Unlike Smil’s book, in The New Map, there are many interesting stories to carry the reader forward, and I found it easy to read despite the geopolitical details (maps are included!). Yegin begins with the shale oil revolution in the US and then moves back and forth in time to describe the current energy landscape and how countries get their energy (or export it). The New Map is a fascinating book, and until I read this book, I did not understand the scope of issues around energy and climate change. The book also illuminates why certain countries align with other countries and why certain countries, such as the US, are putting sanctions on allies importing natural gas from sources such as Russia (Google “Nord Stream 2” for more info).

The first 70% of the book outlines the geopolitical maps of energy: America’s map, Russia’s map, China’s map, and Maps of the Middle East. The last part of the book provides a roadmap to the future of energy, discussing topics such as automation, electric cars, self-driving cars, and the climate challenge ahead. If you are interested in the politics of climate change, I would highly recommend this book.

Amazon Link: The New Map