Every unhappy oil-producing nation is unhappy in its own way, but all are touched by oil’s power to worsen existing problems and create new ones. Crude World explores the troubled world oil has created—from Saudi Arabia to Iraq, Russia, Nigeria, Venezuela and beyond. The book features warlords in the oil-rich Niger Delta, petro-billionaires in Moscow, Americans in Baghdad, the gesticulations as well as the politics of Hugo Chavez, and officials in Riyadh who avoid uncomfortable questions about Saudi reserves. A journey into the violent twilight of oil, Crude World answers the questions of what we do for oil and what oil does to us.

“Thousands of books about the oil culture exist in English, and thousands more in other languages. Maass’ book is in a class by itself, as he constructs his relentless indictment on a foundation of first-rate reporting and superb writing.” —USA Today

“Powerfully written … His book teaches us an old lesson anew: that the true wealth of nations is not discovered in the ground, but created by the ingenuity and sweat of citizens.” —The New York Times Sunday Book Review

“Riveting and illuminating … A moral reckoning with basic instincts.”—The Nation

“The strength of Crude World, filled with vivid reporting, is that it leaves you no option but to care.”—The Observer

“Peter Maass takes a fascinating, nightmarish journey to the far end of the pipeline. If you want to know the true cost of America’s oil addiction—and even if you don’t—you should read this book.” —Elizabeth Kolbert

“This book is essential reading for these times and for anyone interested in making the right decisions about our energy future.” —Robert Redford

“With the clarity of a hard-boiled investigator and the grace of a fine writer, Peter Maass reveals how oil has cursed the countries that possess it, corrupted those who want it, and wrought havoc on a world addicted to it. Brilliant and compelling.” —Robert Reich

“Getting off oil is a great idea for a lot of reasons, like saving the planet’s climate. But Peter Maass gives us another set of bonuses. If you think drug dealing is a dirty business, then meet the biggest drug of all.” —Bill McKibben