"An epic tale of invention, in which ordinary people's lives are changed forever by a quest that combines elements of the Olympics, NASCAR, Junkyard Wars, the Longitude Prize of 1714, and the Apollo program In 2006, science-fiction enthusiast Peter Diamandis announced he would give $10 million to anyone who could build a safe, mass-producible car that traveled 100 miles on the energy equivalent of a gallon of gas. Anyone. The challenge attracted more...

Provides an overview of the petroleum industry, its history, and its key players; examines the relationship between oil, finance, and politics; and explores the future of oil as supplies diminish and global warming threatens.