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How much further should the affluent world push its material consumption? Does relative dematerialization lead to absolute decline in demand for materials? These and many other questions are discussed and answered in Making... See More
Business & Investing
An overview of the state of manufacturing in America -- both past and present -- and how this sector and the jobs it creates are essential to the American economy "There's no author whose books I look forward to more than... See More
Politics & Social Sciences
The story of how diesel engines and gas turbines, used to power cargo ships and jet airplanes, made today's globally integrated economy possible. The many books on globalization published over the past few years range from... See More
Science & Maths
* 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... See More
Science & Maths
The first systematic, quantitative appraisal of power density, offering detailed reviews of power densities of renewable energy flows, fossil fuels, and all common energy uses. "There's no author whose books I look forward... See More
Science & Maths
An interdisciplinary and quantitative account of human claims on the biosphere's stores of living matter, from prehistoric hunting to modern energy production. The biosphere -- the Earth's thin layer of life -- dates from... See More
Science & Maths
'My favourite author has done it again. Numbers Don't Lie is by far his most accessible book to date, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is curious about the world. I unabashedly recommend this book to anyone who loves... See More
This inquiry into the technical advances that shaped the 20th century follows the evolutions of all the principal innovations introduced before 1913 (as detailed in the first volume) as well as the origins and elaborations... See More
Science & Maths
An objective, comprehensive, and accessible examination of today's most crucial problem: preserving the environment in the face of society's insatiable demand for energy. In Energy at the Crossroads, Vaclav Smil considers... See More
Science & Maths
Every human activity entails the conversion of energy. Changes in the fundamental sources of energy, and in the use of energy sources, are a basic dimension of the evolution of society. Our appreciation of the significance... See More
Science & Maths
'There is no author whose books I look forward to more' Bill Gates The New York Times bestselling author returns with a mind-opening exploration of how size defines life on Earth. Explaining the key processes shaping size... See More
Professional & Technical
An investigation of the America-Rome analogy that goes deeper than the facile comparisons made on talk shows and in glossy magazine articles. America's post-Cold War strategic dominance and its pre-recession affluence... See More
Science & Maths
A wide-ranging, interdisciplinary look at global changes that may occur over the next fifty years -- whether sudden and cataclysmic world-changing events or gradually unfolding trends. Fundamental change occurs most often in... See More
History
An examination of the transformation of the Japanese diet from subsistence to abundance and an assessment of the consequences for health, longevity, and the environment. In a little more than a century, the Japanese diet has... See More
The period between 1867 and 1914 remains the greatest watershed in human history since the emergence of settled agricultural societies: the time when an expansive civilization based on synergy of fuels, science, and... See More
A selection of 50 Slovak folk tales assembled from the collections of folklorist Pavol Dobsinsky. The translator seeks to preserve the poetic qualities of the originals, and the book includes an introduction to the genres of... See More
A selection of 50 Slovak folk tales assembled from the collections of folklorist Pavol Dobsinsky. The translator seeks to preserve the poetic qualities of the originals, and the book includes an introduction to the genres of... See More
Professional & Technical
From the New York Times-bestselling author, a new volume on the history of human ingenuity -- and its attendant breakthroughs and busts. Included in BILL GATES's 2023 Holiday Reading List?Included in Lit Hub's Most... See More
Although the last two generations have seen an enormous amount of attention paid to advances in electronics, the fact remains that high-income, high-energy societies could thrive without microchips, etc., but, by contrast... See More
Science & Maths
A systematic investigation of growth in nature and society, from tiny organisms to the trajectories of empires and civilizations. Growth has been both an unspoken and an explicit aim of our individual and collective... See More
Science & Maths
Natural gas is the world's cleanest fossil fuel; it generates less air pollution and releases less CO2 per unit of useful energy than liquid fuels or coals. With its vast supplies of conventional resources and... See More
Science & Maths
A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel-driven civilization. "I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for... See More
Science & Maths
With one famous equation, E=mc2, Einstein proved all matter can be described as energy. It is everywhere and it is everything. In this newly updated and engaging introduction, renowned scientist Vaclav Smil explores energy... See More
China has a population of 1.3 billion people which puts strain on her natural resources. This volume, by one of the leading scholars on the earth's biosphere, is the result of a lifetime of study, and provides the fullest... See More
Professional & Technical
Meat eating is often a contentious subject, whether considering the technical, ethical, environmental, political, or health-related aspects of production and consumption. This book is a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary... See More
Energy expert Vaclav Smil presents a sharp-witted and approachable guide to oil's origins, exploration, extraction and use. This book is the perfect starting point for readers who wish to understand the science and culture... See More
Science & Maths
World acclaimed scientist Vaclav Smil reveals everything there is to know about nature's most sought-after resource Oil is the lifeblood of the modern world. Without it, there would be no planes, no plastic, no exotic... See More
eBooks in Foreign Languages
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... See More
Business & Investing
From one of the world's leading experts on the history of energy, a rigorous examination of the transitions that structure our modern world--and the environmental reckoning that will mark its success or failure. What makes... See More