Product Description

Without oil, there would be no globalisation, no plastic, little transport, and a global political landscape that few would recognise. In this captivating book 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. Packed with fascinating facts and insight, this book will provide readers with the science and politics behind the world's most controversial resource.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #221256 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781851685714
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"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

"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

"In a fluent, easy style [Smil] delves into the world of oil from its discovery on the ground through to its effect on prices at the petrol pumps, and to its impact on future generations." -- The Good Book Guide, May 2008

About the Author
Author Vaclav Smil is Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Manitoba, Canada. He has written over 10 books on energy and been a keynote speaker at both the World Economic Forum and the Global Roundtable on Climate Change. He is the first non-American to receive the American Association for the Advancement of Science Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology and is a Special Fellow of the Royal Society.

Customer Reviews

Learning from Smil
By far the best introductory guide to oil&gas I have run into in almost thirty years in the field (not that anything else could be expected by V.Smil). Should be made mandatory for anyone in the media pretending to deal with energy issues

Disappointed
Reads as if it is filled with very light common knowledge. Nothing to learn here.