THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Another masterpiece from one of my favorite authors . . . If you want a brief but thorough education in numeric thinking about many of the fundamental forces that shape human life this is the book to read. Its a tour de force BILL GATES We have never had so much information at our fingertips and yet most of us dont 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 muchneeded reality check because before we can tackle problems effectively we must understand the facts. In this ambitious and thoughtprovoking book we see for example that globalization isnt inevitable and that our societies have been steadily increasing their dependence on fossil fuels making their complete and rapid elimination unlikely. Drawing on the latest science and tackling sources of misinformation head on from Yuval Noah Harari to Noam Chomsky ultimately Smil answers the most profound question of our age are we irrevocably doomed or is a brighter utopia ahead Very informative and eyeopening in many ways HAJOON CHANG author of 23 Things They Dont Tell You About Capitalism If you are anxious about the future and infuriated that we arent doing enough about it please read this book PAUL COLLIER author of The Future of Capitalism