Vaclav Smil

"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...

Un maestro de los datos y las estadísticas ofrece una visión del mundo tan sorprendente como iluminadora. ¿Es peligroso volar? ¿Qué es peor para el medioambiente, un coche o un móvil? ¿Cuánto pesan todas las vacas del mundo juntos y por qué ese dato importa? ¿Se puede medir la felicidad? La misión de Vaclav Smil es convencernos de que los hechos importan. Científico medioambiental, analistade políticas públicas y autor tremendamente...

"In Made in the USA, Vaclav Smil powerfully rebuts the notion that manufacturing is a relic of predigital history and that the loss of American manufacturing is a desirable evolutionary step toward a pure service economy. Smil argues that no advanced economy can prosper without a strong, innovative manufacturing sector and the jobs it creates. Reversing a famous information economy dictum, Smil argues that serving potato chips is not as good as making...

What makes a human society too big? What about a human being? Which alternative energy sources have the best chance of scaling and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels? Why do tall people make more money? What makes a face beautiful? How about a cathedral? How can changing the size of your plates help you lose weight? To answer the most important questions of our age, we must understand size. Neither bacteria nor empires are immune to its laws....