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How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going by Vaclav Smil
adellama_05's review against another edition
4.0
Explains total human energy, resource and material use so the numbers make sense. Talks about how relied we are upon fossil fuels, in terms of food, materials.
Points out that forecasts in global trends are almost always wrong, and that the world will mostly change slower than before, not faster, in many physical areas because of the sheer scale and inertia of big systems, which is convincingly a more-accurate-than-most way of looking at global change. This book is well worth a read to most of us, even if it's just for the history covered on the past innovations regarding energy, food production, globalisation and two other topics.
Points out that forecasts in global trends are almost always wrong, and that the world will mostly change slower than before, not faster, in many physical areas because of the sheer scale and inertia of big systems, which is convincingly a more-accurate-than-most way of looking at global change. This book is well worth a read to most of us, even if it's just for the history covered on the past innovations regarding energy, food production, globalisation and two other topics.
rafaelalv's review against another edition
This book is a punch in the face to neoliberals, good thing I’m not one. Basically he’s saying ‘the world is complex, science will not have an exponention boom like it did in the industrial revolution don’t even dream about it’; and honestly I agree 100%. However, this book was written by an old european scientist, so his premise isn’t shocking to me since I already know ‘eco-firendly capitalism’ is bullshit, thanks.
It could be a good book to understand industries better, based on the material realities of our world; or as data ammunition againts technoidealism. I did not finish it because I am not in the mood for technology talks, I’m looking for other type of solutions, but maybe I could finish it later in the future.
michalhaman's review against another edition
3.0
Veľmi dobré časti knihy o produkcii elektrickej energie, či závislosti na 4 top dôležitých materiáloch dneška. Menej záživné časti boli o riskoch či globalizácii.
Fakty z knihy dajú trochu reality do pohľadu na to ako rýchlo vieme dekarbonizovať našu spoločnosť. A že moc rýchlo teda nie a nie je to len o produkcii elektriny či lietaní lietadlami. Ale napríklad aj o tom, ako pestujeme a prevážame jedlo.
Celkovo fajn, ale tak polovicu knihy by som preškrtal a premazal len k tomu podstatnému.
Fakty z knihy dajú trochu reality do pohľadu na to ako rýchlo vieme dekarbonizovať našu spoločnosť. A že moc rýchlo teda nie a nie je to len o produkcii elektriny či lietaní lietadlami. Ale napríklad aj o tom, ako pestujeme a prevážame jedlo.
Celkovo fajn, ale tak polovicu knihy by som preškrtal a premazal len k tomu podstatnému.
adelinad's review against another edition
Very little storytelling, very many facts.