Book Description

The United States is in the unusual position of being both the world’s top energy consumer and its top producer. Because it consumes more than it produces, though, it must import energy from Middle Eastern countries, primarily in the form of oil, to maintain its standard of living. The political, economic and environmental problems created by the need to import have developed slowly over time and are pressing issues today.

This chronology begins with Benjamin Franklin’s kite flying experiment in 1752 and ends with 2002 and a discussion of the development of new types of vehicles and the fuel systems used to power them, electricity deregulation in California, and the possible hydrogen economy of the future. Other topics covered in the chronology and appendices include the sun’s role in the creation of various types of energy, the burning of wood for energy, the development and invention of the steam engine by James Watt, the use of the hydrocarbons coal and oil, key alternatives to oil, the use of water to produce hydroelectric and other forms of energy, atomic and nuclear energy, and the solutions that have been proposed to make the country self-sufficient. ... Read more

Book Description

"A solid, intelligent and fair account of the hubris that made Enron famous and important, then crazy and crooked."
–Martin Mayer, author of The Fed and The Bankers

"Loren Fox unravels one of the great downfalls in the history of corporate America and lays bare the toxic confluence of innovation, greed, and hubris."
–James S. Hirsch, author of Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter and Riot and Remembrance

"The tragic debacle of Enron is a defining event for today’s generation of business professionals. Loren Fox synthesizes the complex details into a story that is lucid, engrossing, and fast-paced. Study this story as a mirror for our time."
–Robert F. Bruner, Distinguished Professor of Business Administration,
Darden Graduate Business School, University of Virginia

The word "Enron" has officially entered the American vocabulary–not as the symbol of excellence and innovation that Chairman Kenneth Lay envisioned but as the corporate embodiment of greed, excess, and unprecedented fraud. Never in history has one company plummeted so quickly from the heights of power and glory to the depths of public humiliation, bankruptcy, and criminal investigation, dragging so many individuals and firms down with it. Simultaneously fascinating and frightening, Enron: The Rise and Fall provides today’s most illuminating and entertaining book on what was right–and wrong–with late twentieth-century corporate America. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Read in conjunction with Smith/Emshwiller
This book, plus "24 Days," together tell you everything you need to know about the fall of Enron. This one covers the "rise" better, that one covers the "fall."

What one ought to take away from both books is the realization that, despite the failure and indeed despite the evident criminality, Enron (as Fox says in his epilogue), "wasn't a complete hoax. The company deserved admiration for its early forays into trading gas and electricity, and for its plunge into the innovative financing of energy projects. It out-maneuvered the old-line energy companies to expand the use of derivatives in the energy industry. This introduced new ways of managing risk, which lowered the costs of energy-related transactions for an array of businesses."

Another reviewer has said that the Fox book is a cure for insomnia. The fact is that if you need to have material on Enron MADE interesting for you by dramatic presentation, by a well-shaped narative flow, then you may have trouble with Fox, simply because he lets the material speak for itself.

Sometimes it speaks in ambiguous tones.

Solid
Good, solid background on the history of Enron and its missteps. If you're interested in one stop shopping for an understanding of Enron the corporation from start to finish, this is the best out there so far.

A "fair and balanced" treatment that can cure insomnia
I've read several Enron books, from Cruver's poor product to Lynn Brewer's silly treatise, and I have to say that this one is probably more accurate and balanced than any of the others, but..... it's a real snorefest. Any author that can take a fascinating story like this and put a reader to sleep with it is not really overachieving in my view.

I guess Fox couldn't get anyone significant to talk to him and maybe that held him back some, but it didn't keep Cruver and Brewer and Swartz from producing more entertaining stuff in their efforts which were similarly unencumbered by input from people who were really making it happen. Oh well, he produced a "fair and balanced" treatment that just might help you with that insomnia thing.

