We have never had so much information at our fingertips and yet most of us don't know how the world really works. This book explains seven of the most fundamental realities governing our survival and prosperity. From energy and food production, through our material world and its globalization, to risks, our environment and its future, How the World Really Works offers a much-needed reality check - because before we can tackle problems effectively, we must understand the facts.

In this ambitious and thought-provoking book we see, for example, that globalization isn't inevitable and that our societies have been steadily increasing their dependence on fossil fuels, making their complete and rapid elimination unlikely. Vaclav Smil is neither a pessimist nor an optimist, he is a scientist; he is the world-leading expert on energy and an astonishing polymath. This is his magnum opus and is a continuation of his quest to make facts matter. Drawing on the latest science, including his own fascinating research, and tackling sources of misinformation head on - from Yuval Noah Harari to Noam Chomsky - ultimately Smil answers the most profound question of our age: are we irrevocably doomed or is a brighter utopia ahead?

The Authority Gap provides an incisive, intersectional look at a significant gender bias: the resistance to women's authority and power. Despite advancements toward equality, there is still a pervasive failure to take women as seriously as men. Journalist Mary Ann Sieghart offers a compelling perspective on this issue as it manifests in various aspects of life, including pop culture, media, education, and politics.

Through a wealth of data from psychology, sociology, political science, and business, and interviews with influential women such as Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo, classicist Mary Beard, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and Hillary Clinton, Sieghart explores the intersection of gender bias with racial and class biases. The book examines the unconscious biases that affect our behavior towards women and outlines measures for individual and societal change. The Authority Gap is an eye-opening and motivating work that addresses how we can work together to narrow the gender gap and counteract systemic sexism for the benefit of everyone.