Table of Contents
Preface vii
1 Trajectories: or common patterns of growth 1
Time Spans 3
Figures of Merit 6
Linear and Exponential Growth 12
Confined Growth Patterns 31
Collective Outcomes of Growth 54
2 Nature: or growth of living matter 71
Microorganisms and Viruses 76
Trees and Forests 95
Crops 111
Animals 129
Humans 151
3 Energies: or growth of primary and secondary converters 173
Harnessing Water and Wind 176
Steam: Boilers, Engines, and Turbines 184
Internal Combustion Engines 197
Nuclear Reactors and PV Cells 213
Electric Lights and Motors 217
4 Artifacts: or growth of man-made objects and their performances 225
Tools and Simple Machines 228
Structures 239
Infrastructures 252
Transportation 266
Electronics 284
5 Populations, Societies, Economies: or growth of the most complex assemblies 303
Populations 307
Cities 332
Empires 357
Economies 375
Civilizations 436
6 What Comes After Growth: or demise and continuity 449
Life Cycles of Organisms 454
Retreat of Artifacts and Processes 460
Populations and Societies 470
Economies 490
Modern Civilization 498
Coda 509
Abbreviations 515
Scientific Units and Their Multiples and Submultiples 519
References 521
Index 621