Maximum Power is a synthesis of the creative genius of Howard Thomas Odum as seen through his own words and those of his students, many of whom are now applying his ideas to the world in diverse ways. Offering the holistic, system-oriented thinking of Odum, this in-depth volume examines the interrelationship of humans and nature by integrating environment, energy, and economics.   Maximum Power traces the development of Odum's ideas with the objective of providing the conceptual and research history that has led to Odum's far-reaching ideas about making social decisions. The volume is organized along the chronological path that Odum himself followed, from ecology to ecological engineering to ecological economics to his controversial synthesis called "emergy analysis." The writings of fifty scientists from a wide range of disciplines are grouped into five sections: The Contributions of H.T. Odum to Subdisciplines of Ecology, Environmental Management and Engineering, H.T. Odum and Economics, Education, and Personal Memoirs.