Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The history of the oil and gas industry and how it has permeated politics, trade relations and more is chronicled in BLOWOUT, by Rachel Maddow. Maddow starts with Rockefeller and the beginning of the oil industry and continues through the beginning of the Trump administration. Maddow covers the environmental impacts of the industry, the greed and narcissistic dominance that breeds from oil and gas, and the political highs and lows that have crossed paths with desire to be master of oil and gas. Maddow does an excellent job of providing historical texture to each facet of the oil and gas industry. From the history of Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma, to the creation and evolution of the magnates in the industry, to the foreign, specifically Russian, approach to oil and gas collection and all of the right and wrong ways they went about it. Maddow's black humor and harsh criticism of industry and political leaders is clear; she uses those tools to point out the absurdity that all of the greed and naricissism that the industry creates. One of the best aspects of the book is the description of fracking; how it works, the benefits of it and if done improperly, the multitude of problems it creates. Well-written and compelling to read, BLOWOUT fosters a greater understanding of the entire industry and while there are moments that Maddow is clearly making her opinions known, the core of the book is refreshingly unbiased and factual. Thank you to Crown Publishing, Rachel Maddow, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!