Driven by Fear and Greed
This well researched book gives the best global picture of how Enron came into being and how it developed into the financial shell game which eventually brought it down. Derivatives proliferate, power concentrates, and stock options vest. "Profits" soar and morality plummets.

I read this shortly after reading "Credit Derivatives" by Tavakoli. Trades can be levered and rigged to state almost anything one wants. Enron stared with the answer it wanted and worked backward to write financial fiction.

Better than the Cruver book
I am a former Enron employee from the mid-1990s. I do not hold any bitter or bad feelings from my exeperience there and firmly believe that I have benefitted from the experience. I have also previously read and reviewed the Cruver book stating that there would be other books giving a better perspective of the issues. Loren Fox's Enron: The Rise and Fall is one of those books.

Like a good non-fiction business writer, Fox takes a global approach in helping the reader understand what happened at Enron. He immediately lays out the working thesis that the collapse of Enron was symptomatic of the corporate culture at Enron but also reflective of the business environment at-large throughout the eighties and nineties. Even with this viewpoint in mind, he too acknowledges that he lacks all the answers because many of the outcomes from Enron's collapse are still in flux (e.g. Will Fastow go to jail? Will Lay and Skilling get indicted) and the ultimate impacts on corporate America are unclear (e.g. Where is Sbarnes-Oxley taking us?).

To support his thesis, Fox presents a well-researched book presenting the key players in the evolution of the energy giant. He provides the background information on the deregulation of the natural gas industry that led to the formation of Enron. He anlayzed the dueling business strategies of ECT and EI run by Skilling and Mark. With Skilling winning the political infighting, the off-balance sheet shennanigans became more important to obtaining the capital needed to support his grandiose visions. That is where Fastow and Kopper come in. Relative to other journalists including Pulitzer Prize winner Rebecca Smith, Fox better understands and explains the nature of the off-balance sheet transactions (e.g. often a form of Islamic financing but also more complex structures) created by these two but always adding color to story with his inside look at the key personalities (e.g. Kaminski saying, "This is so terminally stupid only Fastow could come up with it.").

It is obvious that Fox has had access and discussions with some very senior managers at Enron in completing this project. Despite that, it still feels as if he has only gotten part of the story. Still I must commend him for the best effort to date. ... Read more

Book Description

America's leading wind energy expert presents a complete reference on the business and technology of generating electricity with wind. Covers the technology, economics and politics that have influenced the development of the wind energy industry in the U.S. and Europe. Describes advances made in improving reliability and performance and provides suggestions on how the industry can treat its imperfections. Includes several new important topics such as aesthetics and public acceptance of windmills. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Wonderful Reference
Gipe has put together a wonderful wind energy reference. I'm currently doing an independent study on wind energy and this book has greatly helped my research to date. Highly recommended!! If you're in to renewable energy in general, I also recommend "Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future" edited by Godfrey Boyle I believe. I've never found a better resource for renewable energy!

Millions of people worldwide need Renewable Energy Products
Wind Energy Products are available for : lighting, water pumping, refrigerating, communication... This book is a necessary reading for all persons wishing to give the alternative energies a chance. Complete with many addresses and inside knowledge. A must for the alternative energy enthusiast... ... Read more

Book Description

Now revised and updated throughout, this comprehensive handbook has become recognized as the definitive stand-alone energy manager's desk reference, used by thousands of energy management professionals throughout industry. The fourth edition adds new chapters covering all aspects of utility deregulation and energy project financing. An important new section addresses the pluses and minuses of in-house vs. outsourcing of energy services. You'll find in-depth coverage of every component of effective energy management, including boiler and steam system optimization, lighting and electrical systems, HVAC system performance, waste heat recovery, cogeneration, thermal energy storage, energy management control systems, energy systems maintenance, building envelope, industrial insulation, indoor air quality, energy economic analysis, energy procurement decision making, energy security and reliability, and overall energy management program organization. Detailed illustrations, tables, graphs and many other helpful working aids are provided throughout. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Energy Management Handbook by Wayne C. Turner (Editor)
I was a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and practiced energy management professionally in the 1990's. Dr. Turner's book is a excellent reference in this area, covering all the major aspects of energy management. I highly recommend it to anyone who is going to practice energy management seriously.

