A stunning and revealing examination of oil’s indelible impact on the countries that produce it and the people who possess it.

Every unhappy oil-producing nation is unhappy in its own way, but all are touched by the “resource curse”—the power of oil to exacerbate existing problems and create new ones. In Crude World, Peter Maass presents a vivid portrait of the troubled world oil has created. He takes us to Saudi Arabia, where officials deflect inquiries about the amount of petroleum remaining in the country’s largest reservoir; to Equatorial Guinea, where two tennis courts grace an oil-rich dictator’s estate but bandages and aspirin are a hospital’s only supplies; and to Venezuela, where Hugo Chávez’s campaign to redistribute oil wealth creates new economic and political crises.

Maass, a New York Times Magazine writer, also introduces us to Iraqi oilmen trying to rebuild their industry after the invasion of 2003, an American lawyer leading Ecuadorians in an unprecedented lawsuit against Chevron, a Russian oil billionaire imprisoned for his defiance of Vladimir Putin’s leadership, and Nigerian villagers whose livelihoods are destroyed by the discovery of oil. Rebels, royalty, middlemen, environmentalists, indigenous activists, CEOs—their stories, deftly and sensitively presented, tell the larger story of oil in our time.

Crude World is a startling and essential account of the consequences of our addiction to oil.


From the Hardcover edition.

 

"With the clarity of a hard-boiled investigator and the grace of a fine writer, Peter Maass reveals how oil has cursed the countries that possess it, corrupted those who want it, and wrought havoc on a world addicted to it. Brilliant and compelling."

 

"Crude World gets its energy from Peter Maass's exhaustive investigation and first-hand experience and results in an illuminating narrative of the true impact of the global dependence on oil. His engaging historic perspective brings clarity to what should come next. This book is essential reading for these times and for anyone interested in making the right decisions about our energy future."

 

"Getting off oil is a great idea for a lot of reasons, like saving the planet's climate. But Peter Maass gives us another set of bonuses. If you think drug dealing is a dirty business, then meet the biggest drug of all."

 

"Impressively well informed . . . Maass is a keen observer, a fine storyteller and forceful writer, and his book is a readable gem for anyone seeking a primer on the history of oil and its geopolitical ramifications."

 

"Perpetually informative . . . Maass's book is in a class by itself, as he constructs his relentless indictment on a foundation of first-rate reporting and superb writing."

 

"Unflinching . . . Engrossing . . . Equal parts Heart of Darkness and Mad Max."

 

"Powerfully written."

 

"A spare, engaging work of reporting."

 

"Bravely reported . . . Compelling."

 

"Maass is a disciplined reporter and crafts a fine tale. Crude World is a chilling read--excellent and informative along the way."

 

Crude World by Peter Maass
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