Provides an overview of the petroleum industry, its history, and its key players; examines the relationship between oil, finance, and politics; and explores the future of oil as supplies diminish and global warming threatens

Peak oil demand has become the hot new topic for oil market analysts but as always, runs the risk of being subject to superficial analysis, just as peak oil supply was. The primary arguments come from climate change activists who believe fossil fuel consumption must drop sharply and from...