--- product_id: 338010776 title: "How the World Really Works: A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, Present and Future" price: "₨779" currency: SCR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sc/products/338010776-how-the-world-really-works-a-scientist-s-guide-to store_origin: SC region: Seychelles --- # How the World Really Works: A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, Present and Future **Price:** ₨779 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** How the World Really Works: A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, Present and Future - **How much does it cost?** ₨779 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sc](https://www.desertcart.sc/products/338010776-how-the-world-really-works-a-scientist-s-guide-to) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description 'There is no author whose books I look forward to more than Vaclav Smil' Bill Gates __________ 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 perils 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, making their complete and rapid elimination unlikely. For example, each greenhouse-grown supermarket-bought tomato requires the equivalent of five tablespoons of diesel oil for its production; and we still lack any commercially viable ways of making steel, ammonia, cement or plastics on the scale required globally without fossil fuels. Vaclav Smil is neither a pessimist nor an optimist, he is a scientist; he is the world-leading expert on energy and an astonishing polymath. This is his magnum opus and a continuation of his quest to make facts matter. Drawing on the latest science, including his own fascinating research, 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? Compelling, data-rich and revisionist, this wonderfully broad, interdisciplinary masterpiece finds faults 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. __________ 'Very informative and eye-opening in many ways' Ha-Joon Chang, author of 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism 'If you are anxious about the future, and infuriated that we aren't doing enough about it, please read this book' Paul Collier, author of The Future of Capitalism Review: In-depth research, powerful facts and well founded assertions are the hallmark of this book - For the sheer depth and width of research, background facts and analysis, this book surpasses anything one has read to date, including books by even the most erudite of scientists and analysts. The amount of information and facts about our everyday life that Smil presents is truly mind boggling. He also dispels common myths and theories, very convincingly, especially those concerning global climate change mitigation strategies. Instead, he provides realistic, well-researched and plausible ideas to at least reduce our carbon footprint significantly while asserting that there is currently no evident or even plausible way to achieve the kind of goals nations are setting for themselves with respect to carbon neutrality (net zero by 2035 or 2050, etc). In other words, governments and multilateral institutions are misleading us, and probably themselves too. Still, there is cause for optimism as human ingenuity, while rarely following a predictable path, has always found a way out. In terms of downsides, the one major point that comes to mind is that the book often becomes tedious - droning on with statistics and facts that sometimes feel excessive. Still, given today’s age of misinformation and baseless assertions, too much fact/data should be considered preferable to too little. Review: Informative and a must read book for all - A real eye opening book ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #190,436 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #47 in Agriculture & Farming (Books) #90 in Environment & Nature #111 in Earth Sciences Books | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 5,241 Reviews | ## Images ![How the World Really Works: A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, Present and Future - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71unWM-cAML.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ In-depth research, powerful facts and well founded assertions are the hallmark of this book *by A***N on 26 October 2024* For the sheer depth and width of research, background facts and analysis, this book surpasses anything one has read to date, including books by even the most erudite of scientists and analysts. The amount of information and facts about our everyday life that Smil presents is truly mind boggling. He also dispels common myths and theories, very convincingly, especially those concerning global climate change mitigation strategies. Instead, he provides realistic, well-researched and plausible ideas to at least reduce our carbon footprint significantly while asserting that there is currently no evident or even plausible way to achieve the kind of goals nations are setting for themselves with respect to carbon neutrality (net zero by 2035 or 2050, etc). In other words, governments and multilateral institutions are misleading us, and probably themselves too. Still, there is cause for optimism as human ingenuity, while rarely following a predictable path, has always found a way out. In terms of downsides, the one major point that comes to mind is that the book often becomes tedious - droning on with statistics and facts that sometimes feel excessive. Still, given today’s age of misinformation and baseless assertions, too much fact/data should be considered preferable to too little. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Informative and a must read book for all *by S***R on 8 September 2022* A real eye opening book ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great book *by S***Z on 14 April 2026* 👍👍👍👍 --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sc/products/338010776-how-the-world-really-works-a-scientist-s-guide-to](https://www.desertcart.sc/products/338010776-how-the-world-really-works-a-scientist-s-guide-to) --- *Product available on Desertcart Seychelles* *Store origin: SC* *Last updated: 2026-07-10*