# How to Feed the World by Vaclav Smil

2 Hacker News commenters recommended How to Feed the World by Vaclav Smil and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for its well-sourced, data-heavy treatment of global food supply, which they say refutes common claims with evidence.

## Why people recommend it

- Well-sourced, data-driven coverage (3 comments): "There's a great an well sourced section in Vaclav Smil's How to Feed the World about this very topic." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47890334)) "Vaclav Smil's book "How to Feed the World" collects a lot of data refuting this claim." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48241617)) "Vaclav Smil does great work compiling data on this in his book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48236640))
- Refutes popular claims with evidence (1 comments): "Vaclav Smil's book "How to Feed the World" collects a lot of data refuting this claim." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48241617))
- Praised author's compilation of data (1 comments): "Vaclav Smil does great work compiling data on this in his book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48236640))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cuckoo-s-egg.md): 40 recommend
- [Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/amusing-ourselves-to-death.md): 36 recommend
- [The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/anxious-generation.md): 24 recommend
- [Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bullshit-jobs.md): 20 recommend
- [Enshittification by Cory Doctorow](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enshittification.md): 19 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593834518?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780593834510) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "How to Feed the World by Vaclav Smil", https://hackerapproved.com/p/how-to-feed-the-world/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).