Menu
How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We’re Going
Next in the queue
51
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
44/100Critics
15/100Scholars
93/100Author:
Vaclav Smil
Publisher:
Viking
Date:
May 10, 2022
An analysis of the modern science and technology that makes our twenty-first century lives possibleâa scientist's investigation into what science really does, and does not, accomplish.
What The Reviewers Say
[Smil's] painstaking research on subjects too technical (or mundane) for most professional historians makes him an indispensable resource for understanding how the modern world came into being.
In his zeal to make his argument, Smil can over-reach ...This is a shame, because it detracts from a central argument that is undeniable: for all the vows that countries and companies are making to ditch fossil energy and reach net zero emissions by 2050, progress outside electricity generation has been achingly slow.
In short order Smil summarizes the history of global energy, food, material production and trade. (Smil has dedicated books to each subject.) Salient details emerge.
While not sanguine about climate warming, Smil equally dismisses predictions of catastrophe and technology-driven salvation, providing an information-dense presentation that will benefit open-minded readers engaged with climate and energy issues..
