How the World Actually Works. Our Past, Present, and Future Through the Eyes of a Scientist

Our lives today are overloaded with information, yet most people still do not know how our world actually works. This book sheds light on key themes related to ensuring our survival and well-being: energy, food production, essential durable materials, globalization, risk assessment, the environment, and human existence. Finding effective solutions to problems requires studying the facts – for example, we learn 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 fairy tales. That it takes energy equivalent to five tablespoons of diesel fuel to grow a single tomato in a greenhouse, and that we do not know of any methods for mass production of steel, cement, and plastic that would not leave a gigantic carbon footprint.
Additionally, Canadian scientist, ecologist, and political scientist Vaclav Smil, known for his work on the relationship between energy, ecology, demographics, and real politics, as well as his virtuoso ability to handle large amounts of statistical data, seeks to answer the most pressing question of our time: is humanity doomed to extinction or are we awaiting a bright new world?
This convincing, data-rich, unconventional book, distinguished by a broad interdisciplinary perspective, rejects both extremes. A quantitative view of the world unveils truths that change our relationship with the past, present, and uncertain future.
“I am neither a pessimist nor an optimist; I am a scientist trying to explain how the world actually works, and I will use this understanding to help us better comprehend future limitations and possibilities.” (Vaclav Smil)