Crude Reality

Petroleum in World History

Brian C. Black, Ph.D.

$170

Hardback

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English

Rowman & Littlefield
06 October 2020

Mining industry; Energy industries & utilities

Series: Exploring World History

This concise, accessible introduction to the history of oil tells the story of how petroleum has shaped human life since it was first discovered oozing inconspicuously from the soil. For a century, human dependence on petroleum caused little discomfort as we enjoyed the heyday of cheap crude—a glorious episode of energy gluttony that was destined to end. Today, we see the disastrous results in environmental degradation, political instability, and world economic disparity in the waning years of a petroleum-powered civilization—lessons rooted in the finite nature of oil. Considering the nature of oil itself as well as humans’ remarkable relationship with it, Brian C. Black spotlights our modern conundrum and then explores the challenges of our future without oil. It is this essential context, he argues, that will prepare us for our energy transition. Bringing his global perspective and wide-ranging technical knowledge, Black has written an essential contribution to environmental history and the rapidly emerging field of energy history in this sweeping, forward-looking survey.

By: Brian C. Black Ph.D.
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: 2nd edition
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 162mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 667g
ISBN: 9781538142462
ISBN 10: 1538142465
Series: Exploring World History
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 06 October 2020
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgments Prologue Introduction: Beginning as Black Goo PART I: CULTURAL EXCHANGE, 1750–1890 Infrastructure: Drilling for Saltwater 1 From Black Goo to Black Gold 2 Crossing Borders to Increase Supply 3 Modeling Big Oil Infrastructure: Shipping Crude throughout the Globe PART II: GOING MOBILE, 1890–1960 Infrastructure: Pumping Gas 4 Hitting the Road 5 Marching for Petroleum: Supply and Weapons Infrastructure: “Want Fries with That?” PART III: THE GLOBALIZATION OF PETROLEUM DOMINANCE, 1960–PRESENT Infrastructure: Big Science Helps Big Oil 6 Consuming Cultures 7 To Have and Have Not Infrastructure: NYMEX and the Commodity of Crude PART IV: LIVING WITH LIMITS AND ENERGY TRANSITIONS, 1980–PRESENT Infrastructure: Climate Change Reveals a New World Order 8 “Extreme Oil,” Climate Change, and Geopolitics Portrait of Addiction: U.S. Petroleum Use Epilogue: Resource Curse: Time for an Oil Change? Chronology of Petroleum in World History Chronology of Spills Notes Bibliography Index

Brian C. Black, distinguished professor of history and environmental studies and division head of arts and humanities at Penn State Altoona, is the author or editor of several books, including the award-winning Petrolia: The Landscape of America’s First Oil Boom and Gettysburg Contested: 150 Years of Preserving America’s Cherished Landscape. His articles appear in the New York Times, the Conversation, USA Today, Junior Scholastic, and the Christian Science Monitor.

Reviews for Crude Reality: Petroleum in World History

Over the past 150 years, oil has become a ubiquitous part of modern life. Placing a strong emphasis on oil’s environmental impact, Brian Black explores the many ways oil production and consumption have shaped world history. Wide-ranging and engagingly written, Crude Reality is an indispensable starting point for understanding how the world got to be the way it is today and the forces that are shaping its ongoing evolution. -- David Painter, Georgetown University Brian Black is one of America’s leading historians of energy and the oil industry, and this updated book provides scholars and the general public a splendid guide to those subjects. It is concise, thoroughly researched, wide-ranging in focus, and as relevant to our times as history can be. And it’s good reading all the way! -- Donald E. Worster, University of Kansas Crude Reality is a sweeping and accessible survey of how modern industrial societies became ever more dependent on petroleum. A valuable primer for readers wanting to learn more about our petroleum predicament. -- Tyler Priest, University of Iowa