Introduction
In many ways, Vaclav Smil’s Energy in World History is indispensable for those wanting a better understanding of the changing relationship between human society and energy. Yet, his account is not without its shortcomings. For example, as I have addressed elsewhere, Smil neglects the role of international forces, such as imperialism, in fashioning energy use. Nevertheless, this is not the only oversight in Energy in World History. This article will briefly address how Smil also misrepresents the roles of urbanization and gender in a history on energy.
Continue reading ‘Urbanization, Gender and Energy in World History’
