How the World Actually Works. Our Past, Present, and Future through the Eyes of a Scientist

A new round in the dialogue between Harari and Chomsky about the fate of humanity: what awaits us — an inevitable collapse or a bright future?

Every day we receive an enormous amount of information, but for many, how the modern world functions remains a mystery.

What happens when we flip a switch? How much diesel fuel is needed for a bowl of chicken soup to end up on our table? Who invented global warming? Vaclav Smil, a famous Canadian scientist and analyst, knows how to handle statistics like no one else — it’s no coincidence that he is one of Bill Gates' favorite authors.

Using numbers, Smil reveals the truth about what drives our civilization: from energy and food production to globalization and the future of humanity.