The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money  Power

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money Power

  • Downloads:3807
  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2021-11-09 09:55:00
  • Update Date:2025-09-06
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Daniel Yergin
  • ISBN:1439110123
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and hailed as “the best history of oil ever written” by Business Week, Daniel Yergin’s “spellbinding…irresistible” (The New York Times) account of the global pursuit of oil, money, and power addresses the ongoing energy crisis。

Now with an epilogue that speaks directly to the current energy crisis, The Prize recounts the panoramic history of the world’s most important resource—oil。 Daniel Yergin’s timeless book chronicles the struggle for wealth and power that has surrounded oil for decades and that continues to fuel global rivalries, shake the world economy, and transform the destiny of men and nations。 This updated edition categorically proves the unwavering significance of oil throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first by tracing economic and political clashes over precious “black gold。”

With his far-reaching insight and in-depth research, Yergin is uniquely positioned to address the present battle over energy which undoubtedly ranks as one of the most vital issues of our time。 The canvas of his narrative history is enormous—from the drilling of the first well in Pennsylvania through two great world wars to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Operation Desert Storm, and both the Iraq War and current climate change。 The definitive work on the subject of oil, The Prize is a book of extraordinary breadth, riveting excitement, and great value—crucial to our understanding of world politics and the economy today—and tomorrow。

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Reviews

Nga Nguyen

Làm thế nào, mà một thứ chất lỏng trong lòng đất lại có thể gây ra những sự thay đổi có tính lịch sử và chính trị của con người lớn tới vậy?Qua 1219 trang sách của Daniel Yergin, (bản tiếng việt) bức tranh lịch sử và chính trị của thế kỷ 20 hiện ra rõ nét, sống động, tràn đầy sự hân hoan, vui sướng, nhưng cũng tràn đầy sự chia rẽ và thù địch, tất cả đều xoay quanh dầu mỏ。 Dầu mỏ đã định hình nên trật tự thế giới mới ở thế kỷ 20, là nguyên nhân và thành bại của các cuộc chiến tranh thế giới, là s Làm thế nào, mà một thứ chất lỏng trong lòng đất lại có thể gây ra những sự thay đổi có tính lịch sử và chính trị của con người lớn tới vậy?Qua 1219 trang sách của Daniel Yergin, (bản tiếng việt) bức tranh lịch sử và chính trị của thế kỷ 20 hiện ra rõ nét, sống động, tràn đầy sự hân hoan, vui sướng, nhưng cũng tràn đầy sự chia rẽ và thù địch, tất cả đều xoay quanh dầu mỏ。 Dầu mỏ đã định hình nên trật tự thế giới mới ở thế kỷ 20, là nguyên nhân và thành bại của các cuộc chiến tranh thế giới, là sự bối rối trong chính sách an ninh quốc gia mà dầu mỏ là thứ nguyên liệu tiên quyết, và nó đã thay đổi vĩnh viễn thói quen sinh hoạt và tiêu dùng của con người。 Dầu mỏ đã, đang, và sẽ tiếp tục câu chuyện của nó ở thế kỷ 21, nơi mà giờ đây cuộc sống của con người đã phụ thuộc hoàn toàn vào sự tiện lợi do dầu mỏ mang lại。 Quyển sách này được gọi là “thiên sử thi vĩ đại” thật sự không ngoa。 Daniel là một người kể chuyện vĩ đại, cả một thời đại được ông gói gọn trong một quyển sách。 。。。more

Phil Sykes

Finally got through it。 An interesting (if I suspect partial) history。

Kate

As far as I recognise this book to be excellent, I personally was rather bored with it。 The parts about the early struggle of extracting oil were exciting, but modern oil situation was rather full of politics and of no particular interest to me。

Django

Very highly recommend! I work in energy, so I get that most other people might not find the prospect of reading an 800 page book on the history of oil compelling。 However, Yergin masterfully weaves in so much of the personalities of the players and of the time, and intricately traces the through line of oil and history such that it was so enjoyable to read。

