One of the author's primary contentions is that "the earth is a closed system." A closed system is one in which all of the energy and forces are isolated from external influences; roughly speaking the system is in a tight box. The laws of thermodynamics say that total entropy, i.e. disorder, can only increase. Thus we are doomed, and only the details need be sorted out. The earth, of course, is not a closed system. The sun shines on the earth producing not only solar energy directly, but producing wind and growing plant life that can be used for fuel. This is so obvious, that the author's credibility is reduced to zero by his "closed system" claim.

I don't doubt that oil production is in decline, but it is a slow decline because new technology makes it possible to economically extract more and more oil from oil fields. In the near term, what we mainly have is coal-to-oil conversion (the US has about 200 years worth at current oil consumption levels), oil shale conversion (much larger amounts), and nuclear energy (about 5000 years supply). On the near horizon (perhaps 25 years) are cellulosic ethanol (made from wood chips and inedible vegetation) and solar electric. Further out there is fusion power and solar energy from space transmitted to the ground by microwaves.

The common thread of doomsayers is that they do not understand technology, and more importantly, how economics interacts with the development of technology. There will be interesting events as the world shifts away from oil to alternatives, a process likely to be played out over the next fifty years, but the end of the world scenario is nonsense.

If you want to know what the near future holds for you, your family and society, Heinberg does a reasonably good job at describing it for the reader. There are, in my opinion, some limits to his content, as well as some "disinformation" about the field of economics, but these are minor issues that do not distract from the meat and potatoes of his message.

The primary focus of this work is based on Peak Oil Theory that was presented by American geologist M. King Hubbert in the mid-1950's -- the fact that the production of available oil will peak, then run out. One of the major criticisms of Hubbert, by the way, is that he was a geologist and not an economist and therefore had limited understanding of the market forces in the decline phases after the peak is reached. This may be true, but I doubt anyone in the mid-1950's had a vision of the modern industrialization of countries like China and India, including their populations' thirst for our world's limited petroleum resources.

I would agree with those, like T. Boone Pickens, who are of the opinion that we are now about a year or two down the road from peak oil with an economy that reflects the fact. Take a look at the stock markets... The markets have been going up when oil goes down in price, yet the reason that oil is going down is based on a U.S. and world-wide economic downturn. When the economic picture looks even a sliver brighter, oil rises eliminating even the small glimmer of a recovery. I heard it described best by an analyst on Bloomberg who described this as an "L-shaped recovery" (the economy will go down and there is no recovery as far as the eye can see) that just about summarizes life post peak oil.

Just as important as peak oil is the concept of cheap oil; in other words, there may be a lot of oil under the ocean but it will be costly to recover. Sure, the Gulf of Mexico may have billions of gallons in deep water off-shore. Perhaps there is another Prudhoe Bay at the bottom of the Marianas Trench... Are you going to pay $25,000 per barrel of oil with current technology to recover it? Inexpensive energy peaked in the 1970's.

Heinberg may have a skewed view of economist -- I don't know of a single student who has covered a micro or macro course in the 101's level that does not understand the ramifications of consuming a limit strategic product without finding alternative resources. It is not going to go well for the United States or any country in the world... Economist do practice a lot of theoreticals with charts, graphs and "what-if's," but they are absolutely cognizant of the world's realities and many of the consequences of price and demand on a finite resource like petroleum.

Finally, I feel that Heinberg paints too positive of a picture of our society when things like power grids and our economic systems fail. Our country, like most other developed nations, keeps their populations compliant by giving citizens a relatively comfortable way of life; the "American way of life if you will." As most of us have seen after Hurricane Katrina, local, state and federal governments have a total inability to control civil unrest on limited scales. Just think if what it will look like when numerous banks fail, prices double overnight, there is no gasoline and the electricity is out. When the gas prices reached $3.75 it was almost impossible to find a policeman on the street and I'm sure this practice was duplicated throughout the country. The prospect gives one great pause that perhaps the "survivalist" may get to see their day come in the near future.

We, in the United States, have lived at the expense of others too long. Our day of reckoning is just around the corner. I don't envy whoever becomes our next president. They'll have a full plate of problems our nation has never seen before.

This book is one of the many that Heinberg has written on the topic of Peak Oil, in addition of course to numerous online articles that he has posted. Much like his other titles, he does not hesitate to call a spade a spade. Would that more writers and commentators would follow his lead in communicating so directly. This effort is among those texts that should be required reading on this topic. It is indispensable.

Heinberg goes at great length into what has precipitated our predicament and he treats options and alternatives in a straightforward and easy to understand manner. He starts by laying a foundation for how the world as we know it has come to be, namely in relation to the enormously generous geological gift we call oil (and other carbon fuel sources). He lays out the trends in oil discovery and its acquisition and how the theorem (or fact) of Hubbert's Peak plays into our current conundrum.

Alternative energy sources is given more than adequate treatment, ranging from natural gas (not entirely a true alternative) to nuclear power, biodiesel, and many others. Heinberg wraps it up by a treatment of the consequences on a global, national, local, and individual level. The afterword concludes this effort nicely by touching on current developments in the realm of related geopolitical events. All told, after having read this book, it is no surprise that Heinberg is considered one of the foremost authors and educators on this topic.

For more Peak Oil reviews: http://www.peakoilresources.com

I like Mr. Heinberg's book very much. His knowledge of the oil business and the energy world is impressive. His insight and technical knowledge is also very good in the book. However, Mr. Heinberg is a liberal democrat and is to the far left on every issue. Mr. Heinberg lives in a very simple world. Liberals are good and virtuous and conservatives are neo-facist and anyone who disagrees with the far left must be a Nazi. Of course, this puts Mr. Heinberg in the camp of the good guys. Mr. Heinberg believes that Mr. Bush (one), started the first Gulf War just to help his Oil buddies get rich. I find this explanation too simple and childlike. I find Mr. Heinberg's understanding about Saudis and the Arab People as naive. Having said this, I can overlook Mr. Heinberg's political views and taste and look at the more important message. This is a great book about energy and the future. It is an important message. This is Mr. Heinberg's best work. Regards, Keith Renick, Project Materials Specialist, Central & Western Region, Project Management Team, Riyadh Refinery, Saudi Aramco Oil Co. Retired.

This book covers the topic of how energy has been the most important factor in the evolution of civilization. And how civilization now, is threatened by the depletion of its main source of energy, oil.
I got into Heinberg's work after watching The End of Suburbia, where he makes several appereances and quotes ideas from this book.
My interest was mainly end of oil and energy alternatives, Party is Over goes all the way back to the beginnings, which is good, but sometimes you feel overwhelmed by so much information. Anyways the facts are good to know and definitely reinforce the concept and value of energy, mainly oil.
If you are interested in having a strong fundamental understanding of energy and civilization this is definitely a book you should read. Heinberg really knows what he is talking about, all his arguments are supported with a lot of scientific evidence.
I really admire Richard Heinberg's work, but Ive got to say I liked Power Down better, check it out after checking this one, or if you wanna save some money and time just get Power Down.

