---
product_id: 41278541
title: "Energy: A Beginner's Guide"
price: "R513"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/41278541-energy-a-beginners-guide
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# Energy: A Beginner's Guide

**Price:** R513
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Energy: A Beginner's Guide
- **How much does it cost?** R513 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/41278541-energy-a-beginners-guide)

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- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
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## Description

Energy: A Beginner's Guide [Smil, Vaclav] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Energy: A Beginner's Guide

Review: Great book, I was left wanting more. - Very informative book. However I'm left wondering the actual energy cost to build and maintain and strategies to dispose of all these alternative resources. I am always looking for more information on that. I felt the book touches it but does not supply a satisfactory answer. That makes me more curious to find out more. I have read many of his books and they are all substantial and well substantiated, and complementary in many aspects. I trust Vaclav immensely and hope he can delve more into those aspects on one of his new books.
Review: Good overview - The writing was straight forward and the historical overview of energy sources was interesting. The evaluation of future energy sources is limited to current knowledge as it only can be. However what was not addressed was the impact on demand for natural resources required by developing technologies. Such as, the quantities of steel, concrete, copper, rare earths, lithium and others. I believe limits on key natural resources will be the limiting factor on any of the developing energy technologies.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #452,161 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #2 in Natural Resources (Books) #4 in Oil & Energy Industry (Books) #325 in Environmental Economics (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 942 Reviews |

## Images

![Energy: A Beginner's Guide - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81YJWAeCCrL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great book, I was left wanting more.
*by A***R on February 3, 2023*

Very informative book. However I'm left wondering the actual energy cost to build and maintain and strategies to dispose of all these alternative resources. I am always looking for more information on that. I felt the book touches it but does not supply a satisfactory answer. That makes me more curious to find out more. I have read many of his books and they are all substantial and well substantiated, and complementary in many aspects. I trust Vaclav immensely and hope he can delve more into those aspects on one of his new books.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good overview
*by A***R on February 3, 2023*

The writing was straight forward and the historical overview of energy sources was interesting. The evaluation of future energy sources is limited to current knowledge as it only can be. However what was not addressed was the impact on demand for natural resources required by developing technologies. Such as, the quantities of steel, concrete, copper, rare earths, lithium and others. I believe limits on key natural resources will be the limiting factor on any of the developing energy technologies.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great survey of the subject
*by C***N on January 13, 2021*

This is my first book by Vaclav Smil. I had heard great things about him, and I was not disappointed. The book is a very detailed short introduction to the topic of energy. My only complaint is that the book is a little dry. Apart from that it is very much worth your time.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Energy: A Beginner's Guide (Beginner's Guides)
- Energy and Civilization: A History (Mit Press)
- Oil: A Beginner's Guide (Beginner's Guides)

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-05-19*