How the World Really Works
How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smilby Vaclav Smil
Shares rank 51 of 152 nonfiction books by recommenders
Readers recommend it as an enjoyable big-picture look at how modern civilization depends on materials such as ammonia, steel, concrete and plastics. No recurring criticism appears in the quotes.
Readers recommend it as an enjoyable big-picture look at how modern civilization depends on materials such as ammonia, steel, concrete and plastics. No recurring criticism appears in the quotes.
5 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 5
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 5 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Explains civilization's dependence on fossil fuels
“Modern civilization will remain fundamentally dependent on the fossil fuels used in the production of these indispensable materials (ammonia, steel, concrete, and plastics).”
Comment from 30 Mar 2026 in “The Cognitive Dark Forest” Enjoyable read recommended by a reader
“I enjoyed How The World Really Works also.”
Comment from 27 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?”
Other nonfiction books people recommend
The four most recommended other nonfiction books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cuckoo's Eggby Clifford Stoll | 40 | 0 | 100% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Amusing Ourselves to Deathby Neil Postman | 36 | 0 | 100% | 9 | 1 yr3 owners | Approved |
| The Anxious Generationby Jonathan Haidt | 24 | 12 | 67% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Bullshit Jobsby David Graeber | 20 | 12 | 63% | 8 | — | — |
| How the World Really Worksby Vaclav SmilThis page | 5 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
2 of the 5 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Modern civilization will remain fundamentally dependent on the fossil fuels used in the production of these indispensable materials (ammonia, steel, concrete, and plastics).”
“I enjoyed How The World Really Works also.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.