Oil 101,   ISBN:9780982039205

Customer Rating: 

this is a great book for anyone who like to learn about oil wither industrial or other issues about oil, and if you are just a hobbyist or a beginner please don't waste your time with other books this is just your right 1st step and it may be enough for you as well if you don't want to go too much advance in the field.

Customer Rating: 

I had no prior knowledge of the oil industry up until recently and needed to pick up some basics fairly quickly, so I bought Oil 101 off Amazon and found it well worth the effort. It's got enough detail to provide a solid foundation, but it's written in a readable format. I thought the first couple of chapters on OPEC and the oil industry in general were laid out well and would be beneficial to anyone interested in the global economy as a whole.

Glad I own it, highly recommended.

Customer Rating: 

Unfortunately I don't have the time to go in and say what a great book this is, but hopefully mine and the other 5 star ratings will convince you to buy this book!!

Customer Rating: 

I bought this book in the middle of the summer to get a better understanding of the role oil plays in financial markets specifically. Oil 101 spends a number of chapters on history, political impact, exploration, drilling etc.. which sets the ultimate framework on how exactly oil impacts global markets. Later in the book, Downey breaks down how different oil products behave and how to make money trading. A book that provides a complete tutorial on one topic and is this easy to read and understand, is more than worthy of a 5 star pick.

Customer Rating: 

As a keen amateur investor, I've found after reading this book (twice), I get a lot more out of reading a report or article about what an oil company is up to. It's seriously full of well-explained facts about the oil and gas industry. It is quite an achievement that the one book can cover such diverse topics as hydrocarbon chemistry, world oil reserves, futures trading and so on, with such clarity.

I also think its unbiased nature helped me get a better understanding of oil depletion issues ("Peak Oil" theory). Almost everything else I've read seems like pure polemic (plenty of self-interest on both sides of the argument I guess).

EDIT: A couple of days after writing my review, I noticed Morgan Downey had just written an article about the US 'cash for clunkers' scheme on TheOilDrum website ( [...]). Struck me as a good example of his style of writing in Oil 101. He makes some thoughtful observations in the article, backed by facts. His measured responses to some, at best misdirected, comments following his piece make interesting reading too (...and in the unlikely event I ever make it to NY I'll be taking the author's book with me, and taking up his offer of a few Brooklyn Beers!)