John Bryant
This book is a voyage of exploration among the connections between economics and the science of energy - thermodynamics. Readers are taken through progressive scenes illustrating how entropy impacts on every part of the world in which we live, and through a history of economic development to the present day. The central part of the book deals with how economic topics such as production, consumption, money, employment, resources and growth, mimic thermodynamic processes, backed up by some real numbers to go with the theory. A major part of the book is devoted to analysis, over half a century, of many of the world’s key renewable and non-renewable resources, from water, soil, foods and minerals to all forms of energy, coupled with a look at climate change. The book concludes with an assessment of the main factors that will impact on human economic development and on sustainability over the coming decades. John Bryant is an economist, engineer and expert witness, with a business, consulting and research background spanning five decades, including working for several of the world’s leading technology corporations. 3
