My favorite author does it again

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My favorite author does it again

By Bill Gates | August 3, 2021

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Vaclav Smil. I’ve read every single one of his books, and I’ve written about many of them for Gates Notes.

So, when I heard that he was releasing a new book called Numbers Don’t Lie, I expected that I would love it. What I didn’t expect is that Vaclav would—after writing dozens of deep dives on obscure topics—finally write something intended for a general audience. Numbers Don’t Lie is by far his most accessible book to date, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is curious about the world. You can read my full review of the book here.

The book is broken down into 71 chapters, with each one covering a different fact about the world. The facts run the gamut from fun (the surprising origins of inflatable tires) to serious (the bluefin tuna’s slow march toward extinction) to thought-provoking (what happens when we have fewer children?). One of my favorite chapters is about how the 1880s were perhaps the most influential decade in human history. I enjoyed reading Vaclav’s take on the 1880s so much that I’ve made that chapter available for free just for Gates Notes Insiders.

Download a free chapter from Numbers Don’t Lie here.

Thank you for being an Insider!

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