Heinberg, like most Malthusians, views the world as a static system and it doesn't work that way. Let's all congregate back here in 10 years or so and see what the facts are. I'll bet the "Peak Oil" theorists will have moved their peak date back considerably.

Everyone with a spreadsheet program and Internet access can make his own predictions.
Just take the publications of various energy organizations like BP, Shell, Energy agencies regarding available reserves and resources of oil, oil sand, oil shale, gas, coal, uranium and convert them into usable kWh.
Then take the worldwide consumption of kWh, as well as consumption per head, and add population growth and economic growth.
Project into the future.
Oil peak might be bad, but fuel can be created from other sources like gas (GTL - gas to liquid) or coal (CTL - coal to liquid).
It all doesn't matter, if you take the kWh or the usable energy content in all resources into account.
This excel table will be very enlightening. And it only takes a few hours to make, including the Internet search.
Then you can start thinking - if the fossil energy is gone in 20-40 years, how to replace it? And when to start innovation and how long does implementation take. Just think back 20-40 years and about the changes in that time span.
THEN you can start panicking or working on solutions for yourself, your family, your community. You can't change the world.

Peak oil and its implications for the future of our society should be THE issue of the upcoming presidential campaign, more important than medicare and SS reform, Iraq, global warming or overpopulation. All these issues are tertiary to how peak oil will change the way you live and if you read no other book this or any other year, read Richard Heinberg's "The Party's Over."
His book is a sober assessment of the role of fossil fuels in the history of the world and how that world will change with the inevitable decline of those fuels. He uses a powerful ecological perspective at the outset showing how energy flows influence organisms, populations and societies in a highly readable explication festooned with examples and analogies. He chooses to take the word of geologists not oil executives and politicians as to when the world hits Peak Oil, that point when world oil production is no longer increasing and starts turning down.It is that point where half of the worlds oil has been consumed and in every year thereafter, less will be available. This book could be the most important book you will ever read because it will alter how you view pusillanimous politicians, your investments, how you live or where you will live, what role alternative energy should play, and what we can do to start the discussion on how we should shape our society to cope with this, the most important issue of the 21st century. I will be buying many more copies to send to friends and relatives. Google "peak oil" for more resources and examine Richard Heinberg's web site.

I really enjoyed reading this book since Heinberg always keeps to the facts. That is, he maintains a very calm tone considering the formidable nature of the reality facing us. Although there are many excellent reviews of this book out there I will write down a few of mt feelings about it.

He reviews the peak oil reality in a very straight-forward manner - very easy to understand. In fact, I would recommend his chapters to those who are new to the topic. He then reviews the options.

It is here that the book shines since he never seems to get angry, preachy or arrogant as Kunstler is sometimes. Given the immediacy, apathy and the lack of general change this is very good.

This is a book that I would recommend to someone wanting to learn about this topic. Better, it is a book you cam loan to those who are somewhat open and who you don't want to scare (too much).

Recommended...

I discovered Peak Oil in August 2006 through James Kunstler's 'The Long Emergency,' and since then I have read almost every book available on this subject, including all of Heinberg's books. I have even written my own essay for friends and family - which can be downloaded from my website at http://www.dougcraftfineart.com. This book is a great overview of the Peak Oil and energy depletion crisis facing us, and I recommend it for anyone looking for a comprehensive and thoughtful overview of this difficult subject.

I have found all of Heinberg's books to be thoroughly researched, and well written, and he does offer positive suggestions for dealing with Peak Oil in this book. Other reviewers who complain of doom and gloom with Heinberg, have clearly not read some of what many other authors in this field have to offer.

Whether you are a pessimist or optimist, the facts surrounding this issue and the nature of resource depletion are simply unassailable from an honest scientific evaluation. Peak Oil and energy depletion - coupled with climate change and exponentially growing population - are deadly serious issues representing the most calamitous crisis we humans have ever faced. Ever. The problem simply cannot be sugar coated.

Nonetheless, I found 'The Party's Over' to offer a positive vision of our future where human communities have the opportunity to rediscover the traditional benefits of local economic interdependence and a much more sane pace of life. Until I had read Heinberg, I was truly in despair over our future. Now, I understand that we are adaptable and creative beyond what we think, we will survive, and we will all have the opportunity to help make positive contributions if we so choose.

This work truly does have good material in it to stretch the mind on an important topic. The problems happen when the author strays from science into politics, sociology, history, and especially economics. Even some of his technology - engineering stuff - can be unreliable. But when he's good, he's quite good.

The mind-stretch parts are particularly good in chapter 4 and some of chapter 3, where Mr. Heinberg discusses various energy technology technologies, and the concept of a "peak oil date," respectively. Simply laying out the range of energy uses, abuses, and possibilities is a quick and excellent way to make the reader aware of the state of the planet. Since the major theme of the book, after all, is what to do when the oil supplies dry up, his sober and stark assessment is to the point. Kudos for his wish to end subsidies for oil companies, but catcalls for his equal wish to subsidize other unknown technology (p165). How about no subsidy for anybody? "Corporate welfare" hasn't done much for the regular person anyway.

The major weakness in this book is one that unfortunately afflicts many on the Left. That is, comparing the theory of a system they like, with the worst actual results of the competing system they don't like. A good example on the smaller scale is Heinberg's glowing certainty about EXPECTED energy production from solar panels and windmills, vs. the listing of worst possible results and costs seen from nuclear energy reactors. On the larger scale, his clear preference for central government rule over free market forces is unsupported and irritating. The notable exception is his choice to discount our US Geological Survey findings on oil reserves, in favor of his (half dozen) gloomy retired oilmen's assessments. Things go smoother when one picks sources that agree with one's line of argument!

Nevertheless, there are enough good parts in this book to make it worth reading. Unless the reader wishes to use chapters 3 and 4 for reference, maybe it would be better to just check "The Party's Over" out from the library.

This book was very informational and I especially enjoyed the initial chapters that offered an historical build up to our current crisis. From that point on, however, the author inspired a sense of hopelessness rather than motivating activism.

