Raymond J. Learsy

This is a difficult book to rate. It is not so much a book as a collection of columns, articles and blogs written by the author who is an industry watch dog on commodity trading, energy, finance and the resulting political interactions.

Learsy is an ardent and vocal critic of collusion between the oil industry and governments, including that of the U.S. He argues persuasively that our oil pricing structure and the consequent price of oil to consumers is highly manipulated by economic speculators, the oil industry and OPEC threats and controls, not by the mechanism of supply and demand. His columns, presented in chronological order, track the political manipulations and excuses given on the high price of oil, the banking scandals and those in politics responsible for making egregious personal profits at the expense of U.S. citizens.

He calls for greater transparency and greater public awareness of political manipulations. Learsy is off base on one or two points (origin of petroleum products) but his outrage at the profiteers should be required reading of all informed citizens.

This book was acquired as an LT Early Reviewer copy.… (mer)