Everything around us depends on energy and power. The Sun's energy makes life possible. The machines that make and transport the foods we eat require energy to work, as do the vehicles in which we move around. This book looks at the inventions that transformed the production of heat, light, and motion, including how water, fossil fuels, and electricity were harnessed. With growing concerns about the exhaustion of fossil fuels—and their effects on the climate—the book also examines alternative ways to drive the planet, including solar power.