Customer Reviews

The Color of Oil : The History, the Money and the Politics of the World's Biggest Business

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

We hear so much about turmoil in the Middle East from economic, political and religious perspectives that, as a chemical engineer, I sought out this book in hopes of gaining some additional 'behind-the-scenes' insight into the dynamics of the industry that most strongly affects, and is affected by, this unrest. This wasn't the book I was looking for.

I won't say it's a bad book; it's non-technical easy reading, it just didn't suit my needs. For instance, there is no table of, say, the world's top ten exporting countries or of proven reserves by country, but yet there's an 11-page biography of the life of John D. Rockefeller (including a 2-page summary table with several portraits of him throughout his life). For some unexplained reason, there are 10 color plates of computer-generated artworkm, which adds absolutely nothing to the book.

The authors understandably are optimistic about the future of the oil industry and justifiably critical of the environmentalist movement. They give a good description of why, for example, Saudi Arabia can't just 'open the spigots' and flood the markets with cheap oil, but we're forced to wade through so many pointless personal anecdotes that it makes it almost not worth reading the book to get to these useful parts.

In short, I'd recommend this book only if you need to read something about the oil industry and have no other alternatives. Otherwise, go for _Hubbert's Peak_.

Most people wouldn't choose a book on the oil industry to curl up with when they want a good read. But most people haven't crossed paths with Michael Economides and Ron Oligney, authors of "The Color Of Oil".

Subtitled "The History, the Money and the Politics of the World's Biggest Business," the book is divided into nine chapters, which are color-coded to symbolize primary themes. The lead chapter is "Green: The money, wealth and economics of oil." Another segment called "Black" deals with the physics of finding and producing oil. "Red, white and blue" outlines the history of the oil industry in the United States. A separate "Red" section chronicles the wars waged in pursuit of oil. And "Colors of the Rainbow" deals with the vastly different cultures of the world's oil producing nations.

The book, written from personal experience is filled with stories and incidents the two have encountered in their careers. And like the authors, it provides a unique perspective that differs from conventional wisdom.

With a one-two punch of factual data and anecdotal stories, Economides and Oligney peel open the somewhat dark and mysterious ways of petroleum in modern culture and commerce. It was particularly fascinating (and somewhat gratifying) to read how the oil industry's own political self-dealing for the first half of the twentieth-century (always with the more-than-willing assistance of supposedly populist politicians) nearly led to its own demise in the 1970s and 80s... And, the impact of those lessons in the so far relatively laissez faire 90s and 00s and into the next century.

I am somewhat baffled by the assertions of reviewer Stephen Mark, especially about the book's "extremely political" and "ungrammatical" nature. If anything, The Color of Oil exposes the foibles of politics and is an appeal to reason, which of course, is essentially (in the truest sense) apolitical. I found the book well-written and entertaining. Check out the anecdote about Stalin's admonition to his oil minister during WWII: "if Hitler gets one drop of oil, we will shoot you..." I won't give the rest away...

If you're the least bit interested in the oil industry, you are in for a real treat...

As a mother and wife with little involvement with the oilindustry, I picked up a copy of the book hoping to gain some insightinto the current oil crisis.

I expected the book to be full of technical jargon, but must confess, I was pleasantly surprised.

It gave me a clear and concise perspective of the oil industry, and was an enjoyable read too. Personal anecdotes from the authors at the start of each chapter and the fine original art, really set this book apart.

I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get a better understanding of the world of oil, who is NOT in any way involved or qualified in the oil industry.

Michael Economides and Ron Oligney have taken the world of "big oil" and made all of its components easy to understand and an entertaining read for those with industry knowledge and for those without any oil industry background. From the history to the current politics to technical explanations for exploration and drilling technologies, the entire book brings all of the elements of oil together and logically tells the story of a business that the entire world is dependent upon for survival. A great read considering the current issues with oil prices.

I decided to read "The color of oil" as an introduction to the oil-industry. The authors (Economides and Oligney) are both "oil-guys", so I was a little skeptical to what level the language would be on. But fear not, the book is kept on an accessible level, even for the lay reader.

The authors explains why and how vulnerable the industry is, about the more resent but also the past oil-crisis, how little it takes for the oil-price to spin out of control, governmental interference and how the politics in the industry works (or don't...) etc. Together with this comes, quite naturally, a large dose of American history.

To the authors' credit, they strike the perfect balance between facts, technical jargon, and personal anecdotes, which makes "The color of oil" an easy and entertaining read. I found it to be a great overview over the industry. I picked up lots of new facts from this book, and I am most certain that I will cite this book in the future.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to fill in (or update) on the knowledge of the oil industry.

The book provided a good overview of the industry for those not in the oil business.

The analogy to colors provided a good reminder of each section. The authors did a good job in helping the reader to have an understanding of the industry within the context of history and economic conditions.

A good read.....not too intimidating nor too technical. A quick read as well. Written so as not to lose the reader.

An optimistic, well documented condensed history of petroleum "the current undisputed king of energy," and its "invisible but firm grip on billions of lives." A quick and well organized read. Highly informative.

I am a Geologist's daughter and one of the authors (Michael)is a friend and associate of my father's (Dr.S.N.Visvanath). The book was with my father and out of idle curiosity I started reading it. The book gripped me from page 1. Facts and information were presented in an absorbing and creative manner. Dividing each chapter into colors and making socio-economic connections was a brilliant idea. For those outside the industry this book is an eyeopener. The language flows mellifluosly and I have learnt more about how petroleum dictates international politics. Congratulations to both the authors!
Sharada Prahladrao,
Bangalore,India

When a colleague suggested I read this book I was expecting a really bland read. Boy, was I surprised! This book is very well written and filled with lots of good and interesting information. A newer book that goes into great detail on oil economics, reserves, etc. and vulnerabilities post-9/11 is Terrorism & Oil by Neal Adams. It's a real eye-opener.