Energy Management Handbook - Third Edition
The Energy Management Handook was purchased in order to review for the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) Certified Energy Manager (CEM) exam. Having read the entire 700 page book during the review I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in energy auditing/management techniques. Covers boilers, steam systems, heat recovery, building envelope, electrical systems, controls, etc.

William Wilcox / Mechanical Electrical Systems Coordinator / Dana Corporation / Toledo, OH ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lots of Info
This book contains lots of info. about Nuclear Power.

Here are some quotes: With radioactive cobalt, botanists can produce new types of plants. Structural variations that normally take years of selective breeding to develop can be made to occur in a few months.

The radiation has even caused genetic mutations in children whose parents were exposed to the radiation.

Other renewable power sources such as solar and hydroelectric, cannot provide the large scale power generation which is needed. ... Read more

Book Description

In Fire and Memory, Luis Fernndez-Galiano reconstructs the movement from cold to warm architecture, from building fire to building a building with and for fire, through what he calls a "metaphorical plundering" of disciplines as diverse as anthropology and economics, and in particular of ecology and thermodynamics. Beginning with the mythical fire in the origins of architecture and moving to its symbolic representation in the twentieth century, Galiano develops a theoretical dialogue between combustion and construction that ranges from Vitruvius to Le Corbusier, from the mechanical and organic to time and entropy. Galiano points out that energy, so important to the origin of architectural theory in Vitruvius's time, has been absent from architectural theory since the introduction of the "dictatorship of the eye" over that of the skin. With Fire and Memory, he reintroduces energy to the discussion of architecture and reminds us that the sense of touch is as necessary to an understanding of the environment as the sense of sight. ... Read more

Book Description

Since the inception of windpower around 1000 AD, technology has been deployed to obtain the most economical power from wind. The author traces its technical evolution, concentrating on the growth in understanding of wind and charting crucial developments in windmill design. The history of the windmill focuses on North Western Europe, but Hills indicates the origins of the first horizontal windmills in Persia, Tibet and China. He also examines industrial applications such as in textiles, papermaking and mining. The book concludes with a look at the recent reemergence of windpower as a viable source of power in the wake of the energy crisis. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

More depth on windmills
More depth on the actual mechanics of windmills than anywhere else currently published in English. The chapter on Sails is the only treatment I've found, and explains the different windmill sail types quite understandably. The governor mechanisms introducted to smooth out windgusts into smoother power sources are also very interesting, while not bogging down the text. For those interested in the math and equations, the biography lists extensive historical sources.

Very good coverage of British and Dutch windmill technology. American style windmills, only used to pump water, are sparsely covered --"A Field Guide to American Windmills" is not in danger of being challenged here.

Windmills being used to grind grain or pump water are of course well covered, but the harnessing of wind for other industrial uses such as sawing in lumbermills, pulping paper, and uses in wool industry are also explained in their own chapters. Good to see these lessor subjects expanded on.

The author does spend some time reiterating the standard arguments for where vertical windmills *didn't* originate historically, but holds back from stating the growing if still controversial view of Viking origin for this invention sometime between 700-1000 AD. He simply states the known case of the earliest recorded windmills existing in Europe around 1300 AD, and Persians recording the first windmills they'd seen being built by the Crusaders and then spreading the technology East, and only in crude form. Hopefully future archeology digs will settle this question.

