Years ago I learned that Bill Gates drops everything when a new Vaclav Smil book becomes available; he has to read it right away. (I think Wired magazine mentioned it.) So, for the next year, maybe more, any time I stopped by Half Price Books I’d check for Smil titles.
It was humorous to me, because I never new exactly where to look (i.e. which section-Technology, Energy, Environment Science), and I don’t like asking for help. Half the fun of shopping for used books is “just coming across” a book.
Anyway, this is all beside the point. Eventually I found Smil’s Energy at the Crossroads.
Sadly, the book is far too dense for me. It is like a textbook. Yet, I do see how someone like Bill Gates-Who I believe has as much money and good intentions as anyone else-Could really savor such a book. If I were in the fortunate position where I could direct billions of dollars toward benevolent causes, I would want to do so wisely. Reading Energy at the Crossroads-Such a comprehensive, conscientious book-May actually inform a interested non-expert how to “do something” wisely.
I mentioned this is all beside the point before, but I didn’t elaborate what “this” is, nor what “the point” is. The point is: I later learned Bill Gates has a blog…Where he selectively posts book reviews: https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books
Somewhere in the ellipses I thought: If Bill Gates has the time to do such a thing, then I do. Or, more to the point: If he thinks that time is well spent, then maybe I will.
The frequency of posts will determine whether this bears out 🙂