Bobby Pin

Its a good narration of how western countries have stuck the devil's bargain when it comes to their reliance on oil。 Its interesting we don't have similar books about coal。 Its a good narration of how western countries have stuck the devil's bargain when it comes to their reliance on oil。 Its interesting we don't have similar books about coal。 。。。more

Andy

one of my favorite non-fiction books

Deane Barker

This is the definitive history of oil, from the first discovery in the 1850s through the first Gulf War of of the 1990s。It's a lot -- 900-some-odd pages。 Not for the faint of heart。 I actually brought back in college in the mid-90s, and never finished it。 I promised myself I'd get back to it, and that promise took 25 years to fulfill。If there's anything the book gets across, it's that oil is "The Prize" of every country on Earth。 It is the lifeblood of commerce, transportation, and defense。 A bi This is the definitive history of oil, from the first discovery in the 1850s through the first Gulf War of of the 1990s。It's a lot -- 900-some-odd pages。 Not for the faint of heart。 I actually brought back in college in the mid-90s, and never finished it。 I promised myself I'd get back to it, and that promise took 25 years to fulfill。If there's anything the book gets across, it's that oil is "The Prize" of every country on Earth。 It is the lifeblood of commerce, transportation, and defense。 A big section in the middle discusses how World War 2 was lost because of lack of oil -- both the Japanese and the Germans got their forces stranded and unable to move because they didn't have fuel。 If either side had unlimited oil, the war would absolutely have gone on for years longer, and might have swung another way。After the war, the book goes deep on how the Middle East was transformed by oil, and every country became obsessed with finding access to it, and keeping it。 Formerly unknown countries became powerful overnight。 The third world essentially powered the first world, and kept its leaders up at night。It's a long book。 Both physically and mentally -- it's very dense, and the mind boggles at the amount of work it took to write something like this。I can recommend it only if you're prepared for what you're in for。 。。。more

Steve Pilcher

daniel yergin is unquestionably the best out there on the subject

Tirath

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it, click here。 The history of the world with oil as the context。Amazing book。NotesNobody ever saw the futureNobody saw that the middle East could be so big in oilChina is not even mentioned in the bookThe shah of Iran was in power for some 37 yearsSaudi Arabia hoped to get some money to run the country in lieu of oil exploration rightsOil will never cross usd 5 in our lifetimesCould the USSR ever become weak?Nobody saw shaleNobody saw electric vehiclesWhen did the US become a super Power?US was the provider of The history of the world with oil as the context。Amazing book。NotesNobody ever saw the futureNobody saw that the middle East could be so big in oilChina is not even mentioned in the bookThe shah of Iran was in power for some 37 yearsSaudi Arabia hoped to get some money to run the country in lieu of oil exploration rightsOil will never cross usd 5 in our lifetimesCould the USSR ever become weak?Nobody saw shaleNobody saw electric vehiclesWhen did the US become a super Power?US was the provider of fuel to the world in WW2How powerful were Nasser and Sadat then and where are they now?The first car race and someone said。。 get that man a horse。The book is indeed a prize。 。。。more

