Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 1 edition (September 29, 1999)
ISBN: 0471644218 In-Print Editions: Paperback
Hardcover: 288 pages
Dimensions (in inches): 0.93 x 9.24 x 6.25
by Philip S. Wenz, Editor/Publisher
A hand full of people can change the world, and, indeed, they often
have. Sadly history can only give those changes negative, or mixed
reviews. The Russian Revolution comes to mind, or the little cadre
of people that turned the democratic Weimar Republic into the Third
Riech. For the industrial revolution side there was Henry Ford who
gave us wheels but also, indirectly gave us sprawl, global warming
and endless conflict over oil.
Thanks to a handful of visionary engineers and businessmen, the
planet is about to undergo a change that is perhaps more profound
than that of all those wrought by the innovators above put together–and
far more positive. Led by Canadian geophysicist-turned-engineer
Geoffrey Ballard, the team took an almost- forgotten Hydrogen
Fuel Cell (HFC) technology and turned it into the engine that
will soon dominate the transportation industry. Powering the Future
is the story of those visionaries and their two-decade struggle–equipped
and capitalized, often, with little more than raw guts and determination–to
keep their business running while overcoming the technological barriers
that had caused dozens of alternative fuel engines to be stillborn.
The book is instructive not just because it describes the "alternative,"
fuel cell technology, which will soon become the mainstream technology,
but also describes the alternative business atmosphere created by
Ballard and his associates that encouraged innovation and almost
fanatical devotion to the company’s mission. It is the story
of engineers and technologists working through many a night and
weekend, and often taking home just a portion of their paychecks.
It is the story of the triumph of delegation and democracy over
centralization and bureaucracy in business. It is also the story
of people–full of antidotes, jokes and life. Finally, it is
the story of success against incredible odds–truly free enterprise
at its best.
Ballard’s first lab was a deserted motel on the Mexican-American
border he bought for $2,000 and remodeled into a research facility.
By the time he retired from the multi-million dollar Canadian company
that bears his name, and holds a number of fundamental patents for
fuel cells and other innovative technologies, Ballard Fuel Cells
had partnered with Ford and Dalmier-Chrysler. Both automotive giants
plan to put commercial HFC cars in the showroom and on the road
by the end of this decade. As the principle manufacturer of the
equipment for powering tomorrow’s vehicles, Ballard has positioned
itself to be the Intel of the transportation industry.
Powering the future is not only a good read, it is an inspiration
for beleaguered designers struggling to bring their own gift to
the world.
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