Speed

by Vaclav Smil

'There is no author whose books I look forward to more' Bill Gates

‘There is perhaps no other academic who paints pictures with numbers like Smil’ Guardian

Explore how speed influences every aspect of life on Earth, from the slow grind of geological processes and the fleeting lifespans of organisms to the astonishing speed of light and the remarkable adaptations of creatures like the swift antelope and the soaring albatross. In this ambitious and wide-ranging ideas book, internationally bestselling author Vaclav Smil uncovers the intricate connections between speed, nature, and human innovation.

With counterintuitive insights, such as how erosion actually accelerates mountain growth, Smil challenges long-held myths. For example, Smil debunks the notion that our modern lives are accelerating at an unprecedented the rapid adoption of mobile phones – from 0% in 1983 to 90% in 2002 (19 years) – is like the spread of earlier technologies such as radio (22 years), colour television (24 years) and even microwave ovens (17 years).

In SPEED, Smil combines his trademark compelling statistics with insightful analysis to take readers on a captivating journey through the vast timescales of Earth’s history and the complexities of modern life. He explains how we measure speed and reveals the theoretical limits that shape our societies, offering a thought-provoking exploration of the forces that define our world. This eye-opening book encourages readers to see speed’s vital role in everything around us.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Society

Paperback

First published November 27, 2025

About the author

Vaclav Smil is a Czech-Canadian scientist and policy analyst whose work spans energy, environment, food, population, economics, history, and public policy. Educated at Charles University in Prague and later at Pennsylvania State University, where he earned his Ph.D. in geography, Smil emigrated from Czechoslovakia to the United States in 1969 following the Soviet invasion, before beginning his long academic career at the University of Manitoba in 1972. Over the decades he established himself as a leading voice on global energy systems, environmental change, and economic development, with particular attention to China. Smil has consistently argued that transitions to renewable energy will be gradual rather than rapid, emphasizing the persistence of coal, oil, and natural gas and highlighting the difficulties of decarbonizing critical industries such as steel, cement, ammonia, and plastics. He has also been skeptical of indefinite economic growth, suggesting that human consumption could be sustained at much lower levels of material and energy use. Widely admired for his clear, data-driven analyses, Smil counts Bill Gates among his readers, while colleagues have praised his rigor and independence. Known for his reclusiveness and preference for letting his books speak for him, he has nonetheless lectured extensively worldwide and consulted for major institutions. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a member of the Order of Canada, Smil remains a highly influential public intellectual.

Reviews

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Big disappointment; an endless onslaught of factoids and loosely stated theories and musings by an author who gives off the impression of having himself the conviction he is gifting us, the humble reader, the magisterial gift of a multidisciplinary, big-history classic in the vein of the (actual!) greats; (Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Scale: The Universal Laws of Growth, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Pace of Life in Organisms, Cities, Economies, and Companies, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind). You can safely, and very speedily, skip this one.

[YaroMeer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Classic Smil. Lots of data, plenty of comparisons, and some really interesting analyses. It’s a fantastic compendium of knowledge on certain aspects of how our civilization has developed.
However, it’s a much tougher sell than his previous books. He’s adopted a more technical style—it feels almost like a draft for a scientific paper. As I was reading, one question kept getting louder: how is he going to wrap this up? What’s the punchline? Then came the 'coda' and...
Well, that’s just it—what’s the takeaway? What was the point of all that analysis? Why should a reader give up several hours of their time for this?
For me, it’s one of his weaker titles.

[John Badger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vaclav Smil proves again that he can only collect a loosely strung collection of statistics and numerical facts into rough categories with no overarching theme. I love facts as well, but the density gets boring. Some sections had great explanations of interesting topics; his explainer of tectonic plate movements was superb because it was less of a spam of random numeric facts. When there’s an actual theme to talk about, Smil is great. Otherwise his books are repositories for the facts and notes he’s take in his research - a clustered brain dump, unsynthesised.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pursuit of greater speed has driven innovation while also carrying significant costs. This book blends science, history, and technology to explore the many ways speed shapes the natural and human worlds.

This book is well-researched and full of interesting information. It’s not exactly a scintillating read, so it might best be consumed in chapter-long chunks rather than trying to get through it in a single sitting.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Isaac Griffiths · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like generalist books, but I struggled to find the purpose of this books flyover of human history and technologies only to comment on the speeds of things. What is the thesis of this book? Halfway through im surprised to be at the final musings chapter suddenly, which again goes over many things and mentions speeds, but why.
Then after a long conclusion chapter, a Coda chapter, that kinda has a point by the final page? Weird.
Final quarter is references, at least he studied well.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly interesting book. It covers all kinds of speeds from evolution of the universe, growth of bacteria, land travel , sea travel, air travel, space travel, spread of technology and many many more things that travel or grow. Lots of numbers, lots of comparisons. Really fun. I recommend it. So far I've really liked all of Smil's books

[Yehaskel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as all of Vaclav Smil's books...

[Peter Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of facts related to speed. What did I expect?