Numbers Don't Lie

This book presents numerous numbers and facts about our modern world. From food to energy, the author provides insights into various aspects of life that we may not notice but are essential for our existence. For example, the the modern method of producing ammonia has significantly increased our crop production, leading to a rise of population. After reading this book, I have gained more accurate understanding of our world and will be less likely to be misled by exaggerate claims in the news.

In “The rise of megacities”, the number of megacities in South America and Africa astonished me. Considering myself to be more knowledgeable about the world than most people in my country (I love watch travel videos from all continents and have traveled to around 30 countries), I knew that there are several hundred miliions in those two continents, but I didn’t know any cities with populations over 10 million. Lima, Peru has 10.4 million, Buenos Aires, Argentina has 15 million, and Cairo, Egypt has 21.6 million! Those numbers are truly unimaginable. The world is really big.

In “Transformers — the unsung silent, passive devices”, although the author dislike exaggerated claims about technology breakthrough, he thinks transformers are among the simple devices that perform fundamental work and worth mentioning. From huge transformers near power plants to tiny transformers used to charge our phones, they truly support modern civilization. Interestingly, the “Transformers” machine learning model is also a crucial foundation of the modern AI world.

Here are some other interesting facts: the combustion engine was invented before the bicycle; chicken is the most efficient meat; and many crucial inventions date back to the 1880s. This book will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of who we are and where we need to go.