The Party's Over lays it right out there for us - we are beginning the process of running out of oil. Doubters like to say "That can't be true, because the all mighty market hasn't yet started creating the viable alternatives" (in anything like replacement level quantities). Why then, I ask, is our foreign and military policy all about putting as much of a lock down as possible, on known supplies (see e.g. Blood and Oil by Michael T. Klare)? As Heinberg well notes, the politics of democratic capitalism depend on ongoing economic growth - which is why, from the point of view of George Bush and Dick Cheney, it seems reasonable to keep our army engaged in the middle of the Iraqi Civil War, even with little hope of short term victory. Its the oil, stupid (with a bit of desperate ego mixed in). And why there is as yet no serious politics of conservation alive and well in this country.

Heinberg mightily strengthens his case by framing the story of oil within the context of ecological science and industrial history. Industrial capitalist culture is behaving in a predictable way. We have had a fabulously productive oil party. As a player in this eco-system we have been on a roll. Such rolls tend not to want to be slowed by the soft voices of alarm pointing out that the highway ends at the edge of the cliff up there not so far ahead. The literal fuel to power our engines will likely run out sooner than the ideological fuel that powers our belief in this way of doing business. You hear the "new age" argument that its not the oil supply that should be our concern - that its the infinite supply of human ingenuity that's critical. What's scary to me is how this market sucks up so much of that ingenuity for enterprises like convincing us we need more of this, that and the other; like creating, using and selling ever more sophisticated weaponry around the globe; like sustaining our belief in the magic nature of capitalist markets.

Heinberg mentions in his afterword to the revised edition that many readers have reported finding the book depressing. Small wonder. I was depressed at times as I read it too. But I also felt something bracing about it. If you're like me, standing on the "liberal - progressive" side of the political spectrum, but feeling that there's a missing center to our politics, I recommend you read this. There is a new politics that needs to be invented, and quickly. Ever since Stalin, et. al. gave communism a bad name, and the right wing in America made liberalism tantamount to communism, progressives have been floundering. We're trying to find a way to say that we really need to wake up, learn to take care of each other and the earth, get real about the climate and the oil -- all without saying that all this will involve serious sacrifice and some serious form of the unmentionable S word (socialism). The more information like that found in The Party's Over and other like works gets into the main stream, the more likely it is that all that human ingenuity will start driving invention in the social and political realm, where we need it every bit as much as we do in the technical.

The Party's Over lays it right out there for us - we are beginning the process of running out of oil. Doubters like to say "That can't be true, because the all mighty market hasn't yet started creating the viable alternatives" (in anything like replacement level quantities). Why then, I ask, is our foreign and military policy all about putting as much of a lock down as possible, on known supplies (see e.g. Blood and Oil by Michael T. Klare)? As Heinberg well notes, the politics of democratic capitalism depend on ongoing economic growth - which is why, from the point of view of George Bush and Dick Cheney, it seems reasonable to keep our army engaged in the middle of the Iraqi Civil War, even with little hope of short term victory. Its the oil, stupid (with a bit of desperate ego mixed in). And why there is as yet no serious politics of conservation alive and well in this country.

Heinberg mightily strengthens his case by framing the story of oil within the context of ecological science and industrial history. Industrial capitalist culture is behaving in a predictable way. We have had a fabulously productive oil party. As a player in this eco-system we have been on roll. Such rolls tend not to want to be slowed by the soft voices of alarm pointing out that the highway ends at the edge of the cliff up there not so far ahead. The literal fuel to power our engines will likely run out sooner than the ideological fuel that powers our belief in this way of doing business. You hear the "new age" argument that its not the oil supply that should be our concern - that its the infinite supply of human ingenuity that's critical. What's scary to me is how this market sucks up so much of that ingenuity for enterprises like convincing us we need more of this, that and the other; like creating, using and selling ever more sophisticated weaponry around the globe; like sustaining our belief in the magic nature of capitalist markets.

Heinberg mentions in his afterword to the revised edition that many readers have reported finding the book depressing. Small wonder. I was depressed at times as I read it too. But I also felt something bracing about it. If you're like me, standing on the "liberal - progressive" side of the political spectrum, but feeling that there's a missing center to our politics, I recommend you read this. There is a new politics that needs to be invented, and quickly. Ever since Stalin, et. al. gave communism a bad name, and the right wing in America made liberalism tantamount to communism, progressives have been floundering. We're trying to find a way to say that we really need to wake up, learn to take care of each other and the earth, get real about the climate and the oil -- all without saying that all this will involve serious sacrifice and some serious form of the unmentionable S word (socialism). The more information like that found in The Party's Over and other like works gets into the main stream, the more likely it is that all that human ingenuity will start driving invention in the social and political realm, where we need it every bit as much as we do in the technical.

Richard Heinberg set out to answer the questions, "How much petroleum is left? How much coal, natural gas, and uranium? Will we ever run out? When? What will happen when we do? How can we best prepare? Will renewable substitutes--such as wind and solar power--enable industrialism to continue in a recognizable form indefinitely?" (p. 3) He sorted the various responses to these questions into four broad voices--those of free-market economists, environmental activists, petroleum geologists, and politicians--and of these four, he found the third, the petroleum geologists, to be the most useful, if only because "theirs is a long-range view based on physical reality" (p.5). (Throughout the book, Heinberg notes that the free-market economists are almost constitutionally opposed to talk of Peak Oil, because, as economist Robert Solow said, "the world can, in effect, get along without natural resources." Resources, in other words, are merely commodities created by the market to satisfy demands, and when the demand arises, the market will find a supply. Needless to say, Heinberg finds this laissez faire approach to Peak Oil--"perilous optimism"--quite dangerous because it ignores hard ecological realities.)

"The message here is that we are about to enter a new era in which each year, less net energy will be available to humankind, regardless of our efforts or choices. The only significant choice we will have will be how to adjust to this new regime" (p.5). In short, an ecological perspective on humanity's consumption of petroleum and other nonrenewable resources reveals that the astronomical population growth and economic expansion of the last century are the biological bloom and population overshoot enabled by an energy subsidy from cheap, abundant oil, coal, and natural gas. As with other population overshoots in human (and evolutionary) history, the end probably won't be pretty, with massive die-offs and "structural readjustments" (to use free-market lingo) bringing the human population back into line with the Earth's carrying capacity. Heinberg's book challenges us to face this coming change NOW and to do what we can to mitigate against its worst effects through exploring and developing economical and social alternatives to the status quo.

