How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We’re Going

Vaclav Smil

Every era has its claims to uniqueness, but while the experiences of
the past three generations—that is, the decades since the end of the
Second World War—may not have been as fundamentally
transformative as those of the three generations preceding the
beginning of the First World War, there has been no shortage of
unprecedented events and advances. Most impressively, more
people now enjoy a higher standard of living, and do so for more
years and in better health, than at any time in history.