Bibliograph

Size, how it explains the world, Vaclav Smil

Type

Label

Size, how it explains the world, Vaclav Smil

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-271) and index

Illustrations

illustrationscharts

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Size

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1378210277

Responsibility statement

Vaclav Smil

Sub title

how it explains the world

Summary

What makes a human society too big? What about a human being? Which alternative energy sources have the best chance of scaling and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels? Why do tall people make more money? What makes a face beautiful? How about a cathedral? How can changing the size of your plates help you lose weight?To answer the most important questions of our age, we must understand size. Neither bacteria nor empires are immune to its laws. Measuring it is challenging, especially where complex systems like economies are concerned, yet mastering it offers rich rewards: the rise of the West, for example, was a direct result of ever more accurate and standardized measurements. Using the interdisciplinary approach that has won him a wide readership, Smil draws upon history, earth science, psychology, art, and more to offer fresh insight into some of our biggest challenges, including income inequality, the spread of infectious disease, and the uneven impacts of climate change. Size explains the regularities--and peculiarities--of the key processes shaping life (from microbes to whales), the Earth (from asteroids to volcanic eruptions), technical advances (from architecture to transportation), and societies and economies (from cities to wages). We also learn the rules governing beauty, why a biosphere needs diversity, why bigger animals need proportionately less food, and why people in hotter climates have longer legs

Target audience

adult

Classification