Seven Stories Press Crude: The Story of Oil

This is a wonderful overview of the history, geology, science, and politics of oil. She's a wonderfully clear and well organized writer. A few paragraphs in the first chapter summarized what I learned in a semester of organic chemistry. The geology and history of exploration is fascinating, and some of the recent history is disturbing. If nothing else, the book shows that large successful businesses have a very narrow focus, and we shouldn't expect them to watch for the environment and human welfare. The problem is that the oil companies are bigger than many of the governments they operate in!

"Crude - The Story of Oil" is a disappointing book that did not live up to its promise. It came across to me as a polemic against the oil industry; dressed up as scholarship with more source references than I have ever seen in a non-specialist, popular book.Virtually every paragraph has several notes. Even the two-and-a-half page concluding chapter has 10 references. But a profusion of notes does not imply objectivity or even completeness.Shah has certainly been a diligent researcher of her topic, but unfortunately she has not translated her mass of material into an objective account of the issues surrounding oil. Maybe that was not her intent.Shah is a journalist according to the cover blurb, and it shows. The book uses the clichés and tricks of reportage that are commonplace in newspapers. Rather than enhancing the arguments, such a style comes across as partisan and off-putting.This book will appeal to those who share similar views to Shah, but it will disappoint thoughtful readers who want a balanced account of how crude oil has both enhanced and diminished our lives.