An internationally renowned energy expert has written a book essential for every American–a galvanizing account of how the rising price and d...
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reviews
Aug 03, 2011
Jeff Rubin GETS it. From the very beginning of our energy relationship with the hydrocarbon, we have consistently failed to account for the environmental and social impacts of burning it. Western countries in particular built consumer empires of fantasy fulfillment through conspicuous (and inefficient) consumption of oil, and through every periodic crisis of supply, we continue to believe the fiction that politics or technology was the bottleneck hampering its limitlessness.
More recently, we bla More...
More recently, we bla More...
Jul 29, 2011
Mike
rated it: 
This book is about the coming oil shortage, a phenomenon known as peak oil. The issue, as author Rubin makes clear, is not that we will run out of oil anytime soon, but that oil will become more and more expensive as supply fails to match demand. This book is a bit dry, with a lot of figures trotted out, percentages and prices of this and that rising and falling as peak oil plays out. It would have benefitted from some charts or diagrams to illustrate the predicted trends. The book covers pr
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Sep 24, 2010
Keith
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This is a generally good book about oil depletion and its economic effects. I came to it already familiar with the concept of "peak oil," but I think it is a good basic explanation of what peak oil is and what its effects will be.
Rubin's take is that this is the end of globalization. Suddenly, cheap plastic toys from China are going to get a lot more expensive, as China's labor advantage (much less costly than American workers) is overwhelmed by the disadvantage of transp More...
Rubin's take is that this is the end of globalization. Suddenly, cheap plastic toys from China are going to get a lot more expensive, as China's labor advantage (much less costly than American workers) is overwhelmed by the disadvantage of transp More...
Mar 09, 2010
Brian
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A presentation of the case that oil supply is dwindling (and becoming more expensive to obtain) in the face of global rising demand, and what the resultant "triple digit oil" prices might mean to our current way of life which relies on the reduction of distance due to historically cheap oil (globalization). Facts and drawn conclusions are laid out in a simple, logical, straight forward manner (although repeated a bit over the course of the book). The pro's and con's of the changes iden
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Apr 26, 2011
Mitch
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Very thought-provoking book. The author details all the ways our current society is built around cheap oil. Transportation is obvious, but he then goes into all the aspects of our society that must have cheap oil to continue. Food, our restaurants, vacations, communications, personal electronics, etc. It is a given to most of us that everything we buy is built somewhere outside of the US. What happens when oil gets into triple digit prices per barrel? That model breaks down quickly. Rathe
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Mar 13, 2010
Richard
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An interesting presentation of the impact of energy prices on economies and globalization, including how the triple digit oil prices were the beginning of the recession we are in, not just the banks and housing bubbles. Well written but a little repetitive. Good data and thinking as to why oil (and all energy) is going to get a lot more expensive and why the age of cheap energy is gone and how this will impact our lives, how the age of a global economy will change to a local economy and why in
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Dec 05, 2011
Tan
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This book is amazingly easy to read. The basic premise is that oil underpins modern economy - it is essential to making plastics, affects all transportation costs and is thus part of the cost of virtually every commodity in the modern world. It is also getting scarcer, with major oil wells being depleted and new sources of oil like tar sands nowhere near the production of the oil wells in the middle east. The book presents an argument that as oil becomes scarcer and more valuable, we will become
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Nov 13, 2011
Muneeb
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Dec 31, 2009
Zoe
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The subtitle says it all: this book is about "oil and the end of globalization". This was definitely an interesting read, and I found it very accessible. Rubin manages to maintain a conversational tone without sounding condescending. I appreciated the fact that while some parts of the book were disturbing (like the description of how the car companies deliberately destroyed public transit), there's a lot of optimism here too. There are aspects of Rubin's predicted future that certainly
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Jun 22, 2009
Angela
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Although this is yet another peak-oil book, this one isn't all doom and gloom. (At least, not for those in developed countries.) Two things I particularly liked:
1. The explanation of how rising oil prices are going to affect globalization. (Pretty much reverse it).
2. The explanation of how, from a purely selfish economic point of view, a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system would be advantageous for developed countries.
Both of these explanations were very clear, More...
1. The explanation of how rising oil prices are going to affect globalization. (Pretty much reverse it).
2. The explanation of how, from a purely selfish economic point of view, a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system would be advantageous for developed countries.
Both of these explanations were very clear, More...
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Jan 22, 2010
Nic
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Noted economist Jeff Rubin delivers a readable list of problems facing 21st century earth as oil diminishes whilst demand is forecast to grow.
The list of problems includes the politics of oil, irrational consumer behaviour, corporate influence and geo-political power. This list is by no means exhaustive and grows as the book evolves.
I would strongly recommend the book to those just wanting a basic guide to digest the relationship of oil to your everyday life, and the book More...
