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The Prize : The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power (平装)
by Daniel Yergin
| Category:
History of the Cold War |
| Market price: ¥ 248.00
MSL price:
¥ 228.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Daniel Yergin has the entire detailed history of the Oil Industry from the first discovery in Titusville, PA to the invasion of Iraq with easy and flowing storyteller style. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-08 00:00>
As an engineer who has worked in both exploration and refining, I would have to recommend this as required reading for anyone who works in the oil and gas industry. Several years of working in the industry have given me a knowledge base, but nothing like the education Yergin gave me in The Prize. This book looks at the history of oil from its beginnings in Pennsylvania, the Standard Oil Trust, the middle east and all the other major discoveries that laid the foundation for the world's largest industry. The most interesting part of the book I found to be the major part oil and its supply played in both world wars. I had no idea what a crucial factor it was in instigating and ending the wars. What an amazing book!! It may be a bit long for those who are not familiar with the industry. But even so, for anyone with a thirst for knowledge about the world we live in, it will be extremely entertaining. Well deserving of a Pullitzer Prize when it was written. |
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Craig (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-08 00:00>
Simply, this is a book one simply must read in order to get up to speed on the history of oil in world history. It affects the way we live, our prosperity, our technology, what we wear, what we eat, how we build our homes and work spaces, and even how and why we wage war. The book covers the history from the time that oil was sopped up from surface pits, to the discovery of "rock oil" and its uses to make kerosene and cheaper lighting through the 1991 first Gulf War.
It has always been a wild industry with big winners and big losers. Huge risks have paid big off handsomely and even more often have handed out ruin. Those building and running the industry have gone to the ends of the earth and down to its depths to acquire the crude that is made into so much of who we are today.
Yergin handles this big canvas well. He writes even handedly about the development of the industry and its geo-political implications. For example, the decision to move ships from coal to oil in World War I had huge implications and added much to British Naval Power. We all know how the issues of oil and the Middle-East and Israel are all mixed together in a dangerous balancing act that has been used by a few for their own ends rather than trying to find a path to peace.
This is an excellent book and one that I think essential to one's understanding of the world we inhabit. Please get a copy and enjoy all it has to offer. The book is about 775 pages with another couple of hundred pages of notes, index, and a three page chronology of major events in the history of oil from 1853 to 1991. |
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Miller (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-08 00:00>
The Prize follows the major developments in the oil industry, from its inception with the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company through the Gulf War. The Prize well deserves the praise it has received. Yergin's research and knowledge of the history of the oil industry are obvious and make this a great historical work, yet the length and the abundance of detail do not impinge on the readability of the book.
Among many insightful sections of this book, I found the chapters on the role of oil in the Second World War to be particularly interesting. After reading other books about the battles of that war, it was useful to learn something about the logistics behind those battles.
It is unfortunate that this book is already a decade old. In his epilogue, Yergin touches on the Gulf War and the effects of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world's largest oil producer in the late 1980's, but this was not quite history yet when he was writing The Prize. |
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Joe (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-08 00:00>
I was amazed by this book. On almost every page, I found myself gasping, and wanting to share the latest development or information with whoever happened to be in the room at the time. If I was on my own, I often still said 'wow' out loud.
It's not just the information that is in this book, but the masterful way in which it is written. It is as gripping as any thriller. Ostensibly, it is the history of the oil industry, but this becomes so much more than a book about business. It's an excellent version of the history of the twentieth century, with all it's tribulations and compelling twists. I think this would probably be my desert island book. I plan to read it many, many times. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-08 00:00>
If you want to learn about the impact that oil has had and still has on the world -read this outstanding book. It has an enormous amount of wildly interesting andecdotes and history of the movers and shakers in the world of oil. It reads like a novel - I couldn't put it down. Great book to take to the beach. Covers social, political and economic history-one of the best history books ever written on any subject! |
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Douglas (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-08 00:00>
This book is a complete and thorough history of the most important natural resource. Its reach is unequalled. From the beginning of the industry in western Pennsylvania to oil's modern strategic importance, the book is simply awesome in scope. Yergin does an excellent job of telling the story and backing it with plenty of source information and footnotes.
After reading this book, I see World War II in a completely new way. Oil as a strategic resource has changed the face of warfare. I always knew this, but couldn't tell you exactly why. After reading this book, I can tell you why. I loved the history of the Germans' and Japanese efforts at synthetic fuels productions. This book also contains a good chapter about the Iran-Iraq war, a topic that has been relatively difficult to find good information on.
If I was forced to make one critical comment about this book I would say that I would have liked to have had one chapter describing some of the basic technical processes involved in refining oil. But with such a long and informative book, I suppose everybody could list "one" more chapter that they would have liked. |
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Williams (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-08 00:00>
Daniel Yergin has done an amazing job with The Prize. It is meticulously detailed and highly entertaining and enlightening.
Before reading this book, I was under the typical California liberal impression of the oil industry: that we went into foreign countries, took the oil rights and screwed everyone out of everything for the almighty dollar. What I learned surprised me: everything oil companies did was through painstakingly negotiated contracts with the government, which was supposed to last for decades but, due to foreign greed, forced new contracts with steeper terms every couple of years. In fact, most if not all of the oil would have remained rotting in the ground without these companies going in and developing them, for not only their profit but for the third world country's as well.
I want to add that while Mexico and Iran fully nationalized their industries despite clear legal obligations to the contrary, pretty much every other country refused to honor their commitments. It makes me glad to live in America, where contracts are enforcable and people, more often than not, mean what they say. |
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Samuel (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-08 00:00>
Detailed history of oil--the most important commodity of our era. Beautifully written, exhaustively researched--and an enjoyable reading experience. One of those books that you don't want to put down. |
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Hunt (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-08 00:00>
An excellent history of the oil industry. This book civers fron the first oil find until today. It well documents the impact that oil has had on the world in the past as well as today. The formation of some of the biggest industrial concerns in the history of the world a covered in this book as well. The author also explains the dominant role of the Middle East in the oil industry picture. This is a very informative and readable book even if it is long. This book is a good writing on a subject that is hard to write about. This book also does a good job describing the makeup and breakup of the Standard Oil Company. Be sure to read this book. |
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Saurabh (MSL quote), USA
<2007-06-08 00:00>
This book is fantastic. Gripping, well-written, insightful. It tracks the history of a business that has gone from total anarchy to total centralization (and back again), from the iron grip of the West to the single most important threat to Western existence. Critical to understanding our world today and what challenges we face going forward. |
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1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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