Oil 101

Published in 2009, Oil 101 is an extremely intelligent overview of the oil industry — the geology and chemistry of oil, the production industry, the refining and storage processes, how oil prices are set, how futures markets work, and how businesses hedge oil price exposure. Downey is himself a commodities trader, which means he has skin in the game, and his analysis is well-presented with useful charts and graphs throughout. (This book should be a case study for general non-fiction writers in how to present complicated information clearly, and without merely relying on narrative.) The biggest drawback of Oil 101 is its age, which given the fracking revolution of the 2010s is unfortunately a nearly fatal flaw.