After the discovery of the oil fields, Baku became a special place, where various economic and political interests of international coalitions, industrial clans and leaders were concentrated and clashed. VK begins publishing chapters from the book by Ismail Agakishiev "History of the Baku Oil Industry and the Second Oil Boom (second half of the 19th century - beginning of the 20thcentury.)". The book presents a historical analysis of the emergence and current state of the Azerbaijani oil industry.
The work by Mathew R. Simmons “Twilight the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy” (M. 2007) is especially popular. The author is a prominent analyst of the oil sphere, a member of the US National Oil Board. He studies the oil deposits of Saudi Arabia, which has the biggest oil reserves in the world. The situation in the oil production and oil recycling branches of the country are its strategic secret. Relying on indirect data on the conditions of twelve major deposits of Saudi Arabia and confirmed information on increase of oil production at these fields, the author predicts the decline of Saudi oil development and oil recycling. He is sure that a “twilight of the desert” will change the situation in the world economy dramatically. Simmons urges the main oil producers to provide the world with more precise information about their oil fields. It is necessary for prediction of the moment when their capacity will reach its peak, and for predicting the development of the oil industry in countries of different regions of the world, including the Caspian Basin. One of the main problems of the economy, including the oil industry, is the investment problem.
From this point of view, the book by Stephen and Donna Leeb “The Oil Factor: How Oil Controls the Economy and Your Financial Future” (M. 2007) is interesting. Investing is a complicated business. The most complicated thing is the abundance of external information that could influence decision-making. The book touches on tendencies of the world economy, politics and financial markets in the early 21st century. The crucial factor of economic development is the growth of oil prices caused by boosted demand for it, the authors think. They conclude that oil reserves will be exhausted in the near future and give reasons for the need to replace it with alternative energy sources. Relying on the analysis of many companies, the scientists suggest recommendations on forming an investment portfolio.
The book by Marina Yudenich “Oil” (M.2007) is devoted to the events forecast by D. Yergin in his work “Exploration. The world history of the fight for oil, money and power” (M. 1999). Along with other scientists, she calls the end of the 20th century the epoch of the fight for oil. It is a time when countries and whole continents found themselves at the edge of energy collapse. The Middle East was set on fire by wars; the world superpower the USSR collapsed. The oil countries of the post-Soviet space became centers of economic and political activity. It was high time not only for development and creation, but also for corruption, provocations and attempts at takeovers. The countries of the post-Soviet space faced a dilemma: preserve and improve the status of an independent state or become a raw-material appendage of developed countries attracting international corporations for exploration of their natural resources. The author is the former head of the informational department of the Presidential Administration of Russia. From a publicist's point of view, she assesses the epoch of the fight for oil. The book by Bob Tippee “Where's the Shortage? A Nontechnical Guide to Petroleum Economics” (M. 2005) explains processes in the oil market in recent decades. The author, who has devoted his life to studying the oil business, also describes his own impressions from visiting South America, Europe and the countries of the Middle East. He attempts to estimate various factors influencing oil supply, demand and prices; he convincingly shows mechanisms of the market working and defines major detectors of its changing. According to him, the oil market is the most international sector of the global market. Even though the work analyses processes that were happening in the US oil market, the conclusions reflect economic tendencies of oil industry development for other countries too. That is why the American experience is interesting for all countries. Jeremy Rifkin’s “The Hydrogen Economy: The Creation of the World-Wide Energy Web and the Redistribution of Power on Earth” (M.2006) is devoted to the principle problem – the shortage of oil reserves and the possibilities of replacing oil with other fuel. Unlike optimists who are sure humanity is not threatened by an energy disaster, Rifkin calls on minor and major international business for an energy revolution. He thinks it is philistine to believe that oil has always been found and, if necessary, it would be found again, hope for achievements of technological advance and calm yourself that scientists will figure it out. According to the author, corporations which are monopolists in the sphere of energy supplies are too huge; and the quality of their business doesn’t enable them to manage capacities effectively and provide technological modernization. However, Rifkin’s arguments are imperfect. He is absorbed with major problems at a micro level and ignores some significant details. The book by Rifkin poses a problem, but it doesn’t give any practical prescriptions. However, many books on problems of oil reserves' limits have the same disadvantage.
One of the brightest women of the 20th century, the American Clare Boothe Luce said: “The difference between an optimist and a pessimist is that the pessimist is better informed.” This is the motto of the work by the well-known expert in the global oil business, Eric Lorraine “Oil: Lies, Secrets, Manipulations” (M. 2007). The author takes special place among French scientists who have published works on oil. The main conclusions of the work: at the moment all spheres of life completely depend on oil production. It moves mechanisms of international politics and economy. It is a key for understanding the history of the 20th century. Finding secret springs of oil politics opens a new point of view on developments of World War I and World War II, as well as on events of September 11th 2001, and the military campaign in Iraq. Political manoeuvers of governments, state economy, financial and industrial interests of oil tycoons and oil exporters are mingling into a knot of complicated problems and influence all aspects of life of the international community. Relying on historical facts and statements by qualified people, the author shows the invaluable importance of Baku's oil in the victory over Nazism.
