Abstract :
David Nye\´s newest book, When the Lights Went Out, is an examination of how the role of blackouts in America has evolved from a minor inconvenience to a potential terrorist plot. He contends that blackouts are a "break in the flow of social time" that reveal fundamental truths about the socioeconomic climate and the role of electricity in our lives. However, his concluding chapter on voluntary "greenouts" feels half-hearted without a discussion of technology-focused initiatives such as smart grid to improve grid reliability and encourage efficiency.
