No comments about Computer-Aided Lean Management for the Energy Industry.

5 comments about Off The Grid.

1. If you are looking for practical solutions for alternative energy sources this is not the book for you. This book is a "coffee table" book and provides no information on implementing alternative energy sources whatsoever.
   
   The author displays no knowledge of any scientific principles. I suspect that she has no such knowledge since she actually refers to the four elements (i.e. that asinine Aristotelean concept: earth, wind, fire, water) and comes across as "pointy-haired golf" type with a degree from Harvard (yawn...), and a die hard member of the parasitic class of life (i.e those people who don't know anything about the universe other than how to operate their iPods and order coffee at Starbucks). She comes across as if she has never connected a single electrical device other than her hair dryer in her lifetime. I don't think she could state a single equation in physics or electrical engineering if her life depended on it. The only information in this book really is her vague generalizations about Edison, Ford, and the history of the energy which consists of only a few sentances.
   
   This book is essentially a book full of pictures of houses. It does not even show photographs of the alternative energy sources used in the houses, just the houses themselves. If you have never heard of or seen a house before you may learn something from this book but otherwise you aren't going to get any knowledge out of it. If you have heard of a house before and would like to learn how houses can use alternative energy sources, I suggest you read "The Renewable Energy Hanbook."



2. Although I liked this book, it is not necessarily helpful. Most of the featured homes are much too expensive for your average middle income homeowners. I was looking for housing solutions for the Southeastern US and like almost every other publication out there, this book completely ignores our region. I suspect it is because our hot, muggy conditions are not as conducive to off the grid living as the other areas featured.



3. My husband and I are looking into building an off-the-grid cabin, and Lori Ryker's book was really helpful for putting all the options in perspective. It is not a technical, in-depth how-to book; it is more of an overview of the different possibilities. The author, a working architect and a professor of architecture at Montana State University, looks at ten different homes that range from grid tied to completely independent for their energy needs. After reading Ryker's book we decided we could build a house that is entirely off the grid; in particular, I was inspired by the four entirely off the grid homes featured in the book, one of which was designed by the author. The homes were built for different environments and living situations--from a full-time 2620 square foot residence in a remote part of Australia, to a 620 square foot vacation cabin on an island in Minnesota, to a 2620 square foot vacation home that is open to the elements of the Texas Hill Country. Some of the energy solutions surveyed are relatively simple and inexpensive (collecting water in cisterns) and others are more high tech and expensive (solar electric panels). This book is a great starting place for someone who wants to see what the possibilities are.



4. This is a tremendous book that provides great food-for-thought for those interested in both quality design and off- or nearly-off grid living. Even if some of the houses might be out of range as noted by one commenter, there are still boat-loads of ideas around every corner.
   
   Great photos, too!



5. This book, "Off the Grid", and Lori Ryker's other book, "Off the Grid Homes", are just mildly interesting. I regret having ordered them both at the same time. Had I seen one, I would not have bothered with a second. In fact, had I seen one before before purchasing, I would not have purchased either. Kemp's book, "The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-grid And Sustainable Living", is what most people will find interesting and useful.

2 comments about Vault Career Guide to the Energy Industry.

1. I've been targeting a job in the energy sector ever since I started my MBA program two years ago, and for most of that time there were NO books out there to help me. This is exactly the book I was hoping would get written - a short textbook on the industry (complete with useful equations), a taxonomy of jobs out there, and tips on landing and surviving the first job. There is no other book of its kind out there like this. The author is an extremely clear writer with a knack for making complex topics seem easy to understand. In the fall, I will start my hard-won job with one of the major energy merchants, and I definitely owe my success to this book. Thank you!



2. As a soon-to-be career changer with a background in engineering, this book was a great feeler for the energy industry and the issues applicable to it. Since it's coming from the Vault, most of the jobs described in here are MBA type positions but an MBA isn't really necessary for most of the jobs in the energy sector. Ms. Chung gives a great overview of the different areas in the sector in the beginning of the book and then moves on to the descriptions of each functional position with salary ranges and a "day in the life of." Also valuable is the wealth of online resources provided at the end of the book. Buy this one if you're curious about what role you can serve in the energy sector!

5 comments about The Age of Oil: The Mythology, History, and Future of the World's Most Controversial Resource.

1. great background history to today's strategic events in Middle East



2. "Oil is the most vital resource of our time" - an attention-getting introduction to Maugeri's "The Age of Oil"
   
   The first section covers the history of oil, beginning with Drake's discovery, Rockefeller's monopoly on refining and transportation, the entry of other competitors (Russia, Texas, Mexico, Venezuela), Churchill's leadership in converting the British Navy and then create a protected source in Persia, new uses (transportation, plastics) and the fading of its original attraction (lighting), the development of new industries dependent on oil use (autos, motels, gas stations), Texas' regulations providing a model for OPEC, new Arab producers, etc., with a periodic sprinkling of former warnings that we soon would run out. Then follows the '73 oil embargo, the '79 second shock (Iranian Revolution + rebellion in Venezuela + Soviet invasion of Afghanistan + the Iran/Iraq War), the '96 counter-shock caused by the Saudi decision to regain their market share (beaten down by considerable cheating among OPEC members; not motivated by Reagan's efforts to beat down the Soviets, though their lowered internal prices did not even cover production costs and the Saudi action sharply reduced their external earnings), and Hussein's '90 invasion of Kuwait (U.S. response was driven by fear he would go on to Saudi Arabia).
   
