Note: Intro -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Energy and Investments -- 1 Investments -- Reference -- 2 The Development of the Laws of Thermodynamics -- 2.1 The History of Our Understanding of Energy -- 2.2 Heat Energy -- 2.3 Developing the Laws of Thermodynamics -- 2.4 Understanding the Laws of Thermodynamics Today -- 2.5 Implications of the Second Law -- 2.6 The Second Law and Efficiencies -- Reference -- 3 About Energy -- 3.1 What Is Energy? -- 3.2 Biology -- 3.3 Quantity of Energy -- 3.4 Exergy and Emergy -- 3.5 Quality of Energy -- 3.6 Types of Energy -- 3.7 Energy Density -- 3.8 Power -- References -- 4 Energy and the Physical World -- 4.1 Main Sources of Energy on Earth -- 4.2 Hadley Cells -- 4.3 "Investments" by Nature -- 4.4 The Formation of Fossil Fuels -- 4.5 Oil -- 4.6 Natural Gas -- 4.7 Unconventional Petroleum: The Fracking Revolution -- 4.8 Coal -- References -- Energy and Biology -- 5 The Ecological Theater and the Evolutionary Play -- 5.1 Energy and Biology -- 5.2 Fuels -- 5.3 Metabolism -- References -- 6 Energy Return on Investment as Master Driver of Evolution -- 6.1 Darwinian Evolution -- 6.2 Fitness -- 6.3 What Determines the Distribution and Abundance of Species? -- 6.4 Energy as the Master Resource for Evolution -- 6.5 Energy Return on Investment as Master Driver -- 6.5.1 A Special Section for Fly Fishers -- 6.5.2 EROI and the Growth of Tits -- 6.6 Energy Return on Investment as the Means of Obtaining Darwinian Fitness -- References -- 7 Maximum Power and Biology -- 7.1 History -- 7.2 Maximum Power for One Process -- 7.3 Maximum Power for Systems -- 7.4 Proposals for Maximum Power Principle as the 4th Thermodynamic Law -- 7.5 Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Energy and Human Economies -- 8 Energy in Early Human Economies -- 8.1 Application to Our Early Ancestors -- 8.2 Hunter-Gatherers. , 8.3 Agriculture and Deforestation -- 8.4 Were Early Human Societies Sustainable? -- 8.5 Expense of Energy to Early Civilizations -- 8.6 EROI Analyses Over Very Long Periods of Time -- References -- 9 Fossil Fuels -- 9.1 Economic Implications of Fossil Fuels -- 9.2 Efficiency in Energy Use -- 9.3 Fossil Energy and Economics -- 9.4 The Role of BioPhysical Economics -- References -- 10 EROI and Industrial Economies -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Why Should EROI Change Over Time: Technology Versus Depletion -- 10.3 What We Know About EROI Values and Trends for Different Fuels -- References -- 11 Methods and Critiques for EROI Applied to Modern Fuels -- 11.1 How We Do EROI Analysis: More Detail -- 11.2 Energy Return Data -- 11.3 Energy Investment Data -- 11.3.1 National Energy Accounts of Direct Energy Used -- 11.3.2 National-Level Accounts for Capital Expenditures and Other Indirect Uses -- 11.3.3 Process Analysis -- 11.4 Quality Corrections -- 11.5 Estimating EROI at Point of Use -- 11.6 EROI of Obtaining Energy Through Trade -- 11.7 Methodological Issues, Problems and Criticisms of EROI -- 11.7.1 Criticisms of EROI Studies: Definitions -- 11.7.2 Differences in Results: Corn-Based Ethanol -- 11.7.3 Differences in Results: Photovoltaic Systems -- 11.7.4 Corrections for Energy Quality -- 11.7.5 Theoretical Versus Empirical Assessments of Electricity Output -- 11.7.6 Boundaries and Comprehensiveness of the Cost Assessments -- 11.7.7 Technological Changes Over Time -- 11.8 Other Issues That Need Consideration That Might Decrease the EROI of Solar Energy: Storage -- 11.9 Exponential Growth of Energy Production -- 11.10 Summary of Critiques -- 11.11 Further Issues in Comprehensiveness of EROI Analysis -- 11.12 Business Services and Taxes -- 11.13 Labor -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 12 The History, Future, and Implications of EROI for Society. , 12.1 Sustainability -- 12.2 Peak Oil: How Long Can We Depend on Oil and Other Fossil Fuels? -- 12.3 New Technologies to the Rescue? -- 12.4 EROI -- 12.5 What Level EROI Does Society Need? -- 12.6 Economic Impacts of Peak Oil and Decreasing EROI -- 12.6.1 Secular Stagnation -- 12.7 Developing Energy Policy -- References -- Index.