Vaclav Smil

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.

A Beginner's Guide

Andrew Louis

This book is a thorough explanation of the oil industry, yet there's almost no discussion of climate change — a huge omission. In fact 20% of the book is devoted to pushing back against the idea of Peak Oil but even if the author is correct in how much remains available, there's no discussion about whether the planet can sustain burning it. I find it pretty telling that in a book so dry, some rare emotion is deployed to describe future oil discoveries: "in the future there may be some *pleasant surprises* as we discover more giants than is currently anticipated." (emphasis mine)

But like other books by Vaclav Smil, despite the frustrations while reading them, you just end up learning so much.

Oil A Beginner's Guide

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