How the World Really Works

The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going

By: Vaclav Smil

Narrated by: Stephen Perring

Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“A new masterpiece from one of my favorite authors… [How The World Really Works] is a compelling and highly readable book that leaves readers with the fundamental grounding needed to help solve the world’s toughest challenges.”—Bill Gates

“Provocative but perceptive . . . You can agree or disagree with Smil—accept or doubt his ‘just the facts’ posture—but you probably shouldn’t ignore him.”—The Washington Post

An essential analysis of the modern science and technology that makes our twenty-first century lives possible—a scientist's investigation into what science really does, and does not, accomplish.

We have never had so much information at our fingertips and yet most of us don’t know how the world really works. This book explains seven of the most fundamental realities governing our survival and prosperity. From energy and food production, through our material world and its globalization, to risks, our environment and its future, How the World Really Works 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 globalization isn’t inevitable—the foolishness of allowing 70 per cent of the world’s rubber gloves to be made in just one factory became glaringly obvious in 2020—and that our societies have been steadily increasing their dependence on fossil fuels, such that any promises of decarbonization by 2050 are a fairy tale. For example, each greenhouse-grown supermarket-bought tomato has the equivalent of five tablespoons of diesel embedded in its production, and we have no way of producing steel, cement or plastics at required scales without huge carbon emissions.

Ultimately, Smil answers the most profound question of our age: are we irrevocably doomed or is a brighter utopia ahead? Compelling, data-rich and revisionist, this wonderfully broad, interdisciplinary guide finds faults with both extremes. Looking at the world through this quantitative lens reveals hidden truths that change the way we see our past, present and uncertain future.

©2022 Vaclav Smil (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A scientific panorama of our well-being and how it can be sustained in our current tumultuous times and beyond. [Smil] aims to combat the widespread “comprehension deficit” about basic scientific facts, and he seeks to “explain some of the most fundamental ruling realities governing our survival and our prosperity.” That aim is marvelously achieved…[this is] an exceptionally lucid, evenhanded study of the scientific basis of our current and future lives.”–Kirkus, STARRED review

quite good and interesting until

he made proclamations about how it is not possible to reasonably predict the future and then goes about unreasonably predicting the future. he also is adamant about not paying attention to other scientific literature, which is unfortunate that he has chosen to ignore well received literature and science to promote his own limited understanding of the world based on, quite honestly, just numbers.

Attention to detail

This book is a huge attempt to help the reader understand the complexity of everything that is going on. The first few chapters are really hard to get into but the second half of the book is really a masterpiece on how to understand what really is a complex issue and make sense to the reader. The reader must totally concentrate to understand where the author is headed. Do not get discouraged with the first half but make sure you make it to the end. It should be a classic read

Excellent Book

This excellent book is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand where we are today, where we've been, and a framework for his to think about where we're headed.

Smil makes you appreciate how many of the assertions and projections you encounter in 2022 lack a grounding in data and basic analysis.

Too fast - I preferred the hard copy

This was read far too fast. I recommend just reading the physical book. Very good though!!

A very detailed and informative piece of work - very well done.

A very detailed and informative piece of work - very well done.
Facts and details articulated clearly and so important for all to be aware of.

Worrying about the wrong things

Clear fact’s backed up with historical statistics. Easy to understand. In same category as FActfulness

The content is very superficial for insightful readers

I am not fond of this book as most of its content you have learnt from your high school and daily newspaper. Not too much ins

It is very important to be confronted with data!!!

Opinions only matter if data corroborate them. To understand a subject, you need to go deep and thisbis what this book allow us tondo.

An interesting description of the systems that make up the current world / economy

I liked the informative descriptions of the key systems (energy, food, building materials, etc) that make up modern society. I also enjoyed the critique of the utopian and cataclysmic forecasts at the end of the book.

Warning, if you are a climate fundamentalist, this book is not for you. While agreeing wholly with the idea of anthropogenic climate change, the author challenges some predictions of climate catastrophe and simplistic, wishful thinking surrounding proposed solutions. If you don’t like challenges to orthodoxy stay away from this book!

Very interesting book

If you like data and statistics, this is a very interesting book, letting you know how the world works, letting you know facts, and letting you make your own decisions about things