Vaclav Smil

Vaclav Smil is a Czech-Canadian scientist, policy analyst, and distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba. He is one of the world's most prolific and respected interdisciplinary thinkers, having written over 40 books on energy, environment, food production, and technological innovation. Bill Gates has called him his favourite author. Energy and Civilization is his magnum opus, a comprehensive history of how energy has shaped human civilisation from prehistoric times to the present. His audiobooks and books are intellectually rich listening and reading for anyone who wants to understand the fundamental forces — literally — that power human society.