The Quest

Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World

Daniel Yergin | 4.36 | 4,221 ratings and reviews

Recommended by Bill Gates, and 1 others. See all reviews

Ranked #2 in Energy, Ranked #4 in Oil — see more rankings.

This long-awaited successor to Daniel Yergin's Pulitzer Prize–winning The Prize provides an essential, overarching narrative of global energy, the principal engine of geopolitical and economic change

Renowned energy authority Daniel Yergin continues the riveting story begun in his Pulitzer Prize–winning book, The Prize, in this gripping account of the quest for the energy the world needs—and the power and riches that come with it. A master storyteller as well as one of the world's great experts, Yergin proves that energy is truly the engine of global political and economic change as well as central to the battle over climate change. From the jammed streets of Beijing, the shores of the Caspian Sea, and the conflicts in the Mideast to Capitol Hill and Silicon Valley, Yergin takes us inside the decisions and choices that are shaping our future. Without understanding these realities of energy we will surrender our place at the helm of history.
Yergin shows how the drama of oil—the struggle for access to it, the battle for control, the insecurity of supply, the consequences of its use, its impact on the global economy, and the geopolitics that dominate it—will continue to shape our world. He tells the inside stories—of the oil market, the rise of the “petro-state,” the race to control the resources of the former Soviet empire, and the massive corporate mergers that transformed the oil landscape. He takes on the toughest questions: Will we run out of oil? Are China and the United States destined to conflict over oil?
Yergin also reveals the surprising and turbulent history of nuclear and coal power, electricity, and natural gas. He investigates the “rebirth of renewables”—biofuels and wind—as well as solar energy, which venture capitalists are betting will be the next big thing for meeting the needs of a growing world economy. Understanding this greening landscape and its future role are crucial to answering energy's largest questions.
Yergin brings climate change into unique perspective by offering an original and unprecedented history of how the issue went from concerning a handful of scientists, terrified of a new Ice Age, to one of the most vital issues of our times.
The Quest presents an extraordinary range of characters and dramatic stories that illustrate the principles that will shape a robust and flexible energy security system for the decades to come. It is an extraordinary achievement from an author who is truly one of our nation's great resources. less

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We've comprehensively compiled reviews of The Quest from the world's leading experts.

Bill Gates CEO/MicrosoftAnother great book I read recently was The Quest, by Daniel Yergin. For anyone interested in the dynamics shaping our energy future and all of the innovation around energy, it’s a fantastic book. In addition to my review of his book, I’ve also posted a response from the author to the follow-up questions I had about the important topics covered in his book. (Source)

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