Ivan Kuznetsov

Reads like a jumbo textbook on oil, gas, electricity, grid and carbon。

Jack Lewis

At the time of this book’s publishing Saddam’s Iraq had invaded Kuwait and a coalition of forces were poised to respond。 The situation was in its endgame but not resolved。 At the time I completed reading it, U。S。 forces were attempting to evacuate U。S。 citizens and their allies from Afghanistan。 The situation was in its endgame but not resolved。 In fact, my reading of the portion of this book which covered WWI to 1990 completely paralleled Biden’s announcement of withdrawal until mid-August 2021 At the time of this book’s publishing Saddam’s Iraq had invaded Kuwait and a coalition of forces were poised to respond。 The situation was in its endgame but not resolved。 At the time I completed reading it, U。S。 forces were attempting to evacuate U。S。 citizens and their allies from Afghanistan。 The situation was in its endgame but not resolved。 In fact, my reading of the portion of this book which covered WWI to 1990 completely paralleled Biden’s announcement of withdrawal until mid-August 2021。 There was immense value in all of this for me。 Most prevalent on my mind as I write this is the constant reminder in the book that educated guesses and assumptions by world leaders and their intelligence sources, generals, and business executives, when it comes to the most crucial decisions, are almost always at least partially wrong。 The completely right educated choice is the rarity and almost always stumbled into。 Warfare, whether it is in business or on the battlefield is always challenged and thwarted, often tragically, by the unexpected。My father, an oil and natural gas executive, subtly exhorted me to read this book throughout the 1990’s。 He died in 2011。 While I think it was ultimately best that I read the book when I did, I couldn’t help wishing I had read it when he was alive。 So many things I would have loved to ask him。 How much I would love to let him know that I now understand that, while we must finally move on from oil as anything but a seldom used auxiliary energy source, appreciation must be paid to those who struggled and sacrificed during its years of dependence。 It doesn’t mean the criticism of the profiteering and exploitation should be any less。 It should just be balanced。Yergin did something truly amazing。 He brought what could have been mind numbing data and eye crossing businesspeak to life by choosing just the right moments to interweave well known and less well known historical events in with the skill of an expert novelist。 For instance, I had never heard the name, “Balikpapan” before。 After reading the book, I will never think of it again without a catch in my chest and a wish for a movie to be made about it。This book is essential reading。 。。。more

Tharit Tangkijwanichakul

Nice to go through, learning all the craziness revolving around oil in 20th century

Kenneth

A thorough but incomplete history of the oil industry in world history。 Having lived in Pennsylvania almost all of my life and having been to the Drake Well Museum five times, it was great to read about the discovery and development of the petroleum products and their growing uses。This book does not delve into the plastics industry (now a lucrative part of the industry), and it doe not mention Climate Change, if you can believe that!!It was completed in 1991, and we know that global warming was A thorough but incomplete history of the oil industry in world history。 Having lived in Pennsylvania almost all of my life and having been to the Drake Well Museum five times, it was great to read about the discovery and development of the petroleum products and their growing uses。This book does not delve into the plastics industry (now a lucrative part of the industry), and it doe not mention Climate Change, if you can believe that!!It was completed in 1991, and we know that global warming was connected to the burning of fossil fuels back in 1978。 A little more digging and Yergin could have included that。Still, the author (rightly) won the Pulitzer Prize for this very worthy read。 。。。more

Mkbantnergmail。Com

Great history of oil and its effects on the planet's economies, wealth, and environment。 However, could have been abbreviated a bit, seemed to drag on。 Great history of oil and its effects on the planet's economies, wealth, and environment。 However, could have been abbreviated a bit, seemed to drag on。 。。。more

Petros Cheretakis

Long read but essential reading long overdue。 20 century history through the perspective of the most essential of the commodities。

Amber

How about that Daniel Yergin? One feisty writer。

George

This was a fun book to read - albeit a bit long。The history and impact of petroleum (oil) over the last 100+ years was great -- not to mention learning more about Standard Oil and its rise and ultimate break-up。Overall, a good read。 Downside is that it ended in the 1990s! With the changes that have occurred in the oil sector over the last 20 years been included, it would have been even more of a (six month) page turner! :)Read it, you'll like it。 This was a fun book to read - albeit a bit long。The history and impact of petroleum (oil) over the last 100+ years was great -- not to mention learning more about Standard Oil and its rise and ultimate break-up。Overall, a good read。 Downside is that it ended in the 1990s! With the changes that have occurred in the oil sector over the last 20 years been included, it would have been even more of a (six month) page turner! :)Read it, you'll like it。 。。。more

