How the World Really Works. Our Past, Present, and Future Through the Eyes of a Scientist
19.99 €
Out of stock
How the World Really Works. Our Past, Present, and Future Through the Eyes of a Scientist
19.99 €
Our lives today are oversaturated with information, yet most people are still unaware of how our world really works. This book covers major topics related to ensuring our survival and well-being: energy, food production, essential durable materials, globalization, risk assessment, the environment, and human suffocation. Finding effective solutions to problems requires an examination of the facts - we learn, for example, that globalization was not inevitable and that our society is increasingly dependent on fossil fuels, so any promises of decarbonization by 2050 are nothing more than a fairy tale. That it takes the energy equivalent of five tablespoons of diesel for every tomato grown in a greenhouse, and that we know of no ways to mass-produce steel, cement and plastic that don't leave a gigantic carbon footprint. In addition, Canadian scientist, ecologist and political scientist Vaclav Smil, renowned for his work on the relationship of energy to ecology, demography and realpolitik, as well as for his masterful handling of large amounts of statistical data, seeks an answer to the most important question of our time: is humanity doomed to perish, or is a happy new world waiting for us? Persuasive, data-rich, unconventional, and characterized by a broad interdisciplinary perspective, this book rejects both extremes. A quantitative view of the world reveals truths that change the way we think about the past, the present, and the uncertain future.
See also:
- All books by the publisher
- All books by the author
- All books in the series Man Thinking. Ideas