Size: How It Explains the World

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

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').

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 *