Vaclav Smil

Delightfully contrarian, this is the one book you need to read to understand our modern world. We have never had so much information at our fingertips and yet most of us don't know how the world really works. How the World Really Works explains seven of the most fundamental realities governing our survival and prosperity. From energy and food production,...

A myth-busting book about how the world produces and consumes its food and how to do so without killing the planet. In this ambitious, myth-busting book, leading scientist and internationally bestselling author Vaclav Smil investigates many of the burning questions facing the world today: Why are some of the world's biggest food producers also the countries with the most undernourished...

In Numbers Don't Lie, renowned scientist and polymath Vaclav Smil embarks on an enlightening journey to uncover the hidden truths behind everyday questions and global phenomena. From the perceived dangers of air travel to the collective weight of the world's cattle, Smil delves into the facts and figures that shape our understanding of reality. Through meticulous data analysis, he illuminates...

Immerse yourself in the comprehensive exploration of growth's omnipresent force in the world with Growth by Vaclav Smil. Esteemed by influential figures such as Bill Gates, Smil guides readers through a journey that encompasses the unspoken and explicit aims of growth that shape our very existence. Through an extensive and methodical inquiry, Growth investigates the phenomenon from its microscopic origins...

In Invention and Innovation by Vaclav Smil, readers are taken on a compelling journey through the annals of human ingenuity, exploring the ebbs and flows of discoveries and advancements that have shaped our world. Smil, a prolific author and renowned thinker, offers a meticulously researched narrative that is both thought-provoking and deeply insightful. The book dissects the lifecycle of inventions,...

A mind-expanding exploration of size, the measure of all things, from the New York Times bestselling author. The New York Times bestselling author returns with a mind-opening exploration of how size defines life on Earth. Explaining the key processes shaping size in nature, society, and technology, Smil busts myths around proportions— from bodies to paintings and the so-called golden ratio—tells...

A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel-driven civilization. "I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for the next 'Star Wars' movie. In his latest book, Energy and Civilization: A History, he goes deep and broad to explain how innovations in humans' ability to turn...

From the New York Times-bestselling author, a new volume on the history of human ingenuity—and its attendant breakthroughs and busts. Included in BILL GATES's 2023 Holiday Reading List Included in Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2023 Included in The Next Big Idea Club's February 2023 Must-Read Books "Every Smil book that I own is marked up with lots of...

How to Feed the World is a myth-busting book about how the world produces and consumes its food, and how to do so without killing the planet. In this ambitious, myth-busting book, leading scientist and internationally bestselling author Vaclav Smil investigates many of the burning questions facing the world today. Why are some of the world's biggest food producers also...

Prepare to view the world through a new lens - Speed - a groundbreaking exploration that challenges your perceptions of life's driving force, from the internationally bestselling author. Explore how speed influences every aspect of life on Earth, from the slow grind of geological processes and the fleeting lifespans of organisms to the astonishing speed of light and the remarkable...

With his famous equation, E=mc2, Einstein showed us that all matter can be described as energy. It is everywhere; it is everything. In this engaging introduction, renowned author and scientist Vaclav Smil covers a wide range of topics, from the inner workings of the human body to the race for more efficient and eco-friendly fuels. Shedding light on the science...

Meat eating is often a contentious subject, whether considering the technical, ethical, environmental, political, or health-related aspects of production and consumption. This book is a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary examination and critique of meat consumption by humans, throughout their evolution and around the world. Setting the scene with a chapter on meat’s role in human evolution and its growing influence during...

Prepare to view the world through a new lens - Speed - a groundbreaking exploration that challenges your perceptions of life's driving force, from the internationally bestselling author. 'There is no author whose books I look forward to more' Bill Gates 'There is perhaps no other academic who paints pictures with numbers like Smil' Guardian Discover how speed shapes life...

World-renowned scientist Vaclav Smil examines a critical topic in the research and policy domain of sustainable resource use. Over the course of time, the modern world has become dependent on unprecedented flows of materials. Now even the most efficient production processes and the highest practical rates of recycling may not be enough to result in dematerialization rates that would be...