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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
A good book about the fraying grid and future-possible grid in America. It isn’t necessarily earth shattering, but is eye opening. 3 stars because I think it is in need of an update or second edition now, is a bit repetitive, and I think the book is a little too harsh on nuclear. While I think a fully decentralized grid and virtual power plants would be great, I can’t help but feel it is unlikely to happen with current energy policy in America. However, it doesn’t hurt to dream!
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
A fantastic and very accessible overview of an incredibly complex subject. I picked up this book with absolutely no knowledge of the grid, and I'm coming out with a much better idea of where our grid has been, and where it needs to go in the future. The prose can be a bit dense at times, but that is to be expected given the nature of the book, and for the most part Bakke's writing is incredibly clear and occasionally even beautiful. I was slightly irked by the grammatical errors and typos that popped up pretty consistently throughout the story, but reading through the acknowledgments, I noticed that Bakke refers to the book having multiple editors, which probably accounts for these mistakes. Despite that, I found this to be a fascinating and very informative read. Highly recommend.
A very interesting history and look ahead for the energy grid of America. The history portion is a wide overview, but the author does provide clarity on how we got to the grid of today. There isn't a magic wand or singular solution to improving it. Rather, a patchwork of solutions that need to interconnect.
The stories are interesting, as is the analysis. The solution side was primarily using electric car batteries to help even out the grid during peak times. Or be your own nano grid (I like that idea). The author does ramble a bit and repeat herself every few pages. I feel it would be better to dig deeper into the grid resiliency efforts and how families can insulate themselves from the ever increasing power outages as the grid ages and demand rises.
The stories are interesting, as is the analysis. The solution side was primarily using electric car batteries to help even out the grid during peak times. Or be your own nano grid (I like that idea). The author does ramble a bit and repeat herself every few pages. I feel it would be better to dig deeper into the grid resiliency efforts and how families can insulate themselves from the ever increasing power outages as the grid ages and demand rises.
informative
medium-paced
I have a hard time reviewing this book. It's an incredibly important topic, that isn't as thoroughly investigate as it should be. While I admire the task that Bakke undertook in writing this book,it just doesn't go into the detail I feel it could have used.
Bakke does a great job investigating the human and technological side of the Grid, diving into the history of it's inception and the various laws that have affected it since then. She provides good insight into why the system is the way it is, and why it is so hard to change. Bakke spends a good deal of time stating why we can't just start installing renewable energy everywhere at the speeds we'd like considering the technology as it stands and the political barriers we encounter. She clearly went through great pains to find relatable stories to highlight the struggles across the nation. There are great anecdotes about the smart grid, and tons of small stories about power outages unearthed in this book.
However, I feel like better editing could have helped bring out the best that this book has to offer. Without a really clear motive, beyond informing the public about the nature of our energy system, a lot of the book meanders. There isn't a clear chronological outline, nor do the themes of each section standout. Ultimately, the conclusion suffers because it all feels like it boils down to "this is a big mess, and we can't just start from scratch". If a little more focus was brought to each section, and a little more purpose brought to each chapter, this book could have gone a lot further to educate the reader on the Grid.
Instead I feel slightly more educated about a subject I'm greatly interested in without much of a direction on how to fix it. Just that it needs to be fixed, and it's going to take a lot of effort.
I recommend this book to people who have an interest in the subject, but barely any knowledge of it. More enthusiastic people looking for a more dedicated book technically and politically will probably have to look elsewhere.
Bakke does a great job investigating the human and technological side of the Grid, diving into the history of it's inception and the various laws that have affected it since then. She provides good insight into why the system is the way it is, and why it is so hard to change. Bakke spends a good deal of time stating why we can't just start installing renewable energy everywhere at the speeds we'd like considering the technology as it stands and the political barriers we encounter. She clearly went through great pains to find relatable stories to highlight the struggles across the nation. There are great anecdotes about the smart grid, and tons of small stories about power outages unearthed in this book.
However, I feel like better editing could have helped bring out the best that this book has to offer. Without a really clear motive, beyond informing the public about the nature of our energy system, a lot of the book meanders. There isn't a clear chronological outline, nor do the themes of each section standout. Ultimately, the conclusion suffers because it all feels like it boils down to "this is a big mess, and we can't just start from scratch". If a little more focus was brought to each section, and a little more purpose brought to each chapter, this book could have gone a lot further to educate the reader on the Grid.
Instead I feel slightly more educated about a subject I'm greatly interested in without much of a direction on how to fix it. Just that it needs to be fixed, and it's going to take a lot of effort.
I recommend this book to people who have an interest in the subject, but barely any knowledge of it. More enthusiastic people looking for a more dedicated book technically and politically will probably have to look elsewhere.
Amazingly both approachable and engaging enough to be beginner-friendly and technically deep enough to be a valuable contribution to the conversation
informative
reflective
medium-paced