The discovery of new oil resources peaked several decades ago, according to the majority of petroleum geologists, and as it seems that discovery and production follow similar curves, it will be but a matter of years until the production of oil peaks. (For the record, this doesn't mean that we will literally run out of oil, but only that it will seem like we've run out, because it will cost more--financially and energetically--to extract and refine the oil than it is worth.) The peak in oil production won't merely have a direct impact on the automobile industry, but will also undermine the production of plastics and pharmaceuticals, of which oil is the feed stock, and will yank the rug out from under petro-intensive, corporate, "Green Revolution" agriculture. Combine these consequences with growing population and energy consumption of developing nations like China and India, and you have a recipe for seriously ugly changes. Like James Howard Kunstler in The Long Emergency, Heinberg examines various other energy sources and technologies, from natural gas to zero-point energy, and finds them all wanting in one way or another. (Unlike Kunstler, Heinberg maintains a solid faith in our flexibility as a species and in our ability to adapt.) According to this perspective, oil (and other nonrenewables) were a one-time windfall in ecological terms, and once we've passed the peak in extracting them, we will have to recognize our ecological limitations as one species amongst many struggling for limited resources.

I recently read PowerDown, the follow-up to this book, and found it an excellently written, powerful and thought-provoking read. Perhaps it's because I read The Party's Over in conjunction with the contrarian book The Bottomless Well (Huber and Mills) or perhaps it's because I'm a bit burned out reading books on Peak Oil, but whatever the reason I did not find this book as compelling as its sequel. That said, it is still a better introduction to the subject of Peak Oil and to its ecological basis and implications than most others I have yet read.

Richard Heinberg set out to answer the questions, "How much petroleum is left? How much coal, natural gas, and uranium? Will we ever run out? When? What will happen when we do? How can we best prepare? Will renewable substitutes--such as wind and solar power--enable industrialism to continue in a recognizable form indefinitely?" (p. 3) He sorted the various responses to these questions into four broad voices--those of free-market economists, environmental activists, petroleum geologists, and politicians--and of these four, he found the third, the petroleum geologists, to be the most useful, if only because "theirs is a long-range view based on physical reality" (p.5). (Throughout the book, Heinberg notes that the free-market economists are almost constitutionally opposed to talk of Peak Oil, because, as economist Robert Solow said, "the world can, in effect, get along without natural resources." Resources, in other words, are merely commodities created by the market to satisfy demands, and when the demand arises, the market will find a supply. Needless to say, Heinberg finds this laissez faire approach to Peak Oil--"perilous optimism"--quite dangerous because it ignores hard ecological realities.)

"The message here is that we are about to enter a new era in which each year, less net energy will be available to humankind, regardless of our efforts or choices. The only significant choice we will have will be how to adjust to this new regime" (p.5). In short, an ecological perspective on humanity's consumption of petroleum and other nonrenewable resources reveals that the astronomical population growth and economic expansion of the last century are the biological bloom and population overshoot enabled by an energy subsidy from cheap, abundant oil, coal, and natural gas. As with other population overshoots in human (and evolutionary) history, the end probably won't be pretty, with massive die-offs and "structural readjustments" (to use free-market lingo) bringing the human population back into line with the Earth's carrying capacity. Heinberg's book challenges us to face this coming change NOW and to do what we can to mitigate against its worst effects through exploring and developing economical and social alternatives to the status quo.

The discovery of new oil resources peaked several decades ago, according to the majority of petroleum geologists, and as it seems that discovery and production follow similar curves, it will be but a matter of years until the production of oil peaks. (For the record, this doesn't mean that we will literally run out of oil, but only that it will seem like we've run out, because it will cost more--financially and energetically--to extract and refine the oil than it is worth.) The peak in oil production won't merely have a direct impact on the automobile industry, but will also undermine the production of plastics and pharmaceuticals, of which oil is the feed stock, and will yank the rug out from under petro-intensive, corporate, "Green Revolution" agriculture. Combine these consequences with growing population and energy consumption of developing nations like China and India, and you have a recipe for seriously ugly changes. Like James Howard Kunstler in The Long Emergency, Heinberg examines various other energy sources and technologies, from natural gas to zero-point energy, and finds them all wanting in one way or another. (Unlike Kunstler, Heinberg maintains a solid faith in our flexibility as a species and in our ability to adapt.) According to this perspective, oil (and other nonrenewables) were a one-time windfall in ecological terms, and once we've passed the peak in extracting them, we will have to recognize our ecological limitations as one species amongst many struggling for limited resources.

I recently read PowerDown, the follow-up to this book, and found it an excellently written, powerful and thought-provoking read. Perhaps it's because I read The Party's Over in conjunction with the contrarian book The Bottomless Well (Huber and Mills) or perhaps it's because I'm a bit burned out reading books on Peak Oil, but whatever the reason I did not find this book as compelling as its sequel. That said, it is still a better introduction to the subject of Peak Oil and to its ecological basis and implications than most others I have yet read.

This is a very thoughtful, balanced, and enlightening book that takes a nuanced and unbiased look at a very important problem. Oil is running out fast. As supplies dwindle, oil will continue to get more and more expensive, then economies will be destroyed, and nations will go to war. There will be famine, pestilence, and plague. There is no alternative to avert this impending disaster. Nuclear energy? Forget it. Hydrogen, solar, wind, geothermal? A drop in the bucket. Lithium cells, supercapacitors, nuclear fusion? Get real. Biodiesel, algaeculture, wave power, human ingenuity? I don't think so. Civilization cannot survive without oil. There's no point in trying. Game over, man. We're all going to die.

Really got me thinking and was filled with very useful, helpful, informative, but easy and simple to understand tricks. One of my favorites. A+

Gloom and doom with a left wing slant. Peak oil is real but this guy is extrapolating many trends to arrive at his version of a gloomy future. The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

I came by this book after reading an excellent review of it by the Editor-in-Chief of the Podium Journal, Jonathan Fantini Porter. The author, Richard Heinberg, offers a perspective on our dependency of oil which is not often considered. The historical interpretation of oil's role in our culture encourages one to consider taking the bus instead driving to the market.

This book has been well reviewed by others and I do not wish to reiterate their comments. I have no expertise in the field but I find little to disagree with - we are in trouble, our lifestyle is going to change and the sooner we start dealing with it the more of our culture we can preserve. I am writing to suggest another source of information which comes to the same conclusions but is a little less alarmist and which is not mentioned in Heinberg's book nor in the Amazon lists of what others who bought this book bought. This is Energy at the Crossroads by by Vaclav Smil. It was reviewed in Nature, one of the two most respected of our scientific journals, by Michael Grubb who concludes it is "The most sober, thorough, and thoughtful integrated text on energy available, and it embodies core facts and some fundamental truths that any analyst of energy issues should ponder." Smil is an academic who has studying energy issues for 40 years. He is less inclined to forecast than Heinberg having seen so many erroneous predictions however he is clear about the coming end of oil. He goes into more depth on energy issues, global warming, and especially the alternatives to fossil fuel (no great news). He does not have the activist impulses of Heinberg - which may of course be good or too bad depending on what it takes to change course. Smil's book is both longer and more difficult to read because of the amount of science presented and I found it well worth the effort.

