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Size: How It Explains the World

Hardback

Main Details

Title Size: How It Explains the World
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Vaclav Smil
Physical Properties
Format:Hardback
Pages:352
Dimensions(mm): Height 240,Width 156
Category/GenrePopular science
ISBN/Barcode 9780241506998
ClassificationsDewey:530.8
Audience
General

Publishing Details

Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Imprint Viking
Publication Date 18 May 2023
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

A mind-expanding exploration of how size defines life on Earth, from the New York Times bestselling author 100 words- 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 in nature, society and technology, Smil busts myths around proportions - from bodies to paintings and the so-called golden ratio - tells us what Jonathan Swift got wrong in Gulliver's Travels - the giant Brobdingnagian's legs would buckle under their enormous weight - and dives headfirst into the most contentious issue in ergonomics- the size of aeroplane seats. It is no exaggeration to say this fascinating and wide-ranging tour de force will change the way you look at absolutely everything. 10 words- Size, an omnipresent scalar, is the measure of all things. 1 word- Size.

Author Biography

Vaclav Smil is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba, Canada. He is the author of over forty books on topics including energy, environmental and population change, food production, and public policy. His books for a general reader include Numbers Don't Lie and the New York Times bestseller How the World Really Works. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Smil is the expert's expert (Bill Gates- 'There is no author whose books I look forward to more').

Reviews

In a world of specialized intellectuals, Smil is an ambitious and astonishing polymath who swings for fences . . . They're among the most data-heavy books you'll find, with a remarkable way of framing basic facts * Wired * There is perhaps no other academic who paints pictures with numbers like Smil * Guardian *