It’s Not Inevitable [Nothing Is]

It’s not inevitable.

Nothing is.

This is one of the key reminders I’m taking away from Vaclav Smil’s How the World Really Works [which is a very accurate title for the book!].

Smil talks about long term trends in globalisation - how it can feel like we’re on an inevitable march towards greater economic integration. But as he points out, ‘stuff happens’ in the world - often a war of some sort, but also things like the rise of China or demise of the USSR.

And when ‘stuff happens’, things change. The trajectory can shift.

And those shifts can be unexpected, dramatic, and sudden.

For Smil, this means it’s important to look at the world through as wide a lens as possible - which is why in addition to the chapter on globalisation, the book also covers energy, food, materials, risk, and the environment. Having this broad perspective can help us understand what is really going on.

I waded through the 500+ pages of his Growth book a few years back - and wouldn’t recommend it!

However, “How the World Really Works” is an accessible 200-page summary of Smil’s work to date. [The book is 300 pages, but almost a third of it is notes and references!].

If you’re feeling like the world isn’t working very well at the moment, then this book offers some explanations…