Energy is all around us. It lights homes, fuels cars, cooks food and connects people to their world, yet most spend little time thinking about where it comes from and how it gets to their lamps, televisions and cellphones.

But the world is at a turning point. Scientific consensus has concluded that humans – especially through a reliance on the fossil fuels used to produce energy – have contributed to the warming of the planet and that time is running out to avoid catastrophic effects. In his new book, "Energy: A Human History," Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Richard Rhodes explores the technological developments that drove the Industrial Revolution and created modern society – and that now may put it at risk.

Read more at US News.