Speed - Audiobook, by Vaclav Smil

A data-driven, scientific account of our need for speedexploring a wide range of topics including evolution, transportation, and technologyIn a world obsessed with efficiency, perhaps nothing is valued as highly as being fast. Some of our greatest achievements include building planes that break the sound barrier and creating computers that process data at the touch of a button. With signature clarity, Smil offers accessible explanations of every major speed category, from wind erosion to hunting cheetahs, from Boeing 747s to Americas war time industrial mobilization to the speed of global energy decarbonization.But as Smil argues in this paradigm-shifting book, speed isnt just a metric to optimize. In Speed, Smil expands on our traditional, human-centric understanding of speed to explore phenomena of space and time, evolution, and human achievement. What was the speed of planet formation? Of the development of different life forms? What happened in the collision of humans and the limits of natural speed, and what has emerged from our incessant desire to push those boundaries?Lauded for hiscompelling, fascinating, realistic (Steven Pinker) portraits of the modern world, Smil knows that we cant, wont, and shouldnt abandon our collective need for speed. But as good devotees of speeds eminence, we must understand it, its value, and its cost. Rich in historical and contemporary data, the latest work by Smil is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary guidebook for science readers living in the fast lane.