Canadian scientist, ecologist and political scientist Vaclav Smil is famous for his work on the connection between energy and ecology, demography and real politics, as well as his masterly ability to handle large amounts of statistical data. This book, which so delighted Bill Gates, summarizes the most interesting materials which Smil writes for IEEE Spectrum magazine, one of the world's leading science and engineering publications, is an up-to-date guide to understanding the true state of affairs on our planet. It covers a wide range of topics relating to people, entire nations and countries, energy and how we use it, technological innovation, and the machines and devices that define modern civilization. Intense and important, combining statistics and history, and written with a sense of humor, this book encourages us to question what we thought was true. “My goal is not just to demonstrate that the numbers don’t lie, but to reveal the meaning behind them.” . (Vaclav Smil)