   Maugeri also informs readers that Russia's shock therapy privatization failed due to the absence of a legal framework for the process, and the existing deep-rooted corruption within the system. The result was a redistribution of Russia's riches (including oil) into the hands of the elite, further acerbated by a "loans-for-shares" scheme by the oligarchs to prop up Yeltsin through the next election (Russia's failure to repay them was followed by rigged auctions that further enhanced the new capitalists' riches).
   
   Ensuing negative production projections were caused more by disruption in Venezuela, Russia and Iraq, terrorism threats, oil companies' focus on buy-backs instead of exploration, oil company write-downs of reserves (due to the financial difficulty in developing, and in some cases even accessing them), China's surging use, and the Katrina disruption. A unique Maugeri contribution is his pointing out that environmentalists concerns also led to an exaggerated appearance of shortage due to special increased demand for the lighter, sweeter crudes most quoted in the media.
   
   "The Age of Oil" then moves to the question "Are We Running Out of Oil?" Maugeri thinks not, again citing the numerous prior cries of impending doom. Rationale offered include Hubbard's theory applying ONLY to areas already well-explored (the U.S.), a new Russia theory disconnecting oil creation from organic sources - thus broadening its possible locations, improved recovery methods, inadequate exploration of large Middle East areas (the nations involved choosing instead to focus on developing existing fields - some of which still use 40+ year-old equipment), examples where prior recovery estimates proved wildly short (eg. Kern County, CA), neglect of alternative sources (shale oil, tar sands, ultra-heavy oils), and the potential improved efficiency from switching users to diesel.
   
   Bottom-Line: Maugeri may well be correct in believing that oil doomsayers are overly pessimistic, especially given their track record. On the other hand, I'm also reminded of the hypochondriac who constantly woke up thinking he was dying - one day he was right! Finally, concern for global warming may make questions about oil reserves irrelevant!



3. This book is worth reading: a broad and experienced view of the history of the energy industry; well-written and (especially considering the position of the writer as an officer of a major international oil company) remarkably objective in describing the rivalries of independents vs. majors and private companies vs. state companies. It is a worthy up-date to Daniel Yergin's monumental work, The Prize.



4. This was a really interesting book to read. It is well written, so even when he is giving the detailed history, it is easy to read. The book is non-political in my opinion. I was hoping for greater confirmation that we are not any where near peak oil. He seems to have this opinon (that there is plenty of oil) but does not really focus on it. He pretty much deals with the facts and lets you make your own conclusions. Many of the negative opinions seem to be from the "oil panic" crowd that does not want to have their point of view challenged.
   The book is very educational and very informative. You learn that we are not likely to run out of oil any time soon, that we have been through many oil cylcles with extremely high prices, and the market always has stabilized.
   Worth your time to read.



5. The book explains the role of oil in general from different aspects relying on personal expertise together with a deep view of the future.I supervised the translation of the book into Arabic after choosing one of our best translators to ddo the job.I also wrote an introduction to the Arabic version and later published three book reviews about it,one in a daily newspaper(Raya in Qatar),the other two in Monthly magazines(Doha in Qatar and Media/Communication in Saudi Arabia).The Arabic translation edition was sent to many leading persons in the field of oil industry .Kindly pass this information to the author and thank him on our behalf.

No comments about Empires of Oil: Corporate Oil in Barbarian Worlds.

No comments about Energy-Efficiency Upgrades: Principles, Details, Examples (Detail Practice).

No comments about Modeling and Forecasting Electricity Loads and Prices: A Statistical Approach (The Wiley Finance Series).

No comments about The Professional Risk Managers' Guide to the Energy Market (PRMIA Risk Management Series).

1 comments about Force and Motion: Stop Faking It! Finally Understanding Science So You Can Teach It.

1. I've never even come close to understanding even one of Newton's laws. I only made it through Physics in college because my brother-in-law is a science whiz, and I took the course over the internet. I am so happy to have come across this book though. For the first time in my life, I think I get it! Robertson's explanations address all of my (to what some people may believe) silly questions respectfully - as if I am the one who is logical for questioning and not grasping it! He explains the rationale behind the concepts in a humorous (sometimes laugh out loud) way - and I walked away wishing I could take a stab at that college physics class once more.

No comments about Biofuels for Transport: Global Potential and Implications for Energy and Agriculture.