Consuming Power

A Social History of American Energies

David E. Nye (Professor, University of Southern Denmark)

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English

MIT Press
18 February 1999

History of the Americas; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; Social & cultural history; Impact of science & technology on society; Management of land & natural resources

Series: The MIT Press

Nye uses energy as a touchstone to examine the lives of ordinary people engaged in normal activities.

How did the United States become the world's largest consumer of energy? David Nye shows that this is less a question about the development of technology than it is a question about the development of culture. In Consuming Power, Nye uses energy as a touchstone to examine the lives of ordinary people engaged in normal activities. He looks at how these activities changed as new energy systems were constructed, from colonial times to recent years. He also shows how, as Americans incorporated new machines and processes into their lives, they became ensnared in power systems that were not easily changed- they made choices about the conduct of their lives, and those choices accumulated to produce a consuming culture. Nye examines a sequence of large systems that acquired and then lost technological momentum over the course of American history, including water power, steam power, electricity, the internal-combustion engine, atomic power, and computerization. He shows how each system became part of a larger set of social constructions through its links to the home, the factory, and the city. The result is a social history of America as seen through the lens of energy consumption.

By: David E. Nye (Professor University of Southern Denmark)
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 17mm
Weight: 590g
ISBN: 9780262640381
ISBN 10: 0262640384
Series: The MIT Press
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 18 February 1999
Recommended Age: From 18
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational , A / AS level , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Part 1 Expansion: the energies of conquest; water and the industry. Part 2 Concentration: cities of steam; power incorporated; industrial systems. Part 3 Dispersion: consumption and dispersion; the high-energy economy; energy crisis and transition; choices.

David E. Nye is Senior Research Fellow at the Charles Babbage Institute and the History of Science and Technology program at the University of Minnesota and Professor Emeritus of American Studies at the University of Southern Denmark. His other books published by the MIT Press includeElectrifying America and American Technological Sublime. He was awarded the Leonardo da Vinci Medal in 2005 and was knighted by the Queen of Denmark in 2013.

Reviews for Consuming Power: A Social History of American Energies

"""This survey is compellingly written, making intelligent use ofentertaining anecdotes, apt but unfamiliar quotations, and concrete detailsof everyday life--all in the service of innovative general arguments."" Jeffrey L. Meikle , Director, American Studies Program, University of Texasat Austin; author of American Plastic: A Cultural History"