The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power is an influential work by Daniel Yergin that was originally published in 1991. Yergin, a highly regarded American historian and economic researcher, examines the history and influence of the global oil industry. With a background in energy economics and policy, Yergin brings a wealth of expertise to this comprehensive examination, providing a detailed narrative of the oil industry’s evolution and its substantial impact on global economics and politics.

This historical nonfiction work studies the economic and political significance of oil and addresses the impact of technological and industrial development on geopolitics. Additionally, Yergin focuses specifically on the environmental and social implications of oil dependency. The Prize has garnered considerable critical acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1992. It is widely considered to be essential reading for understanding the forces that have driven modern history.

This study guide refers to the 1991 Simon and Schuster hardcover edition.

Summary

Yergin begins by tracing the origins of the oil industry to the discovery of oil in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859. This event marked the beginning of the oil rush, which led to the establishment of the first oil wells and the rapid growth of the industry.