How the World Really Works

Author: Vaclav Smil

Every era has its own claims of uniqueness, but, while the experiences of the last three generations—that is, the decades since the end of the Second World War—did not involve transformations as radical as those of the three generations that preceded the beginning of the First World War, these experiences have included unprecedented events and developments. Most impressively, more people now enjoy a higher standard of living, and continue to do so for more years and in better health, than at any time in history. However, these beneficiaries still represent a minority (about a fifth of the world's population), as the total world population approaches 8 billion people.