Maybe the most important book since Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species".

This volume represents THE wakeup call for a world society quite literally addicted to crude oil for its continuation, and, in most cases, it's very survival.

Heinberg has done his homework, and this volume should be required reading for anyone in an industrialized nation, or one just getting started down that road. It is a proven scientific fact that within a few years, we will begin to run out of oil, and it will be pretty much gone within 5 or 6 decades. Considering that we have built our entire society around an oil economy, the implications are dire - far, far beyond not being able to drive through the coffee shop with the kids in your SUV on the way home from the mall. Alternative energy sources? Dream on - read on.

The book is thoroughly researched, well-thought and organized and presents the often dissenting views at every side of this hugely important issue. It is also delightfully written and composed, and is fun and quick to read.

I highly recommend this book, and I hope at least one person reads what I'm writing and buys this book. And I hope they tell someone, too.

Will apeal to those who look for the worst, but it is true that the end of cheap Oil is in sight for those who choose to look.

The author read the map wrongly and I am afraid to say that his views are groundless. What is happening is the vast change of global production map. That is, the developed world focuses more and more on a service economy, while the emerging nations like China, Mexico and Vietnam focus more on manufacturing, especially at the low end. This will cause vast changes to the world economy, but more opportunities emerge as well, as the pie expands fast. To learn more about it, there is no better place than this brilliant book: China's Global Reach: markets, multinationals, and globalization by a Chinese commentator George Zhibin Gu.

...to get a little tilling done before someone steals and eats her.

I chose this book for my second read on this subject because it has the highest ratings (on subject) on Amazon. Heinberg has done a thorough job of discussing every aspect of the coming problems to society due to a lack of petroleum - most of which I had never considered. Literature about this are from the point of view of either the politician, the economist, or the geologist. He takes the view of the geologist and the future does not look good.

I hold a more positive view: that human ingenuity will prevail - but I could easily be wrong. In any case, this is a worthwhile read for anyone. Of particular interest is the chapter that deals with alternate energy sources. The next time you read about an alternate energy source in the news, you'll remember the real pro's and con's from an expert.

Quick synopsis of 41 page alternative fuel chapter from "Party's Over:"

Natural Gas: Cannot be shipped from overseas easily like oil - is more difficult to extract economically every year - is being depleted like oil. In view of the precarious status of North American gas supplies, any attempt to shift to NG as an intermediate fuel would waste time and capital in the enlargement of an infrastructure that will soon be obsolete.

Coal: Shortage not so much a problem, however, its EROEI (Energy Return On Energy Invested) and pollution are a problem. As the richer seams are exhausted, it may cease to be a useful energy source within only 2-3 decades.

Nuclear: Electricity from existing nuclear plants is inexpensive, but only if direct costs are considered. When adding in plant construction, safety, reactor decommissioning, and waste storage - nuclear power is very expensive indeed. There are currently 442 reactors operating worldwide. France in the only country in Europe still building them. Only Asia expects to expand significantly. Only a few of the highly touted fast breeder reactors have been built, and they have proven to be prohibitively expensive. The US currently processes enough uranium to fuel existing US reactors for the next 40 years. The mining process is wasteful, polluting, and dangerous. When all things are considered, the EROEI on nuclear energy is fairly low and there is significant intangible downside.

Wind: Of all renewables (not depletable), wind power usage on a global scale is being developed the fastest. Technology has advanced - it no longer kills birds because it uses slower fan speeds and the fans are mounted on a vertical axis. It can operate in more variable wind speeds and the cost is declining rapidly. Soon your own equipment could be bought and used on your own property. Wind has the best EROEI and Germany leads the world in its usage. On a large scale, wind power would require vastly new infrastructure, but it is the most practical alternative so far.
Problem: cannot easily be converted to fuel transportation and agricultural needs.

Solar: Technology advancing rapidly, photovoltaic the best so far. Research is advancing into diverse methods of collection, including such easy methods of application as solar buckyball collectors incorporated into house paint. Tremendous potential, would need new infrastructure.
Problem: cannot easily be converted to fuel transportation and agricultural needs.

Hydrogen: For now, the process of hydrogen production always uses more energy than the resulting hydrogen will yield. For one thing, hydrogen is not an energy source, but an energy carrier. It's production depends on continued usage of the dwindling supply of natural gas. There is new technology, however, and reason to be optimistic. As with wind and solar, a whole new infrastructure, requiring time and investments of huge amounts of money and energy technology are necessary. Like wind and solar, hydrogen fuel cells should be central features of our plans to phase out petroleum. We should be dramatically increasing these investments.

Hydroelectric: In many regions of the world - and especially in the US - it is already thoroughly exploited.

Geothermal power, tides, and waves: limited application in limited regions of the world.

Biomass: wood burning - pollution and limited resources in a world with 6 billion people - imagine the world being one big Easter Island.

Ethanol: costs more energy to produce than it eventually delivers to society. Brazil is the poster child, but is burning down rain forests to grow sugar cane.

Cold-Fusion: pseudoscience

Conservation - Efficiency and Curtailment: Will be crucial in cushioning impacts from the depletion of oil. But it is not a panacea - even when you ignore cheaters (individuals and countries).

Saudi saying: My grandfather rode a camel. My father rode in a car. I fly a jet airplane. My grandson will ride a camel.

...to get a little tilling done before someone steals and eats her.

I chose this author for my first read on this subject because this book has the highest ratings (on subject) on Amazon. Heinberg has done a thorough job of discussing every aspect of the coming problems to society due to a lack of petroleum - most of which I had never considered. Literature about this are from the point of view of either the politician, the economist, or the geologist. He takes the view of the geologist and the future does not look good.

I hold a more positive view: that human ingenuity will prevail - but I could easily be wrong. In any case, this is a worthwhile read for anyone. Of particular interest is the chapter that deals with alternate energy sources. The next time you read about an alternate energy source in the news, you'll remember the real pro's and con's from an expert.

Quick synopsis of 41 page alternative fuel chapter from "Party's Over:"

Natural Gas: Cannot be shipped from overseas easily like oil - is more difficult to extract economically every year - is being depleted like oil. In view of the precarious status of North American gas supplies, any attempt to shift to NG as an intermediate fuel would waste time and capital in the enlargement of an infrastructure that will soon be obsolete.

Coal: Shortage not so much a problem, however, its EROEI (Energy Return On Energy Invested) and pollution are a problem. As the richer seams are exhausted, it may cease to be a useful energy source within only 2-3 decades.

