Fascinating history of the oil business. Did you know that supply and demand for oil didn't reach equalibrium until 1970? That explains the disappearance of full service, free road maps, etc.

This is an excellent book and one I recommend. It is a history of oil and the oil industry, covering about 150 years. If you want to learn about the evolution of oil and how it affects our world, then this is a super place to start.

Daniel Yergin divided his book into four distinct sections, which help you understand the phases of the oil industry. The tale began with discoveries, entrepreneurs, and growth from industries like automotive.

Then, he moved to World War I and Churchill's promotion of oil as a fuel in place of coal. It was then that coal truly became international. Daniel Yergin perfectly explained the importance of oil to a country's geopolitical strength and energy security.

What is missing? The role that traders like Marc Rich played in the industry.

I hope someone - or Daniel - writes a sequel. ( )

In thinking about whom I would *not* recommend read this book, I'm down to just those who have already read it, and even that's a little iffy. This is not a small book by any means, but it is fascinating, very well written, and provides the best level of business, military history, and cultural reporting. I do not recall ever felling a need to skip over or skim portions. I might point out that the author added an additional chapter and a new epilogue a few years after it was first published, so readers should make sure they pick up a later edition that includes significant updates. I started out reading an original edition hardback and switched to a more recent ebook edition. By the way, highly recommended, in case you were still wondering. ( )

nonfiction; history and foreign policy. ( )

This is an excellent survey of the history of petroleum from 1860 to 1990. It focuses on politics and economics. There is essential no science or engineering here. There is mention of seismic mapping of underground structures and cracking to produce lighter fractions in the refining process, but not more than mentions. This is a steady march through the history. It's like surface mining. The first couple of layers are dug up, but it never gets very deep. The book seems pretty well balanced. There are surely many angles on the momentous events described here, but Yergin's isn't extreme at all. That's an aspect of the shallowness of the book. He touches on a broad range of topics, but just keeps moving. It's a great survey though, of one of the most important topics of our time. ( )