politics of energy. I recommend The Power Surge for those already somewhat versed in the language of energy and energy policy. The content here is fairly dense.… (meer)