Nuclear: Electricity from existing nuclear plants is inexpensive, but only if direct costs are considered. When adding in plant construction, safety, reactor decommissioning, and waste storage - nuclear power is very expensive indeed.
There are currently 442 reactors operating worldwide. France in the only country in Europe still building them. Only Asia expects to expand significantly. Only a few of the highly touted fast breeder reactors have been built, and they have proven to be prohibitively expensive.
The US currently processes enough uranium to fuel existing US reactors for the next 40 years. The mining process is wasteful, polluting, and dangerous.
When all things are considered, the EROEI on nuclear energy is fairly low and there is significant intangible downside.

Wind: Of all renewables (meaning not depletable), wind power usage on a global scale is being developed the fastest. Technology has advanced - it no longer kills birds because it uses slower fan speeds and the fans are mounted on a vertical axis. It can operate in more variable wind speeds and the cost is declining rapidly. Soon your own equipment could be bought and used on your own property. Wind has the best EROEI and Germany leads the world in its usage. On a large scale, wind power would require vastly new infrastructure, but it is the most practical alternative so far. Problem: cannot easily be converted to fuel transportation and agricultural needs.

Solar: Technology advancing rapidly, photovoltaic the best so far. Research is advancing into diverse methods of collection, including such easy methods of application as solar buckyball collectors incorporated into house paint. Tremendous potential, would need new infrastructure.
Problem: cannot easily be converted to fuel transportation and agricultural needs.

Hydrogen: For now, the process of hydrogen production always uses more energy than the resulting hydrogen will yield. For one thing, hydrogen is not an energy source, but an energy carrier. It's production depends on continued usage of the dwindling supply of natural gas. There is new technology, however, and reason to be optimistic. As with wind and solar, a whole new infrastructure, requiring time and investments of huge amounts of money and energy technology are necessary. Like wind and solar, hydrogen fuel cells should be central features of our plans to phase out petroleum. We should be dramatically increasing these investments.

Hydroelectric: In many regions of the world - and especially in the US - it is already thoroughly exploited.

Geothermal power, tides, and waves: limited application in limited regions of the world.

Biomass: wood burning - pollution and limited resources in a world with 6 billion people - imagine the world being one big Easter Island.

Ethanol: costs more energy to produce than it eventually delivers to society. Brazil is the poster child, but is burning down rain forests to grow sugar cane.

Cold-Fusion: pseudoscience

Conservation - Efficiency and Curtailment: Will be crucial in cushioning impacts from the depletion of oil. But it is not a panacea - even when you ignore cheaters (individuals and countries).

Saudi saying: My grandfather rode a camel. My father rode in a car. I fly a jet airplane. My grandson will ride a camel.

...to get a little tilling done before someone steals and eats her.

I chose this author for my first read on this subject because this book has the highest ratings (on subject) on Amazon. Heinberg has done a thorough job of discussing every aspect of the coming problems to society due to a lack of petroleum - most of which I had never considered. Literature about this are from the point of view of either the politician, the economist, or the geologist. He takes the view of the geologist and the future does not look good.

I: Energy, Nature, & Society

II: Party Time: The Historical Interval

III: Lights Out: Approaching the Historical Interval's End

IV: Non-Petroleum Energy Sources: Can the Party Continue?

V: A Banquet of Consequences

VI: Managing the Collapse: Strategies and Recommendations

VII: Afterward to the Revised Edition

I hold a more positive view: that human ingenuity will prevail - but I could easily be wrong. In any case, this is a worthwhile read for anyone. Of particular interest is the chapter that deals with alternate energy sources. The next time you read about an alternate energy source in the news, you'll remember the real pro's and con's from an expert.

Saudi saying: "My father road a camel. I drive a car. My son flies a jet airplane. His son will ride a camel." :-)

This is the opposite of the "cornucopian" view of energy production. It is the most bleak opposite. Indeed, it seems as though we are headed into a two-hundred year dark age of wars over energy supplies. The author backs this grim view with dozens of statistics and arguments--not that he is in favor of this outcome, but he does fancy himself a realist.

This book feeds into survivalist theory--that is, he who controls energy will control the world. From the author's point of view, it is not likely that our civilization will survive in any recognizable form. One of the most telling graphs concerned the prediction that human life will decrease from about 9 billion persons to about 3 billion persons within a hundred years of the exhaustion of oil.

Realists will love this book; depressed persons will avoid it; and most of the world will not think about the consequences of exhausting almost all fossil fuels in the next several decades. I guess that the author would call these persons ostriches.

This is one of the best books on peak oil and the consequences to come that I have read. Heinberg goes into considerable detail not only delineating the rise of industrial societies based on fossil fuel riches (the "treasure found in the basement," is how he phrases it), but on what is going to happen when the oil is gone. A couple of other good books are Beyond Oil: The View from Hubbert's Peak (2005) by Kenneth S. Deffeyes and The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century (2005) by James Howard Kunstler. Kunstler in particular is in close agreement with Heinberg. For a different point of view--and an amazingly pollyannaish one in my opinion--see The Bottomless Well: The Twilight of Fuel, the Virtue of Waste, and Why We Will Never Run Out of Energy (2005) by Peter W. Huber and Mark P. Mills.

When the party animals go out at night they think not of the morrow or of the headache to come. This is Heinberg's analogy except the consequences of the binge will be quite a bit worse than a headache. Note well the subtitle: "the Fate of Industrial Societies."

Heinberg hints at some possible political consequences as the oil patch begins to run dry. He notes that young people "will see evidence of the extravagant party their elders have thrown, while for themselves there will be only dregs left over." (p. 209) They may take a sharp turn to the left (as historically happens during times of stress or deprivation), and "in wealthier countries (such as the US) may be branded as traitors to the cause of maintaining their nation's unequal control of global resources." (p. 207) I believe there is already evidence of this as Bush tries to discredit his critics.

But can it really happen that industrial society will collapse when the oil is gone? Can it really be the case that there will be horrific wars over the remaining oil in the ground? Is it true that there is no substitute for the black gold, no energy source that comes close to replacing it?

These are questions that Heinberg addresses and addresses well. His conclusions are largely pessimistic, but I am not sure he is right. The slide down from Hubbert's peak may be gradual and give us time to make the switch from oil to something else. But what might that something else be? Heinberg, as other authors have done, goes through the list of possible alternatives--coal, natural gas, hydrogen, nuclear, renewables like wind, solar and biomass, etc., and comes to the dreary conclusion that economically-speaking, nothing can come close to replacing oil.

