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How the World Really Works

A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, Present and Future
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( 11,812 ratings, 1,198 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil explores the fundamental systems that underpin modern society, including energy, food production, and global trade. The book provides insights into how these systems function and interconnect, offering a comprehensive overview of the forces shaping our world today.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are fascinated by the hidden mechanics behind modern life, are keen to explore how scientific principles shape our daily reality, or love connecting data and insights from a wide range of fields to understand the complexity of our world.

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How the World Really Works

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

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, through our material world and its globalisation, to risks, our environment, and its future, this book offers a much-needed reality check—because before we can tackle problems effectively, we must understand the facts.

In this ambitious and thought-provoking book, we see, for example, that globalisation isn't inevitable and that our societies have been steadily increasing their dependence on fossil fuels, making their complete and rapid elimination unlikely.

Vaclav Smil is neither a pessimist nor an optimist; he is a scientist. He is the world-leading expert on energy and an astonishing polymath. This is his magnum opus and a continuation of his quest to make facts matter.

Drawing on the latest science, including his own fascinating research, and tackling sources of misinformation head-on—from Yuval Noah Harari to Noam Chomsky—ultimately, Smil answers the most profound question of our age: are we irrevocably doomed, or is a brighter utopia ahead?

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil is praised for being informative and eye-opening, shedding light on the complexities and realities of the modern world. Reviews highlight its meticulous research, accessibility, and engaging writing style. It offers valuable insights into our resources consumption, the challenges of the green energy transition, and the uncertain future, making it a compelling and essential read.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241989678

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 October 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 240g

Pages: 336

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About the Author

Vaclav Smil is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba. He is the author of over forty books on topics including energy, environmental and population change, food production and nutrition, technical innovation, risk assessment, and public policy. No other living scientist has had more books (on a wide variety of topics) reviewed in Nature. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, in 2010 he was named by Foreign Policy as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers.

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