How the World Really Works

My understanding of how the world works has been greatly influenced by my study of economics. However, economists often make overly optimistic assumptions about technology and resources that are not grounded in fact and experience.

Smil's book on how the world really works is a powerful antidote to the wishful thinking of those, not just economists, who believe that technology will solve the problems of overshoot, poverty, inequality, conflict, and whatever else may be ailing us.

I love Smil's grasp of physical, biological, and technological fundamentals and his ability to communicate his wisdom about how the world really works simply… show more.

Numbers really matter if you are trying to understand how complex societies organize themselves. We would think very differently (or not at all!) if the planet's population was seven million, not seven billion. 

I really appreciate how Smil takes the big picture and then breaks it down into manageable bites with all-important numbers: where do we get our energy, where do we get our food, and what are the critical materials we need? That last topic may surprise you. He comes up with four: ammonia, cement, steel, and plastics. And ammonia tops the list for its impact on food production.… show more.

Climate change is a hot topic, and so many gurus start writing about it regardless of expertise.

By making extreme claims, backed by selectively-quoted evidence, they can attract attention. The prevailing narrative is that decarbonisation would be easy if we just stop focusing on profits. Smil, an environmental scientist, points out that it’s not that simple. Steel, ammonia, cement, and plastics are “the four material pillars of modern civilisation” and they are inevitably carbon intensive.

We face a difficult trade-off between stunting the economic growth of developing countries, potentially permanently, and allowing the planet to warm, likely irreversibly.