Oil

Starred review from September 1, 2008
This is an excellent choice for high school readers: brief, accessible, and, because it is written from the left side of the political spectrum (and by a Canadian), capable of generating discussion by virtue of its "outside" perspective. Laxer (political science, York Univ., Toronto) makes a complex subject clear with the aid of time lines of oil history, highlighted points of interest, and a solid list of sources for further reading. The author's account of corporate involvement in the oil patch is especially interesting. For school and public libraries

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2008
In this compact overview of the oil industrys growth over the past century and a half, Laxer, an authority on Canadian and world economics, traces the development of each major company and oil patch in Europe, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere in turn--from the rise of John D. Rockefeller to the beginning of the current world crisis in the fall of 2007. In general, the author allows the facts to speak for themselves, but he closes with a sharp critique of policies that depend on market forces to address the environmental impact of oil consumption. The narrative is laced with statistics but virtually unsupported by explanatory charts, illustrations, or even sidebars. Even so, it will offer readers who have a serious interest in the topic an enlightening industrial history characterized by ruthless business practices, vicious political struggles, and fabulous sums of money. Endnotes and brief back matter conclude this Groundwork Guides title.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)