How to Feed the World
How to Feed the World by Vaclav Smilby Vaclav Smil
Shares rank 129 of 152 nonfiction books by recommenders
People recommend it for its well-sourced, data-heavy treatment of global food supply, which they say refutes common claims with evidence.
People recommend it for its well-sourced, data-heavy treatment of global food supply, which they say refutes common claims with evidence.
2 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 2
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 2 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not 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
Well-sourced, data-driven coverage
“There's a great an well sourced section in Vaclav Smil's How to Feed the World about this very topic.”
Comment from 24 Apr 2026 in “Girl, 10, finds rare Mexican axolotl under Welsh bridge” “Vaclav Smil's book "How to Feed the World" collects a lot of data refuting this claim.”
Comment from 22 May 2026 in “Mycorrhizal Fungi, Nature's Key to Plant Survival and Success” “Vaclav Smil does great work compiling data on this in his book”
Comment from 22 May 2026 in “Mycorrhizal Fungi, Nature's Key to Plant Survival and Success” Refutes popular claims with evidence
“Vaclav Smil's book "How to Feed the World" collects a lot of data refuting this claim.”
Comment from 22 May 2026 in “Mycorrhizal Fungi, Nature's Key to Plant Survival and Success” Praised author's compilation of data
“Vaclav Smil does great work compiling data on this in his book”
Comment from 22 May 2026 in “Mycorrhizal Fungi, Nature's Key to Plant Survival and Success”
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 to Feed the Worldby Vaclav SmilThis page | 2 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
3 of the 4 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Vaclav Smil's book "How to Feed the World" collects a lot of data refuting this claim.”
“Vaclav Smil does great work compiling data on this in his book”
“There's a great an well sourced section in Vaclav Smil's How to Feed the World about this very topic.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.