Nonfiction

How the World Really Works: A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, Present and Future

How the World Really Works: A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, Present and Future

  • Downloads：2818
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-04-26 03:19:43
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Vaclav Smil
  • ISBN：B09FC3D9ZQ
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Reddle ，

Kinda generic for a vaclav book， but since his other books are in-depth this book could be enjoyable for the lay person。

Brad Henderson ，

The title， which comes across as a bit arrogant， really sums up the book for me。 There was little I learned because the coverage of most topics was superficial。 The author injects a lot of vitriol and opinionated statements which detract from his essential message。 Nevertheless， there is little to fault with his assessment of the topics。 However， the presentation and style I did not care for。

Avi Roy ，

The book is an antidote to the unbridled techno-optimism and the cynical environmental doom offered by dogmatic experts on social media。 Vaclav Smil has always been a detail-oriented thinker and writer， and his books have been dense volumes filled with every tidbit of information about the subject matter covered。 However， in this book， he simplifies his previous research into seven easily digestible chapters that allow us to think about the future rationally while avoiding hyperbole and bias。 I The book is an antidote to the unbridled techno-optimism and the cynical environmental doom offered by dogmatic experts on social media。 Vaclav Smil has always been a detail-oriented thinker and writer， and his books have been dense volumes filled with every tidbit of information about the subject matter covered。 However， in this book， he simplifies his previous research into seven easily digestible chapters that allow us to think about the future rationally while avoiding hyperbole and bias。 I highly recommend it。 。。。more

Ludmil ，

End of the "carbon neutral" and other similar religions。 Wow。 Sobering。 End of the "carbon neutral" and other similar religions。 Wow。 Sobering。 。。。more

Ian Lea ，

Fascinating as ever from Vaclav Smil。 A lot of numbers， also as ever， but clear and logical and important。 Facts， logic， sense。

Vivekanand Mishra ，

It confirmed many things I have been exposed to in the recent past。 I could not decide whether this book is part of my echo chamber or just another person predicting the myriad was in which the world as we know it is about to end。

Rudi Pauwelijn ，

Ik zou het boek zeker aanraden om de schrijversblik op de wereldzaken ， hoewel ik het niet met alle bevindingen eens ben ， het boek is ook regelmatig voorzien van cijfers en procenten om het wat in perspectief te plaatsen ， ik vond de cijfers leuk om zelf （ proberen ） conclusies te trekken ， zo zouden er epidemieën geweest zijn in 1918 ， 1957 ， 1968 ， 2009 ， en 2020 of dit klopt weet ik niet maar ik zie een patroon。 40j。， 10j ， 40 j ， 10j zou dan mathematisch 2060 worden ， Ik ben het wel met de Ik zou het boek zeker aanraden om de schrijversblik op de wereldzaken ， hoewel ik het niet met alle bevindingen eens ben ， het boek is ook regelmatig voorzien van cijfers en procenten om het wat in perspectief te plaatsen ， ik vond de cijfers leuk om zelf （ proberen ） conclusies te trekken ， zo zouden er epidemieën geweest zijn in 1918 ， 1957 ， 1968 ， 2009 ， en 2020 of dit klopt weet ik niet maar ik zie een patroon。 40j。， 10j ， 40 j ， 10j zou dan mathematisch 2060 worden ， Ik ben het wel met de nuchtere schrijver eens dat toekomst voorspellingen moeilijk zijn ， 。。。more

Benny ，

Vaclav Smil is a realist。 When most people talk about carbon neutrality， what they have in mind is that the electricity grid of a country will be powered by mostly energy from renewable sources。 However， the production of the four pillars of our material world - food， plastic， steel and concrete - requires a large energy input， which can only be powered by fuel and natural gas。 Unless we come to major breakthroughs in how we produce these necessities， the carbon footprint of our modern world wil Vaclav Smil is a realist。 When most people talk about carbon neutrality， what they have in mind is that the electricity grid of a country will be powered by mostly energy from renewable sources。 However， the production of the four pillars of our material world - food， plastic， steel and concrete - requires a large energy input， which can only be powered by fuel and natural gas。 Unless we come to major breakthroughs in how we produce these necessities， the carbon footprint of our modern world will continue to stay stubbornly high。 。。。more

Imaduddin Ahmed ，

Not a cohesive piece of writing。

Michiel ，

Understanding the world for realists: Smil explains energy， food， materials， environment and risks by keeping track of the quantities involved。

Ryan ，

I learned a great deal， and the narration was good。 Well done。

Duy ，

Sách nói về sự vận hành nói chung của đời sống con người hiện đại （sản xuất lương thực， năng lượng， thông tin。。。）。 Đọc để có cái nhìn toàn cảnh， và cũng để biết một số hứa hẹn như 'năng lượng tái tạo' có thực sự khả thi hay không。Nhưng mình không thích thái độ coi thường người khác của ông này。 Ví dụ， khi một số người không phải chuyên gia khen ngợi các chính sách năng lượng sạch， tác giả mỉa mai những người đó và cho rằng họ 'đột nhiên trở thành chuyên gia trong lĩnh vực'。 Mk。 Trong khi ông này Sách nói về sự vận hành nói chung của đời sống con người hiện đại （sản xuất lương thực， năng lượng， thông tin。。。）。 Đọc để có cái nhìn toàn cảnh， và cũng để biết một số hứa hẹn như 'năng lượng tái tạo' có thực sự khả thi hay không。Nhưng mình không thích thái độ coi thường người khác của ông này。 Ví dụ， khi một số người không phải chuyên gia khen ngợi các chính sách năng lượng sạch， tác giả mỉa mai những người đó và cho rằng họ 'đột nhiên trở thành chuyên gia trong lĩnh vực'。 Mk。 Trong khi ông này đang viết về một cuốn sách rất chung chung đả động tới tất cả mọi thứ， thế chẳng phải giờ ổng cũng 'đột nhiên trở thành chuyên gia trong mọi lĩnh vực' à。 Ghét mấy lão kiểu này。Lại có một đoạn khi viết về biến đổi khí hậu （nóng lên toàn cầu）， ổng viết đại loại: hiện tượng nóng lên toàn cầu đã được biết từ cả thế kỷ trước。 Các nghiên cứu trong thế kỷ vừa qua không đóng góp được gì nhiều lắm。 Mk。 Đúng là xúc phạm hàng trăm hàng ngàn nhà khoa học。 Nội dung sách ok （có lẽ vì phạm vi nội dung quá lớn nên muốn viết dở cũng không được）， nhưng thái độ của tác giả thì m。。。 。。。more

frances hawker ，

definitely worth reading A sobering account of how global politics and human behaviour are constraining our efforts to deal with future problems，especially climate change。

Kalyan Turaga ，

Same as his old books。 Vaclav is good at numbers， he connects the numbers and constructs a narrative; at the end of the day its a statistics book masqueraded as a coherent english book。 Is the book interesting NOWill you read this book again NOWhy did you pick this book in first place？ It's near to my topic of interest and I did not have good choices in the library。 Same as his old books。 Vaclav is good at numbers， he connects the numbers and constructs a narrative; at the end of the day its a statistics book masqueraded as a coherent english book。 Is the book interesting NOWill you read this book again NOWhy did you pick this book in first place？ It's near to my topic of interest and I did not have good choices in the library。 。。。more

Froggarana ，

We eat oilmodern agriculture is a method of converting fossil fuel oil to fooda very small number of people have been saying this for decadesan even smaller number of people have been trying to do something about it。At some point in the future humans are going to be forced into action or starve。

Rosa Whiteley ，

meh