 | This book is a model of what good 'industry biography' should be. The author of 'The Commanding Heights' outlines the story of oil - black gold - and how it became the commodity that moves the world. The story Yergin tells is colourful, authoritative and - quite literally - earth-shaking; it is the story of the rise and development of capitalism and modern business, and the sometimes strange deals modern businessmen have made with their nemeses: modern politicians and tribal leaders.
It is the story of the dollar and the gun: of the relationships oil has maintained with both, and the consequences of those relationships for all of us. A friend who drills for oil tells me it is considered the bible of those who work in the industry - since no other commodity integrates and explains so much of the history of the last one-hundred-and-twenty years, it is equally valuable for those who would comment authoritatively on twentieth-century history.
Essential reading, and also the basis of an equally compelling PBS series.
|
The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power by Daniel Yergin
