Oil

Packed with fascinating facts and insight, this book will fuel dinner party debate, and provide readers with the science and politics behind the world's most controversial resource. Without oil, there would be no globalisation, no plastic, little transport, and a global political landscape that few would recognise. It is the lifeblood of the modern world, and humanity's dependence upon it looks set to continue for decades to come. In this captivating book, the author of the acclaimed "Energy: A Beginner's Guide", Vaclav Smil, explains all matters related to the 'black stuff', from its discovery in the earth, right through to the political maelstrom that surrounds it today. "Smil's knowledge is famously and fabulously encyclopedic." Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, Earth Institute at Columbia University and author of The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time. "Terrific. Smil has done it again, producing a book from which we can all create new insights, this time explaining oil production, consumption and the broader impacts it has upon society." Chris Mottershead - Distinguished Advisor Energy and the Environment, BP plc, and Director of the Carbon Trust in London. "At last, an accurate and readable book which effectively presents the whole range of issues which are required for an understanding of the complex global oil system." Peter Odell, Professor Emeritus of International Energy Studies, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, and recipient of the 2006 OPEC Award.