ENERGY FUNDAMENTALS & TRANSITIONS
1. Energy and Civilization by Vaclav SMIL (2018)
A masterful examination of how energy shaped human civilization*
2. Oil 101 by Morgan DOWNEY
The essential primer on oil markets, from geology to trading*
3. More and More and More by Jean-Baptiste FRESSOZ (2024)
What if everything you thought about energy transition was wrong? A provocative history of energy consumption*
4. From Edison to Enron by Richard MUNSON (2005)
The evolution of electricity markets from innovation to manipulation*
5. The Prize by Daniel YERGIN (2009)
The Pulitzer-winning epic of oil, power, and money*
6. The New Map by Daniel YERGIN (2021)
How energy, climate, and geopolitics are reshaping our world*
7. Renewable Energy Finance by Charles W. DONOVAN (2015)
Powering the future through innovative energy financing*
CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT DEBATE
8. Time to Act by CHRISTIAN CLIMATE ACTION
Finding common ground in the climate debate beyond social media polarization*
9. The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels by Alex EPSTEIN
A controversial defense of fossil fuels’ role in human flourishing*
10. This Changes Everything by Naomi KLEIN
A radical examination of capitalism’s role in climate crisis*
11. False Alarm by Bjorn LOMBORG
A pragmatic critique of environmental alarmism through cost-benefit analysis*
12. Predicting our Climate Future by David STAINFORTH
A scientific deep dive into climate modeling and forecasting*
COMMODITY TRADING & MARKETS
13. The King of Oil by Daniel AMMANN (2010)
The controversial life of Marc Rich, who revolutionized commodity trading*
14. The World for Sale by Javier BLAS and Jack FARCHY (2020)
A thrilling expose of modern commodity traders who quietly shape our world*
15. Metal Men by Craig COPETAS
Inside the world of commodity traders who bet billions*
16. Traders, Guns & Money by Satyajit DAS
A witty insider’s view of financial derivatives and those who trade them*
17. Back to the Futures by Scott H. IRWIN (2023)
From dirt bikes to commodity futures: understanding how markets work*
18. Speculation by Commodity Index Funds by Scott H. IRWIN (2023)
The impact on food and energy markets*
19. Out of the Shadows by Jonathan KINGSMAN (2019)
Modern grain trading’s evolution from historical commodity houses*
20. Commodity Crops by Jonathan KINGSMAN (2021)
Understanding the traders who feed the world*
21. Commodity Conversations by Jonathan KINGSMAN (2017)
Inside stories from the world’s leading commodity traders*
22. Guide to Commodities by Caroline Bain
The Economist’s primer on commodity markets.*
RESOURCE GEOPOLITICS
23. The Extraction State by Charles BLANCHARD
How resource extraction shapes political power and state development*
24. The Looting Machine by Tom BURGIS (2016)
Exposing how resource wealth fuels corruption in Africa*
25. Winner Take All by Dambisa MOYO (2012)
China’s race for resources and what it means for the world*
26. The Power of Geography by Tim MARSHALL (2015)
How geography constrains and shapes global power politics*
27. Prisoners of Geography by Tim MARSHALL (2015)
Ten maps that explain everything about global politics*
MEGAPROJECTS & INFRASTRUCTURE
28. How Big Things Get Done by Bent FLYVBJERG and Dan GARDNER
Why megaprojects fail and how to make them succeed*
29. Industrial Megaprojects by Ed MERROW
Lessons learned from hundreds of billion-dollar projects*
FINANCE & MODELING
30. Corporate Finance by Jonathan BERK and Peter DEMARZO
The definitive guide to corporate financial decision-making*
31. Risk is an Asset by Wayne PENELLO & Andrew FURMAN
A fresh perspective on risk management in commodity markets*
32. Escape from Model Land by Erica THOMPSON
Why financial models fail and how to use them wisely*
33. Factfulness by Hans ROSLING, Ola ROSLING, and Anna ROSLING RÖNNLUND
Data-driven optimism about human progress*
AGRICULTURAL & FOOD COMMODITIES
34. The Cotton Kings by BAKER & HAHN
How cotton traders shaped American capitalism*
35. Merchants of Grain by Dan MORGAN (2000)
The classic expose of the grain trading business*
36. The Great Grain Robbery by James TRAGER (1975)
The fascinating story of the Soviet Union’s secret grain market coup*
37. The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich COHEN
The remarkable rise and fall of America’s banana king*
CORPORATE & BUSINESS STRATEGY
38. Private Empire by Steve COLL
ExxonMobil’s powerful influence on global affairs*
39. The New Nature of Business by André HOFFMANN and Peter VANHAM (2024)
Reimagining business for sustainability and prosperity*
40. Man of the Futures by Leo MELAMED (2021)
Memoir of the man who revolutionized financial futures trading*
41. Blood & Oil by Bradley HOPE & Justin SCHECK
Inside Saudi Arabia’s rise to global power through oil wealth*
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
42. Chip War by Chris MILLER (2022)
The fight for the world’s most critical technology*
43. Power Metal by Vince BEISER
Exploring the race for critical minerals powering our modern world*
44. Rise of the Mining Royalty Companies by Douglas SILVER
How innovative financing transformed the mining industry*
45. The Saltwater Highway by Anthony WHITWORTH
Innovation and evolution in maritime trading routes*
46. The Frackers by Gregory ZUCKERMAN
How fracking revolutionized American energy*
47. Material World by Sergei CHERTISCHEV
The six raw materials that shape modern civilization*
HISTORICAL INVESTIGATIONS
48. Fossil Capital by Andreas MALM
The rise of fossil fuels and the birth of global capitalism*
49. The Oil Road by James MARRIOTT & Mika MINIO-PALUELLO
Following oil’s journey from the Caspian Sea to Europe*
50. The Seven Sisters by Anthony SAMPSOM
The classic history of the major oil companies*
51. The War Below by Ernest SCHEYDER (2024)
The battle for critical minerals beneath the Earth’s surface*
52. Vermeer’s hat by Timothy Brook
Tracing 17th-century global trade routes through Dutch art.