Customer Reviews

Over a Barrel: A Simple Guide to the Oil Shortage

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Tom Mast has written this book as a basic primer for the layperson. This book, however, is overly simplified and is slightly dated. A revision is in order. New sections need to be updated on cellulosic ethanol, the public's cultural bias such as "not a windmill farm / solar panel farm in my neighborhood"

Nice attempt to distill a highly complicated topic for the general public, but it needs to be updated.

Over a Barrel starts with two underlying assumption.
1) That we have optimistically only a decade and half of oil reserves to adequately meet our energy needs (after that our oil supply will be lower than our current demand).
2) That we do not have a viable energy alternative and is unlikely that we will have one when oil does run out, given our current rate of technological development.

While it is true that oil is not a renewable resource, Mast does not mention the advancements in oil recovery techniques that allow us to revisit abandoned wells for recoverable oil. He also does not adequately acknowledge our efforts to manufacture more energy efficient consumer and industrial products. Mast dismisses all forms of hydrocarbon-based fuels as being environmentally unfriendly--hence unacceptable. He correctly points out that using electricity or hydrogen requires a primary energy source.

His treatment of nuclear, wind and solar energies is not thorough, and he ignores other, more esoteric, energy alternatives (e.g., thermal gradients).

Mast's cursory treatment of alternative sources of energy does not equip the reader to evaluate viable energy alternatives. Our market-based economy endures because it focuses our resources on goods and services that matter most to us. Funding for alternative energy sources will come when private enterprise sees possibilities for profits. In this regard, Mast efforts contribute to starting a dialogue on alternative energy sources.

Why do we pay a premium for SUVs that we know they are gas-guzzlers? Can we satisfy our needs (real or perceived) with alternatives that are more energy efficient?

Mast does not acknowledge our psychological needs that influence our buying behavior. The discussion is simplistic and sometimes condescending. Hence, the proposed solutions are general guidelines that ignore the socio-cultural aspects of our lifestyles.

Several assertions are peppered throughout the book in both the discussion and figures (e.g., fig 14, pg 63) with which one could take issue. While these assertions eliminate the need to present careful and perhaps complex analysis, they alienate the reader from internalizing the subsequent conclusions and calls for action.

Armchair Interviews says: In general, Over a Barrel reads more like a rhetoric on our overdependence on oil rather than a cogent analysis of our energy usage.

Over A Barrel: A Simple Guide To The Oil Shortage by petroleum industry expert Tom Mast is a no-nonsense, bare- facts tell-all book written for the everyman. Why are gasoline prices so high, what are the detrimental effects of an increasing oil shortage, and what must America do about it? Over A Barrel presents chilling statistics - such as that our transportation industries are 97% dependent on oil-based fuels, and in sixty years, 80% of current oil resources will have disappeared. American need for oil makes the nation increasingly beholden to hostile oil-producing governments, and puts future generations at risk for increasing impoverishment in the wake of a rising trade deficit, among other woes. Over A Barrel emphasizes the need to get proactive, not reactive - the time to start investing in alternative energy sources is now, for a cleaner and more independent future. Above all, it is time for the federal government as surely as for innovative entrepreneurs to invest time, energy, and money into alternative fuels. Highly recommended.

An excellent book that explains the challenges we face as a nation in regard to our energy and oil consumption. All in 90 easy to digest pages.

Mast does an outstanding job of reviewing the history, demands and economics of oil and energy and does from a unbiased standpoint. This is a must read for anyone who considers themselves an informed citizen. It would also be an excellent primer for use in K-12 schools and universities that are exploring energy, the economy and/or politics.

Short, easy to understand, and to the point, this book cogently lays out the problems and solutions to the impending oil shortage. We have been using more oil than we are discovering for decades now, and we are on the verge of serious economic and life-style issues unless we heed this author's warning and urge our politicians to make changes now. Though this is a quick read, it is not lacking in substance. The statements are supported by extensive footnotes and bibliography for those who want to know more about the data behind the claims.

OVER A BARREL: A SIMPLE GUIDE TO THE OIL SHORTAGE explains the history behind the current oil shortage, the social and technical implications of the crisis, and how the move to alternative fuel sources isn't yet ready to take on the needs of mankind. Four sections explain the issues involved using clear language lacking jargon: the conclusion is that readers need to become more involved in their energy management and the solution to overcoming oil shortages. An excellent, basic survey of issues and ideas

Over the Barrel presents the world energy situation---past,present, and future, in very readable, logical terms. Being a housewife with no connections to the energy industry, my eyes were opened to the critical status of our oil supply, and the complications and expense of the alternatives.

This short concise book hits the nail right on the head. The supply (production) of oil in the world can no longer keep pace with demand. Sharply rising prices signal the second half of the 200 year "Oil Age" as we begin the descent of Hubbert's Peak.

The future of civilization is in great jeopardy. Read all about this most serious subject in OVER A BARREL: A Simple Guide to Oil Shortage.

The oil shortage is already having an impact on our way of life, this is a very timely study written by an expert, a must read for all.