Other historical technology books focus on recording specific historical windmills and their sites. This book gives the overview on how construction and mechanical methods improved, how those improvements spread (not uniformly!), and which proved best in actually getting the job done. While most windmills must by necessity remain with their sails stripped and idle as part of preservation, this book gives a detailed view of how they actually worked and moved in their time. ... Read more

Book Description

Explains cold-current, free-energy devices with today's science. Using the 1920's inventions of T. Henry Moray as a starting point, the book explores a wide range of popular science and frontier physics. Free-energy technology could solve today's energy crisis and cold-current physics will soon make any other technology obsolete! ... Read more

Book Description

This is a textbook for graduate students entering the field but at the same time a cosmic ray manual for high energy astrophysicists and its first part easy to read for the general astronomer. The first part describes the standard model of cosmic rays based on our understanding of modern particle physics. The acceleration scenario is presented in some detail in supernovae explosions as well as in the passage of cosmic rays through the Galaxy. Experimental data in the atmosphere as well as underground are compared with theoretical models. The second part is devoted to contemporary cosmic ray research like the analysis of shower phenomena, the discussion of the end of the cosmic spectrum and, finally, high energy neutrino astronomy. ... Read more

Book Description

Direct coal liquefaction, a synthetic liquid fuel process, is one of the major developmental alternatives for meeting the anticipated fuel demands for the twenty-first century. This work provides a retrospective assessment of past attempts in this century to develop synthetic liquid fuel and applies the findings to produce reliable and pertinent data for the future. Retrospective technology assessment, a recent methodological invention, is used by the authors to analyze the past synthetic liquid fuel programs and the reasons for their failures. Bringing to bear four different perspectives--economic, technological, policy, and historical--the authors draw broad conclusions that will help guide the next development effort in the United States. ... Read more

Book Description

The challenges facing participants in competitive electricitymarkets are staggering: high price volatility introduces significantfinancial risk into an industry accustomed to guaranteed rates ofreturn, while illiquid forward markets prevent effective hedgingstrategies from being implemented. Valuation, Hedging and Speculation in Competitive ElectricityMarkets: A Fundamental Approach, examines the uniqueproperties which separate electricity from other traded commodities,including the lack of economical storage, and the impact of a scarcetransmission network. The authors trace the sources of uncertaintiesin the price of electricity to underlying physical and economicprocesses, and incorporate these into a bid-based model forelectricity spot and forward prices. They also illustrate howinsufficient market data can be circumvented by using a combination ofprice and load data in the marking- to-market process. The model is applied to three classes of problems central to theoperation of any electric utility or power marketer; valuinggeneration assets, formulating dynamic hedging strategies for loadserving obligations, and pricing transmission contracts and locationalspread options. Emphasis is placed on the difference between tradeswhich can be 'booked out' in the forward markets, and those which mustbe carried through to delivery.Lately, significant attention has been given to the role of regulatorsin mitigating excessive price levels in electricity markets. Theauthors conduct a quantitative analysis of the long-term effects ofregulatory intervention through the use of price caps. By modeling thedynamic interplay between the observed price levels and the decisionto invest in new generation assets, it is shown how such short termfixes can lead to long term deficits in the available generationcapacity, and ultimately to market failures and blackouts. ... Read more

Book Description

The topics of energy and the environment are obviously crucial to all of us as evidence is growing that the problems are becoming more severe with the passage of time as our fossil fuels diminish and underdeveloped countries become more energy dependent. This text deals mainly with the core subject matter of energy concepts, resources, and applications. Discussion of the impact of our energy use on the environment is also included. Its goal is to help readers think beyond that "heat comes from the furnace, food comes from the store, water comes from the faucet, and gasoline comes from the filling station." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

basic science text
Overall, this book is OK. It explains the concepts of Physics as they relate to the environment, giving a student like myself, who is not the biggest science person, a way to relate the information to what is being taught. The book features questions at the end of each chapter--but the catch is that many of the questions had the wrong answers, according to my professor. The book features algebriac equations and conversions, again, several were inaccurate and my professor had to correct them. Finally, the last two chapters of the book were not adequate enough to explain the concepts my professor wanted to teach. The book is a nice attempt at explaining concepts, BUT I had a professor who almost went off of the book entirely, except she had to correct several things, making this book an often useless study tool. To put it bluntly, if you have to buy this book for class, hope you have a good professor who knows what they are teaching, or else you are in for a boring semester. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive model of the nation’s largest, most technically advanced and forward-thinking power pool—Pennsylvania, Jersey, Maryland (PJM)—provides a window on state-of-the-art solutions to complex organizational, managerial, technical and regulatory issues that cut across an entire industry in transition.

