Speed – Smil Václav (2025)

Prepare to view the world through a new lens in this groundbreaking exploration of speed by internationally bestselling author Václav Smil. In a world that feels as though it is moving faster than ever, Smil examines how our relentless pursuit of speed in production, travel and communication shapes our technological landscape as well as our social and environmental realities. Through engaging anecdotes and striking statistics, he challenges the assumption that faster is always better. He invites readers to reconsider our collective obsession with speed and its intricate relationship with nature and innovation. For example, erosion can actually accelerate mountain growth, while the rapid adoption of mobile phones, which reached 90 per cent penetration in just nineteen years, reflects historical patterns of technological adoption and suggests that the world may not be moving significantly faster than in the past. From mites that can travel 300 times their body length in a second to the societal effects of high-frequency trading, Speed encourages a more balanced conversation about the role of speed in an age defined by haste. Bill Gates and the Guardian have praised Smil's distinctive ability to illuminate the world through numbers.