Since earliest times, people have created tools and machines to provide shelter, warmth, security, and protection from disease. This book looks at the inventions that transformed the production of heat, light, and motion, including how water, fossil fuels, and electricity were harnessed to fuel the development of the modern world. With growing concerns about fossil fuels and their effects on the climate, this book also examines alternative ways of driving the planet, including the use of wind and solar power.