Speed
How It Explains the World
$34.25
- Paperback
368 pages
- Release Date
2 June 2026
Summary
A data-driven, scientific account of our need for speed—exploring a wide range of topics including evolution, transportation, and technology
In a world obsessed with efficiency, perhaps nothing is valued as highly as being fast. Some of our greatest achievements include building planes that break the sound barrier and creating computers that process data at the touch of a button. With signature clarity, Smil offers accessible explanations of every major speed category…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780593834541 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0593834542 |
| Author: | Vaclav Smil |
| Publisher: | Penguin Putnam Inc |
| Imprint: | Penguin USA |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 368 |
| Release Date: | 2 June 2026 |
| Weight: | 289g |
| Dimensions: | 21mm x 139mm x 210mm |
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Critics Review
“A marvelously encyclopedic book… Smil take us on a fascinating tour.”
—Wall Street Journal
“An intriguing account of the role of speed in evolution and human civilization … Packed with accessible analogies and nuanced analyses, this is a well-rounded, interdisciplinary view of efficiency.”
—Publishers Weekly
Vaclav Smil
Vaclav Smil is distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba. He is the author of How to Feed the World, Numbers Don’t Lie, Size, and the New York Times bestselling How the World Really Works, as well as over forty books on topics including energy, environmental and population change, food production and nutrition, technical innovation, risk assessment, and public policy. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a member of the Order of Canada.
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