5 Solar Books that Piqued My Interest
As a writer, I love books. I read all the time, it’s inspiring. It’s a great way to escape into a fantasy world, forgetting all of your own personal fears, failures, bills, and blights, but it’s also a great way to delve into any topic and learn more about it.
Because we are a planet completely engulfed and intrigued by the concept of green living, there are literally thousands of books available on the matter of solar energy. Depending on what you already know about it, what you’d like to know about it, and what applications of solar energy fascinate you, I’ve narrowed it down a little into five great books. These are just some that piqued my interest, but there’s plenty more out there – if these just don’t do it for you all you have to do is click your heels together and say, ‘There’s no place like Google.”
Children of the Sun: A History of Humanity’s Unappeasable Appetite for Energy Written by Alfred W. Crosby. This is not one of those boring data-driven books. From all reviews and accounts, people of every ilk enjoy this book, which is humorous, but truthful. While it doesn’t completely concentrate on solar energy, it relays the idea that since the beginning of time all of our energy (in whatever form) was actually driven by the sun.
Real Goods Solar Living Source Book-Special 30th Anniversary Edition Written by John Schaeffer. This how-to book is for anyone who is actively seeking to get involved with solar energy on a personal level. Packed full of do-it-yourself sustainable ideas, this book can teach you how to use solar energy in your home and everyday living as well as tons of other green practices.
Cooking with Sunshine Written by Lorraine Anderson and Rick Palkovic. Honestly, this just looks like fun – reminds me of my short-lived career as a Girl Scout. Without needing to buy any expensive equipment, this book can show you how to make meals outside in the sun, and you don’t even need a grill.
The Passive Solar House Written by James Kachadorian. This is a great book for anyone planning to build a home in the near future, or planning a large remodel of their current home. It teaches how to plan and design a home that can heat and cool itself and it even includes a CD-ROM with custom design software to help you put the applications you learn in the book into practice.
Solar Revolution Written by Travis Bradford. This book is a bit more technical than the rest and is a great read for people who want more of the newsy side of solar technology, politics, and social issues. The author has determined that solar power will one day be the main source of our electric usage and explains why that is, how it has come about, and where the trend will lead us.
And just one more, for the with-it parents who want to pass the torch early on to the next generation:
Done in the Sun Written by Anne Hillerman. This book is designed to show kids, ages six and up, what solar power is and how it works. In addition to feeding our future vital information, it also has bunches of little experiments that you and your children can do together to see the sun’s power on a personal level.
Posted on March 31st in Solar Information by Jennifer.