Informative book. A kaleidoscopic read about how energy has shaped geopolitics over decades, from the oil shock of the 70s, to the shale revolution of the aughts, to the advent of climate change and transition into renewable energy. Yergin also gives appurtenant narration on key geopolitical events, most notably the dispute over the South China Sea, the genesis of extremism in the Middle East, and Sino-American relations.

However, the book primarily reads through American lenses. It's scope is limited to energy superpowers and only a handful of developing economies. The reader is thus left to wonder whether its thesis is a global phenomenon. For example, the topic on what energy transition means for the developing world merely gives a facile description of India's energy infrastructure. I also found the book a bit circumlocutory; most of the historical accounts narrated are irrelevant to the book's title. As such, the book is longer than it ought to be.

Overall, it is rich with insights, and the reader can have an appreciation of the debates centred around climate change.