(3) YA Big Business series. Each volume chronicles a major industry's history, its importance to and impact on the economy, principal players, strategic actions, and status in the twenty-first century. The insightful and informative series uses well-chosen photos, advertisements, illustrations, and related sidebars to extend the texts. A world production map is included. There are four other spring 2017 books in this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Big Business titles: Inside the Gold Industry, Inside the Cotton Industry, Inside the Oil Industry, and Inside the Tobacco Industry.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Oil and natural gas are examined for their contributions to modern life, as well as for the consequences of environmental disasters and contributions to global warming. Thorough coverage of the use and development of petroleum, the politics and science of petrochemicals, and recent controversies are included. Color photographs and diagrams contribute to the discussion. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) YA How Sarah Rector came into her money goes back to the Trail of Tears, when the Five Tribes were forcibly removed from their lands and resettled in Indian Territory. Sarah and her family, black members of the Creek Nation, were allotted land that happened to sit on oil. Bolden unfortunately never found first-hand accounts, but the volume is handsomely designed, the history fascinating. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: What Are Energy Sources? series. The six titles in this series give basic information about each energy source, including the technology of how the energy is harnessed and the pros and cons of each source. Doeden's writing is choppy as he explains complex concepts in simple terms (with some generalizations); stock photos, captions, and diagrams help illuminate the concepts. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Searchlight Book: What Are Energy Sources? titles: Finding Out About Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas, Finding Out About Geothermal Energy, Finding Out About Hydropower, Finding Out About Nuclear Energy, Finding Out About Solar Energy, and Finding Out About Wind Energy.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Start to Finish, Second Series: Everyday Products series. Designed for young readers, these books provide very basic but adequate introductions to three everyday consumer products. Each follows a natural resource (forests, iron ore, and petroleum) through a step-by-step process to a finished product. Simple statements are rather sketchy, often failing to provide enough information about complex operations. Large color photographs enhance the texts. Glos., ind. Review covers these Start to Finish titles: From Tree to Paper, From Iron to Car, and From Oil to Gas.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(2) YA Opening with a geology primer on the formation of oil and a brief overview of oil in ancient times, the narrative is most successful in describing the cycle of greed, wealth, politics, and war that drove modern civilization throughout the twentieth century and into the present. Marrin offers challenging insights and difficult questions that eschew simplistic explanations. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2012