The list of problems includes the politics of oil, irrational consumer behaviour, corporate influence and geo-political power. This list is by no means exhaustive and grows as the book evolves.
I would strongly recommend the book to those just wanting a basic guide to digest the relationship of oil to your everyday life, and the book More...
Oct 10, 2009
Beau
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This was a pretty good, non-alarmist look at the issue of Peak Oil (i.e. it isn't predicting we'll all be killing each other with rocks for canned goods in ten years like, say, James Howard Kunstler). It's a bit disheartening to read that in our lifetime things like affordable long-distance travel (especially by air) and awesome food being shipped from around the world (including, possibly, coffee) will likely become things of the past. On the other hand (if the higher oil prices Rubin and many
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Aug 14, 2010
Andrew
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Brilliant!
Jeff Rubin's latest hones in on the modern-day problems associated with Oil/Gas in a new approach. Changes in gas prices are explained in a way that's easy to understand, then expanded on to explore the true effects on society. The book forecasts continues rises in oil prices and global changes to reduce dependence on the stuff. I've said it before: the truth can be scary, but Rubin merely states what he believes will happen and adds silver linings, assuring readers that 'd More...
Jeff Rubin's latest hones in on the modern-day problems associated with Oil/Gas in a new approach. Changes in gas prices are explained in a way that's easy to understand, then expanded on to explore the true effects on society. The book forecasts continues rises in oil prices and global changes to reduce dependence on the stuff. I've said it before: the truth can be scary, but Rubin merely states what he believes will happen and adds silver linings, assuring readers that 'd More...
Jan 08, 2010
Danna
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What a breath of fresh air: someone laying out the facts and engaging in a logical presentation of various consequences and potential outcomes. No sugar-coating, but also no alarmist drama. For someone like me who doesn't need a lot of convincing, Rubin does seem to repeat himself, using multiple metaphors and examples to keep driving home the key points, but it obviously bears repeating (be sure to read the introduction). Happily his tone never seemed patronizing, so I didn't mind. He also
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Jun 18, 2009
Anthony
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Jeff Rubin sticks to his area of expertise which is both the strength and weakness of this book. He lays out the facts regarding peak oil in a very organized and easily digestible manner and then follows with the likely economic implications. His globalization discussion is very good and he tries hard to keep to his discipline of economics. Nevertheless he lays out why all of the conventional wisdom ideas of globalization are about to end. He suggest how the new world might look but only very g
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Aug 10, 2011
Justin
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I think there are two stunning insights in Rubin's worth. The first is the role that the mid 2008 oil price spike (remember it was US$147/bbl and over US$4/gallon) played in triggering the domino collapse of all those subprime mortgages. The second is the sheltered domestic price in OPEC economies and the knock on effects that will have under inexorably increasing oil price and tightening supply.
On the other hand, when suddenly bunker fuel costs are enough that shipping anything and everyth More...
On the other hand, when suddenly bunker fuel costs are enough that shipping anything and everyth More...
Mar 17, 2011
Chandra
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I'm giving this five stars because Rubin has been right on, he doesn't rant and rave, and everyone should read this book. I wouldn't have read it, if it hadn't been for class, and I am so grateful I read it. Rubin's voice is patient, clear, and informed, and he expanded my understanding of just how human society really does live entangled with oil and fossil fuels and what that really means for all of us.
The cover looks hokey, but the message rings true. It's an easy read; it won't More...
The cover looks hokey, but the message rings true. It's an easy read; it won't More...
Aug 13, 2011
Jason
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We’ve reached peak oil, and it will run out. The world will never be the same. Sound bad… not really. Sure, the error of excess will be over, no more cheap Chinese crap. No more cheap food from across the planet. Gas will cost way more, and everything will inflate. The upside will be the return to the past. Tighter communities. Less pollution. More jobs resulting from the cost benefit of local work over transportation. This book is a must read. Amazingly concise and extremely well wri
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Oct 27, 2011
Jeff
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This book is about oil depletion and its economic repercussions. It's about a watershed event in history that many refer to as “peak oil.” Just as 16th century European cartographers tried to construct complete maps of the world from fragmentary reports of the known, Ruben's book is a map of the broad contours of the Second Hydrocarbon Age, something that you are already living in. The First Hydrocarbon Age is already in the books. We just mostly don't appreciate that fact, yet.