One of the chilling ideas he expresses is that the current "Industrial Age" or "Petroleum Era," now little more than two centuries old, is really just an "Industrial Bubble"; and as soon as the cheap energy is gone, humankind will revert to a pre-industrial way of life. Without the treasure trove of oil and all that it provides--not just fuel, but plastics and fertilizers, paved roads, and a myriad of other products--the planet will no longer be able to support the present population of six billion plus. Heinberg believes that a sustainable human population without oil will be closer to two billion.

The least that will happen is that we will undergo a reduction in our standard of living based on the fact that whatever replaces oil will be more expensive. Conservation on a level currently unthinkable will also be required. We can all kiss our SUVs goodbye, and ask ourselves the really relevant question: how do you spell b-i-c-y-c-l-e?

The point I want to make is that we can spell bicycle, and indeed it is not necessarily true that we clever humans are going to stand by and let our societies collapse and inflict a lot of pain on ourselves. My belief is that the transition to a planet on which there are fewer people living in a less energy-intensive way than is currently the case, especially in the United States, can be relatively painless and actually something to look forward to. Heinberg makes a similar point about the human value of returning to a more agrarian, less competitive way of life. But a smooth transition will require a complete re-education of society, especially of those in positions of power, corporate heads and government leaders. A public works project greater than any the world has ever seen will be required. Conservation and the use of a variety of energy sources will be required. Careful planning and cooperation will be necessary. Finally, we who have been taught to conspicuously consume will have to change our ways. Heinberg observes that "people currently have to be coaxed and cajoled from cradle to grave by expensive advertising to consume... If the message of this incessant propaganda stream were simply reversed, people could probably be persuaded to happily make do with less." (p. 182)

Right now our government is intent on securing access to what remains of the world's oil instead of working toward the inevitable time of no oil. This short-sightedness is dangerous and if we don't elect leaders who will address the problem and work toward solutions, the dire consequences spun out by Heinberg, Kunstler and others will surely come to pass. Every day that goes by with us mired in this Neanderthal mind-set increases the probability of famine, war, pestilence and brutal poverty for our children and grandchildren. If we don't act now, our legacy may very well be a return to something resembling the Stone Age.

By the way, be sure to get this, the 2nd Edition of "The Party's Over" from 2005, and not the first edition from 2003. Heinberg has revised and updated the book to take into account the invasion of Iraq and other recent developments.

Heinberg's "The Party's Over" presents a thorough, understandable, and logical discussion of the history of the petroleum industry and what we need to do about the growing crisis. He paints a pretty dim picture, but also provides a list of potentially mitigating measures that individuals, groups, and decision-makers might -- and indeed must -- do to avert a situation that will quickly grow out of our control unless we act now. This book should be widely read and discussed, NOW.

Anyone who cares in the slightest what will happen to mankind in the 21st century must read this book. I don't think there's any stronger endorsement I that can give! We always seem to assume our civilization can advance and advance and advance forever, and the author rightly points out that a fluke -- a temporary abundance of raw energy -- is responsible for much of what we've accomplished in the last 150 years, not just innovation.

Heinberg writes clearly and painstakingly structures his points, so that the argument, when fully unfolded, sounds reasonable -- not at all like alarmist left-wing hyperbole.

For me, the most unsettling point comes late in the game: that roughly 4/5 of the global population may have to die off post-oil. (Today's elevated soil productivity is dependent on oil-based fertilizers, with no substitute in sight.)

Read the book!

In reading through the other reviews here I've seen several suggestions for alternatives, and other skeptical remarks. I would like to direct you to www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net. There you will find a very lengthy aticle, with every refernece linked, conaining irrefutable evidence that Peak Oil is very real. It's understandable to be skeptical, as this isn't something you'd want to believe, but the sad truth is it will happen and all those non believers will be the worst off when it does.

I have read roughly 4 to 5 Peak Oil related books and I have to give this one 2 thumbs up. It's the best. I've passed the book around in my office and bought some from amazon and send them to my friends around the world. It's not a dry, boring technical book. It touches almost all aspects of our lives. I like the beginning chapters as Richard relates energy consumption to population growth and food production.

Henberg's core message is that industrial civilization is based on consumption of inherently limited energy resources that are about to become scare. Soon, each year less energy will be available, regardless of society's efforts or choices. Competition for what remains will trigger dramatic economic and geopolitical events - it may be impossible for even a single nation to sustain industrialism as we know it tody. Renewables cannot fully replicate the energy characteristics of fossil fuels, and decades will be required for their full development. The "bottom line" is that society must engage in a crash program of radical conservation to avoid catastrophe.

The "really bad news" is that I doubt we will be able to undertake a successful program of radical conservation that avoids catastrophe. The reason is that it is politically far easier in the short run to pursue competitive measures for obtaining those decreasing resources - eg. Cheney's energy solutions and Bush's obstinence on the related Kyoto treaty.

Henberg's core message is that industrial civilization is based on consumption of inherently limited energy resources that are about to become scare. Soon, each year less energy will be available, regardless of society's efforts or choices. Competition for what remains will trigger dramatic economic and geopolitical events - it may be impossible for even a single nation to sustain industrialism as we know it tody. Renewables cannot fully replicate the energy characteristics of fossil fuels, and decades will be required for their full development. The "bottom line" is that society must engage in a crash program of radical conservation to avoid catastrophe.

The "really bad news" is that I doubt we will be able to undertake a successful program of radical conservation that avoids catastrophe. The reason is that it is politically far easier in the short run to pursue competitive measures for obtaining those decreasing resources - eg. Cheney's energy solutions and Bush's obstinence on the related Kyoto treaty.

There are other books that I consider to be better at the over-all challenge of "connecting the dots" among cheap oil, drugs and drug money gladly laundered by U.S. banks, and war profiteering, but this book must be considered one of the finest underlying reference works that support the more speculative conclusions of others.

This book provides both a solid history of how we got to where we are and why we continually dismiss the known future consequences of not providing for energy conservation and alternative energy; and it also provides a very finely presented review of what the author calls the "banquet of consequences" across transporation, food and agriculture, heating and cooling, the environment, public health, information storage and transmission, and the over-all geopolitics of oil.

Had we all read this book, The Long Emergency, and Crossing the Rubicon prior to Dick Cheney's taking us to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, we would have realized that invading and occupying those two countries is about the oil catastrophe and Wall Street's need for drug money to provide liquidity (a point made in Rubicon, not in this book).

Cheap Oil has been the Fool's Gold of this era. Unhappily, the fools (We the People) have ended up with our pocket's picked, and Wall Street and a few very large immoral organizations have ended up with the Gold.

The party is indeed over. The only question that remains is: can we repossess the Commonwealth from those that have stolen it using profits from cheap oil?

