Books in The World Transformed series

Just before dawn on July 16, 1945, U.S. scientists conducted a test that would change the world forever. They stood in awe as a bright flash of light exploded into a ball of fire, illuminating the New Mexico desert and destroying all life within a mile of the blast. This successful test of the first atomic bomb ushered the world into the nuclear age. The United States used this new bomb to destroy the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. Today other countries have developed their own atomic bombs, and the bombs' fearsome power continues to shape our world.

The world runs on oil. It powers our cars and heats and cools our homes. It is in the plastic in our ballpoint pens, our mobile phones, and our fleece jackets. Oil has created enormous wealth, but it has caused conflicts that have brought great suffering. Though oil has been in use for thousands of years, the oil industry as we know it is only about 150 years old. The development of that industry has transformed the world, making our lives easier and more comfortable. But because burning oil and other fossil fuels causes global warming, oil is also changing the world in ways that promise a less-rosy future.