Books > Professional & Technical
|
Buy Now
Speed - How It Explains the World (Paperback)
Loot Price: R389
Discovery Miles 3 890
You Save: R116
(23%)
|
|
Speed - How It Explains the World (Paperback)
(sign in to rate)
List price R505
Loot Price R389
Discovery Miles 3 890
You Save R116 (23%)
To be released on 19 January 2026. You can pre-order this product. We should be able to ship between Monday, 26 Jan 2026 and Monday, 2 Feb 2026.
|
A data-driven, scientific account of our need for speed—exploring a
wide range of topics including evolution, transportation, and technology
In 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 America’s war
time industrial mobilization to the speed of global energy
decarbonization.
But as Smil argues in this paradigm-shifting book, speed isn’t 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 his“compelling, fascinating, realistic” (Steven Pinker)
portraits of the modern world, Smil knows that we can’t, won’t, and
shouldn’t abandon our collective need for speed. But as good devotees
of speed’s eminence, we must understand it, its value, and its cost.
Rich in historical and contemporary data, Bill Gates’s favorite
scientist’s latest work is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary guidebook
for science readers living in the fast lane.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
|
You might also like..
|
Email address subscribed successfully.
A activation email has been sent to you.
Please click the link in that email to activate your subscription.