Summary

Chapter 5, “Key Energy Surprises,” starts off Section II “Energy,” the shortest section in the book, and is preceded by a one-and-a-half page section introduction. It is divided into four subsections. To start off the chapter, Muller clears up a few misconceptions. He says that gasoline is 15 times more powerful than dynamite and coal is 20 times cheaper than gas. At midday, a square mile of solar panels can produce as much power as a traditional or nuclear power plant. Hydrogen is less powerful than gas, and rechargeable batteries are significantly cheaper in the long run.

“Why We Love Oil,” explains the huge amounts of energy that can be transferred by petroleum-based explosions. Gasoline conveniently stores all of that energy, but the only way to release it for use is through an explosion that releases lots of harmful chemicals into the air. There...