This bold and controversial argument shows why energy transitions are inherently complex and prolonged affairs, and how ignoring this fact raises unrealistic expectations that the United States and other global economies can be weaned quickly from a primary dependency on fossil fuels.• Includes case studies of energy transitions in eight nations• Presents graphs of energy transitions on global and national scales, showing both common features and idiosyncratic patterns• Features photographs of the containment vessel of America's first nuclear reactor and of a stationary gas turbine• Provides a thorough bibliography