Non-Fiction Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Non-Fiction books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: January 2026
Publication Order
Energy In The Developing World: The Real Energy Crisis
Buy on Amazon1980
Energy Analysis And Agriculture: An Application To U.s. Corn Production (With: Paul Nachman,Thomas V. Long)
Buy on Amazon1982
Biomass Energies: Resources, Links, Constraints
Buy on Amazon1983
The Bad Earth: Environmental Degradation In China
Buy on Amazon1984
Energy, Food, Environment: Realities, Myths, Opinions
Buy on Amazon1987
Energy In China's Modernization: Advances And Limitations
Buy on Amazon1988
General Energetics: Energy in the Biosphere and Civilization
Buy on Amazon1991
China's Environmental Crisis: An Enquiry Into the Limits of National Development
Buy on Amazon1993
Global Ecology: Environmental Change and Social Flexibility
Buy on Amazon1993
Energy In World History
Buy on Amazon1994
Energies: An Illustrated Guide to the Biosphere and Civilization
Buy on Amazon1998
Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food Production
Buy on Amazon2000
Feeding the World
Buy on Amazon2000
The Earth's Biosphere: Evolution, Dynamics, and Change
Buy on Amazon2002
Energy at the Crossroads: Global Perspectives and Uncertainties
Buy on Amazon2003
China's Past, China's Future
Buy on Amazon2003
Creating the Twentieth Century: Technical Innovations of 1867-1914 and Their Lasting Impact
Buy on Amazon2004
Transforming the Twentieth Century: Technical Innovations and Their Consequences: Technical Innovations and Their Consequences v. 2
Buy on Amazon2006
Energy in Nature and Society: General Energetics of Complex Systems
Buy on Amazon2007
Oil: A Beginner's Guide
Buy on Amazon2008
Global Catastrophes and Trends: The Next 50 Years
Buy on Amazon2008
Why America Is Not a New Rome
Buy on Amazon2010
Energy Transitions: History, Requirements, Prospects
Buy on Amazon2010
Oil Resources Production Uses Impacts
Buy on Amazon2010
Prime Movers of Globalization: The History and Impact of Diesel Engines and Gas Turbines
Buy on Amazon2010
Energy Myths and Realities: Bringing Science to the Energy Policy Debate
Buy on Amazon2010
Japan's Dietary Transition and Its Impacts (With: Kazuhiko Kobayashi)
Buy on Amazon2012
Harvesting the Biosphere: What We Have Taken from Nature
Buy on Amazon2012
Carbon-Nitrogen-Sulfur: Human Interference in Grand Biospheric Cycles
Buy on Amazon2012
Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization
Buy on Amazon2013
Should We Eat Meat?: Evolution and Consequences of Modern Carnivory
Buy on Amazon2013
Made in the USA: The Rise and Retreat of American Manufacturing
Buy on Amazon2013
Power Density: A Key to Understanding Energy Sources and Uses
Buy on Amazon2015
Natural Gas
Buy on Amazon2015
Still the Iron Age: Iron and Steel in the Modern World
Buy on Amazon2016
Energy and Civilization: A History
Buy on Amazon2017
Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities
Buy on Amazon2019
Numbers Don't Lie: 71 Things You Need to Know About the World
Buy on Amazon2020
Grand Transitions: How the Modern World Was Made
Buy on Amazon2021
How the World Really Works
Buy on Amazon2022
Invention and Innovation
Buy on Amazon2023
How to Feed the World: The History and Future of Food
Buy on Amazon2025
Frequently Asked Questions
The recommended reading order for the Non-Fiction series is publication order: 1. Energy In The Developing World: The Real Energy Crisis (1980), 2. Energy Analysis And Agriculture: An Application To U.s. Corn Production (With: Paul Nachman,Thomas V. Long) (1982), 3. Biomass Energies: Resources, Links, Constraints (1983), 4. The Bad Earth: Environmental Degradation In China (1984), 5. Energy, Food, Environment: Realities, Myths, Opinions (1987), and 37 more. This is generally the best way to experience the story as the author intended.
The Non-Fiction series by Vaclav Smil contains 42 books. The series began in 1980 and continues to be a popular choice for readers.
The Non-Fiction series is written by Vaclav Smil. You can find more books and series by this author on our website.
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