A Piece of the Sun, Daniel Clery
A Piece of the Sun, Daniel Clery
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A Piece of the Sun
The Quest for Fusion Energy

Author: Daniel Clery

Narrator: Don Hagen

Unabridged: 10 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Ascent Audio

Published: 06/27/2013


Synopsis

Our rapidly industrializing world has an insatiable hunger for energy and conventional sources are struggling to meet demand. Oil is running out, coal is damaging our climate, many nations are abandoning nuclear, yet solar, wind, and water will never be a complete replacement. The solution, says Daniel Clery in this deeply researched and revelatory audiobook, is to be found in the original energy source: the Sun itself. There, at its center, the fusion of 620 million tons of hydrogen every second generates an unfathomable amount of energy. By replicating even a tiny piece of the Sun’s power on Earth, we can secure all the heat and energy we would ever need.

Nuclear fusion scientists have pursued this simple yet extraordinary ambition for decades. Skeptics say it will never work but, as A Piece of the Sun makes clear, large-scale nuclear fusion is scientifically possible—and has many advantages over other options. Fusion is clean, green and virtually limitless and Clery argues passionately and eloquently that the only thing keeping us from proving its worth is our politicians’ shortsightedness. The world energy industry is worth trillions of dollars, divert just a tiny fraction of that into researching fusion and we would soon know if it is workable.

Timely and authoritative, A Piece of the Sun is a rousing call-to-arms to seize this chance of avoiding the looming energy crisis.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jeffrey on April 27, 2015

An informative, if rather dry history of fusion research that asks in a roundabout way just what it will take to build a sun in a bottle. Like any technological advance of any significance, the answer is that it will require constant tinkering, lots of experimentation and, importantly, steady budget......more

Goodreads review by Marion on September 17, 2014

Interesting, but a pretty dry retelling of the modern history of fusion research.......more

Goodreads review by Lekan on February 01, 2020

A good history of the development of fusion energy, but could benefit from better organization as well as greater technical details. The book has the tone of an inexorable march toward certain fusion, led by key scientists and regular progress, and only lack of funding and political will is holding u......more

Goodreads review by STEPHEN on August 11, 2023

XXXXX THE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT ENERGY SOURCE XXXXX "We owe everything to [nuclear] fusion. Our own sun and every star that shines in the night sky are powered by fusion. Without it, the Cosmos would be dark, cold, and lifeless. Fusion fills the Universe with light and heat, and allows life to happ......more

Goodreads review by Collin on May 23, 2024

"We owe everything to fusion. Our own sun and every star that shines in the night sky are powered by fusion. Without it, the cosmos would be dark, cold, and lifeless. Fusion fills the universe with light and heat, and allows life to happen on earth and probably elsewhere. The Earth itself, the air w......more