Pam

Yergin would have be proud to write this。

Rajesh Mohta

A magnum opus of a book。。 Amazing history of oil the most important part of our lives。。 The blood the sweat, the imaginative entrepreneurship, of the initial inventors, the power games and greed of the various players。causing so much of the politico economic history of the last one and a half century and it's impact on the changes in our lifestyle A prime candidate for a web series by Netflix A magnum opus of a book。。 Amazing history of oil the most important part of our lives。。 The blood the sweat, the imaginative entrepreneurship, of the initial inventors, the power games and greed of the various players。causing so much of the politico economic history of the last one and a half century and it's impact on the changes in our lifestyle A prime candidate for a web series by Netflix 。。。more

Persian Phoenix

This book is not just a story of oil from the beginning, but an epic journey full of historical insights from the first exploration in Pensylivena in the mid of 19th to the end of the 20th century。 The main feature of the book is that the author provided a narrative of the critical role of in strategies of nations。 It also shows the entanglement and conflicts of corporate with national interests that shaped our modern world and had a profound effect on global business in the 20th century。The las This book is not just a story of oil from the beginning, but an epic journey full of historical insights from the first exploration in Pensylivena in the mid of 19th to the end of the 20th century。 The main feature of the book is that the author provided a narrative of the critical role of in strategies of nations。 It also shows the entanglement and conflicts of corporate with national interests that shaped our modern world and had a profound effect on global business in the 20th century。The last paragraph of the book’s Epilogue:“Creativity, dedication, entrepreneurship, ingenuity, and technical innovation have coexisted with avarice, corruption, blind political ambition, and brute force。 Oil has helped to make possible mastery over the physical world。 It has given us our daily life and, literally, through agricultural chemicals and transportation, our daily bread。 It has also fueled the global struggles for political and economic primacy。 Much blood has been spilled in its name。 The fierce and sometimes violent quest for oil—and for the riches and power it conveys—will surely continue so long as oil holds a central place。 For ours is a century in which every facet of our civilization has been transformed by the modern and mesmerizing alchemy of petroleum。 Ours truly remains the age of oil。” I’m looking forward to reading the author’s proceeding book: The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World 。。。more

Anika

A great start and one defiantly worth reading。

Eldora

Lots of action and the drama was literally awesome。

Matas Maldeikis

Epinis darbas。 Must read。 Klasika。

Zhijing Jin

Three dimensions:1) Oil as a reflection of the industrial revolution。 From lamp to cars to chemical products like plastic。2) Oil as a reflection of capitalism, e。g。, Rockefeller trust。 It is eye-opening to see how Rockefeller plays with monopoly。 E。g。, in order to control the oil, he can control the oil bucket, railway, and banks to give loans to other oil companies。 3) Oil as a reflection of international politics, e。g。, US controls the oil by asking UAE to sell oil with US dollars。 Other event Three dimensions:1) Oil as a reflection of the industrial revolution。 From lamp to cars to chemical products like plastic。2) Oil as a reflection of capitalism, e。g。, Rockefeller trust。 It is eye-opening to see how Rockefeller plays with monopoly。 E。g。, in order to control the oil, he can control the oil bucket, railway, and banks to give loans to other oil companies。 3) Oil as a reflection of international politics, e。g。, US controls the oil by asking UAE to sell oil with US dollars。 Other events include the power control after WWII,Russia selling oil by railway to Europe, Iran-Iraq War, etc。 This can be transferred to the political control or monopoly of AI, e。g。 by controlling the hardwares like chips or NVIDIA, or many other elements。 。。。more

Elta

If you like thrills and intrigue, action, and heroes that stop them – this is for you!

