The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations

I retired from the company partly owned by the author, Daniel Yergin. I did not know him personally, but have heard him speak a number of times and have read every book he has written. He probably has as much insight on the geopolitical dynamics of the global energy landscape as anyone alive, and he has a real ability to pick out what is important, summarize, and make it understandable. He also takes what might appear to be a dry topic and turn it into a compelling read. This book was published before the invasion of Ukraine, and even before Biden was elected. But as you read, it will be clear Mr. Yergin would not have been surprised by current events. (This book is definitely not a partisan political book, and you will find no political arguments within).During the summer of 2020 I had the privilege of attending a Zoom meeting in which Mr. Yergin was being interviewed about this book. At the time, Biden was campaigning on his desire to put the US oil and gas industry out of business. I had the chance to ask Mr. Yergin about this. At the time, he said that, despite the rhetoric, he did not think Mr. Biden would want to be the president to jeopardize US energy independence. I’m curious what he might think about this administration’s current policy. (As I said, Mr. Yergin is non-political and would be unlikely to be too critical.)

A person learns about the interactions between the use of energy vs the need for energy. It is a real world evaluation of the movement and use of energy resources. The size of the carbon energy market is substantial bigger, than anyone has imagined and it is going to be bigger in the future. (Two billion people still burn firewood for cooking). To change the energy footprint is both a huge opportunity and a major challenge for us. One must first understand what the needs are, and how much energy is now available. This book gives a person the information about the present market, and where investment in solar, wind and nuclear could save transportation cost, and provide energy security for everyone.

In general, this book provided background and historical threads that brought us to the current status in geopolitics and economics. While the book does a good job in describing "current status" -- it simply "accepts" the general perception (as promoted in the main stream media, etc.). The author does not make any particular effort to ensure that the "common perceptions" are, indeed, an accurate reflection of the realities he discusses. (The weakest section is on "climate change" -- which many writers have criticized due to lack of honest scientific rigor. While "politicians" and "public intellectuals" discuss various requirements (or we're all going to die in 12 years), the science behind this is no where near as impactful. So I liked the first 3/4 of the book and was disappointed with the last 1/4. Worth reading, as always, take it with a big grain of salt.

La importancia del petróleo y el gas en la matriz energética de los países, nos muestra como esta importancia modela el comportamiento entre países y nos ayuda a explicar algunos conflictos actuales y futuros.

A fantastic book on the history and the geopolitics of the worldwide energy ecosystem. An object view that would be of great interest even to people that have a different view. The writing still makes very easy to read even if the book is very dense in information and content. A must read!

Recommend to anyone interested in energy & geopolitics. Very topical at the moment

The book is a tour de force that weaves together history, economics, and political science to explain how we got to this point and where we're heading. From the trade war to the climate crisis, energy is at the heart of it all. Yergin shows us how the battle for energy dominance is upending traditional alliances, remaking economies, and redefining our relationship with nature. The New Map is required reading for anyone who wants to understand the tectonic shifts that are reshaping our world.

The books starts with well explained historical events and how those events sit in geopolitics and energy context. This is useful to see the hindsight how history reveals with shale revolution, turning point of supposedly US LNG import terminals and geopolitics of key countries. My only regret is that nearing to the end and the conclusion, the author presents all facts here and there, ending with a ‘so so’ conclusion in terms of his outlook. The author plays safe and did not present with more detailed analysis leading to his view of the future (his outlook), which I’d rather see. Overall, a good book and worth reading it. 4 star !!

A rigorous and complete analysis of the geopolitical and economic movement based on energy and sources. Very rich in data and insights.

Información fresca y actualizada. Yergin es garantía para este gran tema, en especial en lo que concierne e las nuevas tecnologías. Sobre todo el poder narrativo y las sorpresas que se va uno topando hacen este libro especialmente digerible, tanto para interesados como especialistas. Mi sugerencia sería un adendum técnico sobre el Fracking, para entender un poco más al respecto, al igual que para el proceso de liquidificación del gas metano. No estaría mal.

Fantastic overview of the global energy system

While I didn’t judge the book itself, the printing by Amazon edition is of extremely low quality. It’s not an item you want to hold in your hands, or keep in your bookshelf.Recommend a printing by Penguin, soft or hard cover.

The book itself will be a great read. I have always enjoyed Daniel Yergin's writings. But the packaging of this book -- even though it was in its factory-sealed plastic wrap -- was extraordinary! And shipped by FedEx -- no worries here.