UNTAPPED
Oil companies long knew there was oil in Africa, but until now extracting it hadn't seemed worth it. Given advances in technology and the skyrocketing cost of Middle Eastern crude oil, however, Africa has been quietly transformed in policy-making circles from an insignificant backwater into a potential black-gold goldmine. In fact, if you believe the more zealous among the growing army of lobbyists and lawmakers, it may soon "replace the Middle East."

Journalist John Ghazvinian traveled through twelve African countries--from Sudan to Congo to Angola, and just about everywhere in between talking to politicians and warlords, oil-company executives and crude-oil bandits, activists, priests, cab drivers, soldiers, missionaries, oil-rig workers, scientists, bankers, and even a few children and muttering old men.

The result is a hard-hitting narrative and historical investigation of the challenges, obstacles, reasons for hope, and reasons for despair connected to the scramble for oil in Africa

Rights Sold
China (Simplified Chinese) - International Culture Publishing
North America - Harcourt