With full cooperation from PJM, nationally recognized energy lawyer, Jeremiah D. Lambert, compares and contrasts PJM with other ISOs on key issues such as governance, structure and transmission pricing.

Features:

Successfully structure RTO or ISO projects

Follow legal/regulatory guidelines

Develop the best-practice standards in all areas of the RTO/ISO structure ... Read more

Book Description

What do phone rates, frequent flyer programs, and railroad tariffs all have in common? They are all examples of nonlinear pricing. This study reviews the various facets of the topic. Thorough and detailed, the book has ample examples of case studies from a variety of industries. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Whoa, Einstein-dude!
This is the worst business book I have ever read. The connection between his hypothesis on pricing and his discourse on science and mathematics is lacking or at best weak. This is truly voodoo-finance at its worst.

Academically oriented.
Managers that have been out of school for two years will benefit more from theor own experiences.

Good text for MBAs to chew on.

Handy compendium
This is the most detailed monography on nonlinear pricing that one can get nowadays. Written by one of the most active and innovative theorist the book is filled with the masterly blend of both applications and theoretical models. Accessible to anyone who has a solid grasp on the fundamentals of microeconomic theory. It was written in the beginning of the 90s and since then significant research has been done - including the mechanism design aspect of nonlinear pricing theory. Thus a new, revised edition would be welcome both for researchers and students.

This is really the best and thorough book on the subject. The only wish I could have is the too light and concise treatment of nonlinear pricing in noncompetitive markets that are far from both extrema of monopoly and perfect competition. Nevertheless, an excellent read.

Nonlinear Pricing
This is a good book that gives an overview of how to a company can maximize its products/services by establishing a multiple pricing structure for identical products based on what customers they are targetting. ... Read more

Book Description

California was the first to open its electricity markets to competition (1998) and is often viewed as a prototype for deregulation that is unfolding on a state-by-state basis across the United States. In this book, energy columnist and think-tank analyst Will McNamara takes readers into the heart of the California energy crisis and recounts the facts surrounding California’s deregulation. He details who its main players were, the root causes of its failure, the attempts at resolution, "re-regulation," and the price-cap debate. Further, he clarifies the common misinformation surrounding the California energy crisis, and draws solutions to the inherent problems of the California model as other states deregulate their electricity markets.

Key Features & Benefits

• provides a thorough analysis of the inherent market flaws that existed in the California model for electric deregulation

• offers insights from a nationally recognized energy industry analyst who has tracked the California energy markets throughout the 1990s

• puts key developments of California’s deregulation into valuable context ... Read more

Book Description

As modern society has become increasingly reliant on electricity, disturbances to the power supply system have become a worldwide industry concern. The range and impact of disturbances are addressed in this comprehensive account of the planning, operation and control of power systems during emergencies.

• The impact of a full range of power system emergency situations from adverse weather conditions and natural disasters to equipment failures, human errors and industrial action.
• Detailed coverage of the procedures, organisation, training and equipment provided by utilities in order to contain the incidence and impact of disturbances, both sudden and predicted.
• Survey of the measures adopted to restore electricity supply from various levels of failure.
• The development of abnormal operating conditions: descriptions of actual power system failures and their impacts.
• Discussion of the costs and benefits associated with emergency control.
• Emergency control in the future - the impact of industry restructuring and deregulation and the new challenges facing utilities and their staff.