How the world really works : the science behind how we got here and where we're going
(Adult Book)

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Published
[New York] : Viking, 2022.
Format
Adult Book
Edition
First North American edition.
ISBN
9780593297063 :, 0593297067
Physical Desc
326 pages ; 24 cm.
Status

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LocationCall NumberStatusDue Date
Non-Fiction (Adult) - Non-Fiction Shelves303.483 S65 2022Checked OutApril 4, 2024

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More Details

Published
[New York] : Viking, 2022.
Edition
First North American edition.
Language
English
ISBN
9780593297063 :, 0593297067

Notes

General Note
"First published in hardcover in Great Britain by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House Ltd., London, in 2022."
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-306) and index.
Description
"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 material world and its globalization, to risks, our environment and its future, How the World Really Works offers a much-needed reality check--because before we can tackle problems effectively, we must understand the facts. In this ambitious and thought-provoking book we see, for example, that globalization isn't inevitable--the foolishness of allowing 70 per cent of the world's rubber gloves to be made in just one factory became glaringly obvious in 2020--and that our societies have been steadily increasing their dependence on fossil fuels, such that any promises of decarbonization by 2050 are a fairy tale. For example, each greenhouse-grown supermarket-bought tomato has the equivalent of five tablespoons of diesel embedded in its production, and we have no way of producing steel, cement or plastics at required scales without huge carbon emissions. Ultimately, Smil answers the most profound question of our age: are we irrevocably doomed or is a brighter utopia ahead? Compelling, data-rich and revisionist, this wonderfully broad, interdisciplinary guide findsfaults with both extremes. Looking at the world through this quantitative lens reveals hidden truths that change the way we see our past, present and uncertain future"--Publisher.

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Smil, V. (2022). How the world really works: the science behind how we got here and where we're going (First North American edition.). Viking.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Smil, Vaclav. 2022. How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going. Viking.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Smil, Vaclav. How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going Viking, 2022.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Smil, Vaclav. How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going First North American edition., Viking, 2022.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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