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Feb 23, 2011
Chris
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An accessible and often engaging introduction for the layperson (and I am definitely a layperson on these topics) on the concept of "peak oil" and the effects that diminishing oil supplies will have on the world we live in, where cheap transportation costs have enabled a large degree of globalization. There are some interesting tangents in the book, as well - a few pages on coffee were particularly interesting. I had no idea that Lloyd's of London could trace its history back to a coff
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May 27, 2011
Julie
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Rubin's book is all about one thing: oil. More importantly, it presents the argument that we're running out of oil, and that's going to have far-ranging consequences. "Peak oil" doesn't mean that there's going to be absolutely no oil left, but that oil is going to become far more expensive to acquire and to refine. The oil shocks of 2008, Rubin argues, weren't a blip but the new reality, and the only reason oil prices have come down recently is because of the recession. As soon as the
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Aug 07, 2011
Guy
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An engaging and entertaining book that suffers from repetition and some poorly thought out arguments, particularly in its second half, which feels a little gadfly-ish.
Rubin does a good job of making some very complex issues (the economic implications of peak oil) pretty clear and overall achieves what he sets out to do, which is prove why localization rather than globalization is going to be the buzzword of the next generation. I particularly liked his summary of the evidence in f More...
Rubin does a good job of making some very complex issues (the economic implications of peak oil) pretty clear and overall achieves what he sets out to do, which is prove why localization rather than globalization is going to be the buzzword of the next generation. I particularly liked his summary of the evidence in f More...
Jun 30, 2009
Brian
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Economist Jeff Rubin describes the likely consequences of the diminishing supply of oil on our economy that has been built on "cheap" oil. Among other things, he suggests that outsourced manufacturing jobs in some sectors will return to the US as the transportation cost of importing goods rises with rising oil prices. This book is a good supplement to Tom Friedman's thesis that the only real way to solve our problems in the Middle East is to remove ourselves ASAP from having to buy the
May 26, 2009
Gregory
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Rubin does an outstanding job of drawing the cause and effect relationships in our increasingly energy scarce world.We are only scratching the surface of the consequences. He illustrates the true costs of energy both oil and its alternatives. Get ready for skyrocketing oil prices and fewer cars on the road. Oh happy day--seriously!!This isn't really a doom and gloom book and it is very accessible to the general reader. My favorite work of non-fiction in some time.
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May 23, 2011
Nick
rated it:
Not good, not bad .... I found similar (even identical) ideas, notes, data, reports etc. in press - basically this guy had the CIBC/Corporate machinery behind him (thus, his work was/is more successful/visually present in stores) .... other than that, it's an ok read .... (I only read about half before stopping)
I was probably waiting for something more original, to be honest, but this guy is no Rosalie Bertell.
I was probably waiting for something more original, to be honest, but this guy is no Rosalie Bertell.
Dec 25, 2009
Link
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This is one of the most insightful and level-headed books to emerge from authors who have recognized that the age of cheap fuel is over. Rubin sees a shift to a more local way of life due to the decline of cheap fuel, which also means a decline in global trading of heavy goods. He presciently envisions a range of changes, some difficult, some disruptive, but some that provide interesting opportunities too.
Oct 04, 2010
Richard
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The back cover features a long quote from the book: “We must reengineer our lives to adapt to a world of growing energy scarcity. And that means learning to live using less energy. While much could go terribly wrong in this transition, don’t be surprised if we find more than a few silver linings in the process. And don’t be surprised if the new smaller world that emerges isn’t a lot more livable and enjoyable than the one that we are about to leave behind.” Unfortunately, although there are
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Sep 22, 2009
Seth
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Superb look at oil and its impact on both energy prices and the world market. I have to heartily disagree with some of the other reviews that said "he just keeps saying the same thing over and over": yes, his thesis that the world is about to get a whole lot smaller is the focus, but the author presents several compelling and insightful arguments to back this up. Just like any real-world situation, there are many angles to look at, and this book does a fine job of examining many of the
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Aug 12, 2011
H
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Far better than most of this genre (current affairs/predictions), I was pleasantly surprised. The relationship of oil and economic cycles is well laid out and convincing. His advocation of a carbon import tariff is an interesting suggestion which needs to be take seriously. The death of suburbia is a little optimisitc but we can hope for an aesthetically better world. Hopefully, he's a little off and I can still enjoy fresh blueberries from Argentina in the middle of February.
Sep 07, 2009
Ikaterina
rated it:
Quotes I enjoyed:
“…clearly there is a lot of low-hanging fruit when it comes to scaling back our energy use.”
I learned way too much about oil and the Middle East. Interesting points included that you can ski in the desert (Ski Dubai), the world oil problem is nothing in comparison to the world water shortage that we’re going to experience in the near future and that there’s a high probability of farmscrapers popping up in urban centers around the world.
Overa More...
“…clearly there is a lot of low-hanging fruit when it comes to scaling back our energy use.”
I learned way too much about oil and the Middle East. Interesting points included that you can ski in the desert (Ski Dubai), the world oil problem is nothing in comparison to the world water shortage that we’re going to experience in the near future and that there’s a high probability of farmscrapers popping up in urban centers around the world.
Overa More...