Whether you've heard about 'peak oil' or not, this book was a great overview of all of the issues surrounding our dependence on cheap energy. Heinberg seems to be well-grounded (as compared to a similar book, "The Long Emergency" by Kunstler, who definitely comes off as sounding a bit like Chicken Little), and the footnotes and bibliography reflect a book that seems to be a book based upon facts (as opposed to many others out there).

I am always astounded by people who strenuously deny the possibility of anything ever going wrong when they are presented with a new possibility. The emphasis here is on the word "new" because many have never given the oil issue any thought beyond "%$#@! these gas prices are high!". So you present them with the concept of Peak Oil and they instantly transform into dismissive experts. "No way! We'll never run out of cheap oil! The geologists are all wrong. I'm right."

Based on what? Their refusal to accept the fact that oil is a finite resource like every thing else on this planet?

The jury is still out on Peak Oil but only a fool will dismiss it outright and tell you that there's nothing to worry about.

Especially with all that's been in the news of late pertaining to energy policy, I figured THE PARTY'S OVER would be relevant and interesting. The book's first and second chapters, which read like an energy-focused GUNS, GERMS & STEEL, showed some promise. Unfortunately, from there until the end of the book, things just got worse and worse.

Heinberg's scholarship is shoddy, his positions absurd (examples: world population will shrink in half this century; people should build their own houses out of straw--just a few of innumerable statements that make you go "huh?"), and his non-sequitur political rants are facile and irritating.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not dismissing the shrinking available oil supply as not being problematic. I think it is a real concern that needs to be addressed, to avert a crisis 20, 50, or 100 years down the road. However, this book offers only delusions, not serious solutions. I'd rather listen to Apocalypse Guy standing on the street corner--at least he's entertaining.

Richard Heinberg has done a great service by the contibution he makes in this book.This book is a guide on how the oil peak developed,and the probable outcome.This is a manuel that gives you a blue print to survive in union with mankind.He talks about banks,coporations,political science,ecology and economics to mention a few of the subjects.Israel and US relations,and the oil war now in progress.Population control,and opposition.

What must be said is that people are brainwashed from birth to death,and are not responsible for elites criminality.Education is controled by the government and the states.What you are taught in school,and at home and on tv,news media,advertisement are programed,you are a robot.

Well the banks,coporations,business have the facts and they know probable outcome.Why are we in the condition we are in.Because they control your brain if you have one.If you have a habit can you change it,and your chacter too.Of course you can you are in full control of your program.Sorry you can change only a little.DNA,IQ,Environment you are not free.SLAVE,but you do not know it.You can do anything you want?

We could have conserved oil.Small cars,small houses,small population.Alternative energy,florescent lights,automatic light turn off when leaving the house.Do we really need the new technology.Why did we not develope alternative sources of energy.Why did the goverenment shy away from subsidizing alternatives on a large scale.WHY,WHY,WHY.

General Butler in the 1930ties stated there was a conspiracy to overthrow the US government by bank and coporates.Butler was a Hero today Hero is use for less than which shows the condition of US.The elite and their supporters are taking us down because we are robots,and deserve to be treated as such.The communist of the 50ties in the US goverenment are now the totallitarian communist today.Factions of the coporate are fascist they have always been.These factions still fight each other.When they could not win in Russia they progress to have power in the US government.Our problem Federal Reserve.no gold standard.The criminals took over with the approval of the congress.They fooled the people as usual.They manipulated the money,and guess what.Where are you now.

The coporate state,banks in front are responsible for depletion of resources.Usury,interesr rates outsourcing.importing,illigal immigration,brainwashing,explotation of resources including people,or sheep.Why do we tolerate it.Greed,fear,and no IQ.

You have a constitution if you knew basic history which is deficient in the school system you would know it is your insurance,and you would use it.Think about Thomas Paine,and the Minutemen.We knocked the King out in 1776,and we can do it again.Our government is not upholding the law of US on immigration.TREASON.Throw the supreme court,senate,and congress out they are corrupt.They do not know who you are,and do not care.This is because you will not act.Bring draft back,no war.Stop immigration and have full emploment.There is no reason to show them respect they do not deserve it.Vote them out,and prosecute the criminals.Execute people who commit TREASON.Take back america from the hogs.They are eating you alive.My statements may be untrue please check them out.

Heiberg explains with supportive evidence.Pleas keep in mind there has been a extreme reduction in a belief in our culture as western europeans as result of brainwashing Let others take over the US.Let everyone come in,why not,maybe greed and power.

What people would want to undermind the american people.They used minorities against us with support of US government,and they are american citizens.A small group with too much power for their population on a percent basis.The others in government use same tactics.NWO.Stop free trade,stop expansion,Vote for your life,and to save your nation.Thank Richard Heinberg for telling you how.

Interesting , well written, lots of facts and relevant information. After you read this book you can't help but to feel depressed for a few days. But if this book describes something near to what our future is going to be...our children and their children will have a rather hard existence...if any. And you know what?? They are going to pay for the corrupt political system that we all are helping to maintain today.
Good read...just hope it is at least partly wrong..

I've been waiting for this book for about 30 years. Back in 1970 the book The Limits to Growth told us that we were going to run out of oil and that there would be a collapse of the kind of society that we've come to know (and love or hate) by around 2050. The first half of this book updates what was said back then. And the news isn't good. If anything the basic findings from 1970 are confirmed. This analysis takes about half the book. We will not have the free wheeling oil based economy that we have now.

The part that was missing from The Limits to Growth was the social aspects. Mr. Heinberg has at least made an attempt to forecast what these will be. There's an old saying that predicting the future is easy, it's being right that's hard. Mr. Heinberg's future certainly seems to be based on facts reasonably extrapolated into the future. Will he be completely right, of course not. Is his thinking a good start, absolutely.

The point that I think I found most fascinating is his description of four sets of voices talking about the oil situation:

Conventional free market economists -- No problem, higher prices will make us find more and develop substitutes.

Environmental Activists -- Conserve because of greenhouse gasses and polution for our children's sake.

Petroleum Geologists -- We are about at the peak of production and it will decline from here on.

Politicians -- Generally support the economists, they don't want to go to the voters and say anything bad. Leftists think price caps and subsidies to low-income people and blame the oil companies. Rightists think eliminating environmental regulations will open vast new fields. Sounds just like our last presidential election.

Mr. Heinberg is down on nuclear power because of the environmental concerns. Since the book was published the impact of the Kyoto Accords has made the elimination of greenhouse gases a requirement in many countries. In the past year the price of uranium has gone up 500%. Nuclear is just about the only practical alternative available today. While the environmentalists are concerned, the great unwashed wants power and the politicians don't want them upset.