Reviews
I was excited for this audiobook, however because there are 71 stories, each of them is only a handful of minutes long. I had a hard time staying engaged, and keeping up with the different stories, because they kept changing.
Fine book, but much weaker compared to Energy and Civilization. It's kind of the popsci version of that, but you should just read the real thing.
The book started slow but got really interesting in the middle and end. Great to see different perspectives and interpretations of data.
Smil assembles a set of very short essays across various topics — fuel and electricity, transport, world health, food, environment — into this compendium. Each takes a mathematical approach towards understanding the assignment. I found this most interesting and insightful in areas where I'm the weakest: eg, how much energy is needed to x, or can be produced by y, or can be stored in z. And while numbers themselves don't lie, it's certainly true that what numbers are selected to tell a story, and what story we arrive at, are still deeply editorial choices. I got the sense that Smil, rightly, despises food waste and admires tripe-glazed window efficiencies; but is pessimistic on electric cars, innovation, and wind turbines. It's a breezy, quick read, perfect for those in-between moments; but don't look for an overarching narrative, here, as you'd see in Factfulness or other data-based approaches to thinking.
الذي حفزني لقراءة الكتاب رؤيته ضمن توصيات "بيل غيتس" اطلعت على الكتاب وقرأته في أيام قليلة، فكرته طريفة وذكية. الأرقام لا تكذب، قد تكون كليشهة مبتذلة لكنها حقيقة نغفل عنها، في العرض يقدّم لك المؤلف شيئاً آخر غير الأرقام، ألا وهو "سياق الأرقام" ويعني التاريخ الفعلي لما وراء الأرقام وما دلالتها. يمكنني أن أخبرك ببساطة أن عدد سكان الأرض قبل 100 عام كانوا 4 مليار والآن هم 7 ونيّف لكن ماذا تستفيد من هذه المعلومة؟ هنا يأتي دور السياق لهذه الأرقام وكيف تستفيد منها بمعزل عن ورودها في برنامج للمقارنة. الكتاب موزّع على فصول، وكل فصل منها يعالج قضية معينة من خلال دمج التاريخ بالمستقبل بدءاً بالكتابة والسيارات والغاز ووسائل النقل والإنترنت ومواد الطاقة وصولاً إلى الفضاء. أجمل ما في الكتاب بساطة لغته وسهولتها وأن كل فصل فيه لا يتجاوز ال5 صفحات، وهذا أدعى للتركيز والتأمل والوصول للفكرة مباشرة دون حشو.
Knowledge overload! I like books I find hard to agree with. This one challenged my assumptions and opinions. Wasn’t an easy read, but hey this is exactly what counts!
An easily digestible book that provides some food for thought, but lacks in depth and doesn’t offer anything new or profound. A lot of bold predictions/statements made by the author also leave me in doubt, opinions I’m totally fine living without. A quick read at least.
An easily digestible book that provides some food for thought, but lacks in depth and doesn’t offer anything new or profound. A lot of bold predictions/statements made by the author also leave me in doubt, opinions I’m totally fine living without. A quick read at least.