Jonathan

"The Prize" is a comprehensive, if bloated, history of the modern oil industry。 The tale begins with "Colonel" Drake's 1859 Pennsylvania oil strike which used, for the first time, an oil drill adapted from those previously used to drill for salt (as conceived by the American industrialist George Bissell, the entrepreneur who had sent Drake to Pennsylvania in the first place)。 This marked the beginning of the modern, mechanized oil industry。 Yergin then embarks on a 150-year (the epilogue extends "The Prize" is a comprehensive, if bloated, history of the modern oil industry。 The tale begins with "Colonel" Drake's 1859 Pennsylvania oil strike which used, for the first time, an oil drill adapted from those previously used to drill for salt (as conceived by the American industrialist George Bissell, the entrepreneur who had sent Drake to Pennsylvania in the first place)。 This marked the beginning of the modern, mechanized oil industry。 Yergin then embarks on a 150-year (the epilogue extends to the Bush Jr。 presidency) story which takes the reader through the rise and fall of John D。 Rockefeller's Standard Oil, through both world wars, and on through the various oil shocks post WWII。 The common thread through all of these episodes was the notion of oil as a strategic commodity, almost uniquely so in the space of all commodities。 This theme was never more evident than in Yergin's discussion of the world wars, and in particular of WWII。 He is doubtless overtly focused on examining the evolution of the war through the lens of the oil industry, but he nevertheless makes a cogent argument for the notion that the Allies' superior access to oil was perhaps the foremost factor in their ultimately prevailing。 For instance, he argues that Rommel's defeat at el Alamein could, more than anything else, be attributed to his armies' inability to access oil along the long North African route from western Libya。 Maybe an expert in WWII history can confirm to me whether that is the commonly held view。It is a history book, but (at least for me) an enjoyable and eminently readable one at that。 It's really long, but is nevertheless an invaluable read if one wants to have a sense about how the world's largest and most integrated industry (maybe I need a Daniel Dale fact check here?) came to be。 There are perhaps lessons to be learned about how to go about unwinding the industry as the spectre of climate change looms large。 。。。more

Michael

Excellent but obviously very long and with an extraordinary amount of detail。 This book is definitely a marathon

Syed Saqib Mumtaz Hashmi

Fascinating Book about History of Oil since its discovery。 The Book also provides perspective for geo political struggle and wars going on the world

Mmiller400m

I had to make a new shelf after reading this。 It's a life changers shelf。 The very few books that profoundly affected me。 This wasn't an emotional book, a lesson learning book, or a religious book。 It was an eye opening account of the first 130 years or so of everything oil。 Showing how almost everything in the modern world is affected by energy and oil。 My paperback copy is a wrinkled mess full of underlines, circles, and notes。 That's the best kind of book。 I had to make a new shelf after reading this。 It's a life changers shelf。 The very few books that profoundly affected me。 This wasn't an emotional book, a lesson learning book, or a religious book。 It was an eye opening account of the first 130 years or so of everything oil。 Showing how almost everything in the modern world is affected by energy and oil。 My paperback copy is a wrinkled mess full of underlines, circles, and notes。 That's the best kind of book。 。。。more

Marco

The Prize offers a sweeping narration of the history of oil。 Yergin details the exploits and eventual discovery of the first well in Titusville, the entrance of Rockefeller, and the formation, dominance, and dissolution of the Standard Oil Company。 The development of oil in the Middle East and the marked shift in oil ownership from corporations toward governments are also recounted。 Of particular utility is the chronology toward the end。I’m not one for unnecessarily long books, and although The The Prize offers a sweeping narration of the history of oil。 Yergin details the exploits and eventual discovery of the first well in Titusville, the entrance of Rockefeller, and the formation, dominance, and dissolution of the Standard Oil Company。 The development of oil in the Middle East and the marked shift in oil ownership from corporations toward governments are also recounted。 Of particular utility is the chronology toward the end。I’m not one for unnecessarily long books, and although The Prize is 700+ pages, it makes for a compelling read。 I have no hesitation in rating this five stars and offering my unwavering recommendation to those interested in oil and the history and probable future of energy。 If you’re about to start reading, I would advise attending to the short note on page 781。 It provides an introduction and explanation of the central concepts and terminology in use for the provision of oil and will put you in good stead for the rest of your read。 Enjoy! 。。。more