Released: 1st June 2021
Genre: Non-Fiction, Business, Society
Number of Pages: 330
Since the 1950s, a hidden power has been growing slowly alongside the advancement of the west. This power thrives on our lust for oil and other crucial resources used to build up our nations and wealth. Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, with help from countless sources, have delivered arguably the most detailed and revealing look into this sector with “The World For Sale”.
From the industry’s beginnings in the aftermath of World War Two through to the present day, the book charts the rise and subsequent power of the commodity traders; men and corporations who hold a commanding sway over oil, precious metals, food and other resources. For decades now these companies have become very rich from this business sector, but only recently have they brought into the public spotlight. The World For Sale offers a comprehensive look at their dealings and questions whether they hold too much sway and influence. Every section of the book is interconnected and so too are the many events over the last seven decades.
The presentation of each chapter is structured in the style of an anecdote; we picture the scene as a major trader arrives in an unstable nation or reacts to a major event. After setting the scene, the details of their dealings unfold which are then connected to wider impacts on a global scale. This is a brilliant way to pull the reader in, whether it’s a toxic waste dumping scandal in Africa or a vast amount of money-making in China’s rising economy. The commodity traders claim to be apolitical but as the book shows, there is a lot of underhanded activity going on behind the scenes. The book is as much a chronicle of the men who created the system as it is a window into who really fuels the consumption and wealth of the modern world. We understand their savvy personas, the scandals they were embroiled in and their eventual exit from trading.
Recommended?
YES: For anyone wanting to understand the difficult and often deceitful side of the modern world, The World For Sale is essential reading. Blas and Farchy create a compelling timeline that shows how the commodity traders came to dominate the world, packing a metric ton of meticulous research to boot. It’s a fascinating and necessary book that delivers a lot of context to the way western societies function.
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