Given that humans must give up fossil fuels--the ecological equivalent of a self-destructive addiction--alternatives are urgently needed. This book covers state-of-the-art methods of biomass conversion that may go some way to plugging the energy gap.

The consumption of petroleum has surged during the 20th century, at least partially because of the rise of the automobile industry. Today, fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas provide more than three quarters of the world's energy. Unfortunately, the growing demand for fossil fuel resources comes at a time of diminishing reserves of these nonrenewable resources. The worldwide reserves of oil are sufficient to supply energy and chemicals for only about another 40 years, causing widening concerns about rising oil prices. The use of biomass to produce energy is only one form of...