The Unassuming Economist

Time Magazine called Pulitzer Prize-winner Daniel Yergin one of the “hundred people who mattered” worldwide in 2011, saying, “If there is one man whose opinion matters more than any other on global energy markets, it’s Daniel Yergin.”

Dr. Yergin is Chairman and Founder of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates, one of the leading energy advisory firms in the world, and he serves as CNBC’s Global Energy Expert.

Dr. Yergin is known for his book The Prize: the Epic Quest for Oil Money and Power, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. It became a number one New York Times best seller. Both The Prize and Commanding Heights, Yergin’s next book, were made into award-winning television documentaries for PBS and BBC.

The New York Times said recently that “Mr. Yergin, operating as a kind of one-man think tank, has had a virtual monopoly on the subject of energy and geopolitics. Such is his influence that one half expects his competitors to file antitrust litigation against him.”

About the Book:
The Quest tackles “three big and longstanding fears: energy scarcity, energy security and, more and more, the environmental ruin that energy can cause.” (The Economist).

• Will we run out of oil? Will enough energy be available to meet the needs of fast-growing economies, at what cost, and with what technologies? 
• How can the security of the world energy system be maintained? Since World War II, many crises have disrupted energy supplies. Will the next crisis come from the cyber vulnerability of energy systems? 
• How will energy development affect the environment? Will the world be able to shift in time toward a new age of energy, a radically different mix that relies more on renewables and alternatives? 

What the Reviews Say:

• New York Times: “Mr. Yergin is back with a sequel to The Prize. It’s an even better book. It is searching, impartial and alarmingly up to date.” 
• Financial Times: “it is impossible to think of a better introduction to the essentials of energy in the 21st century … the value of The Quest is in the clarity and fair-mindedness of Yergin’s thought. 
• The Economist: “The Quest is a masterly piece of work and, as a comprehensive guide to the world’s great energy needs and dilemmas, it will be hard to beat.” 

Also, read an interview with Daniel Yergin.