<Thursday Open Thread... The Oil Drum An exercise in civil discussion>

Hmmmm....What Corporate America Is Reading

Posted by Prof. Goose on December 8, 2005 - 12:55pm

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 2005--800-CEO-READ, the leading distributor of business books in the country, today released their annual list of top-selling books.

Twilight In the Desert was #13 on the list. (link) (hat tip: peakoil.com)

Hmmmm....What Corporate America Is Reading

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18 comments

Agric on December 8, 2005 - 1:30pm Permalink | Comments top
The timing of Matt Simmons book in the top 25 is interesting:
Featured in daily top 5 on Jul 21, 2005 in spot #1
Featured in daily top 5 on Jul 28, 2005 in spot #4
Featured in monthly top 25 on Aug 2, 2005 in spot #2
Featured in monthly top 25 on Sep 1, 2005 in spot #21
Featured in monthly top 25 on Dec 7, 2005 in spot #22

The first 3, in the top 5, are when it was released. Then a month later as oil spiked to $70 in response to Katrina, now again as people are buying for presents methinks.

Leanan on December 8, 2005 - 1:45pm Permalink | Parent | Comments top
That is interesting.  Seems a rather odd Christmas gift to me.

Maybe sales are being driven by higher heating costs?  

pat driscoll on December 8, 2005 - 2:00pm Permalink | Comments top
Corporate execs may be a greedy pack, but they aren't stupid.  I think there's a lot more knowledge of peak oil in the corporate boardroom than they're letting on.  Matt's Republican investment banker credentials carry weight with this crowd, and he's briefed high level Bush administration operatives.  I think what we're seeing in Iraq is the opening battle of World War III for control over fossil resources, disguised as a "global war on terror".
scorned by the cockroach on December 8, 2005 - 6:25pm Permalink | Parent | Comments top
What? You don't believe the unstupid greedy pack are terrified. I am confident that whatever their shortcomings they are quite capable of understanding just how useless they will be in a world without cheap energy. It's a war on their own terror.
pat driscoll on December 9, 2005 - 9:15pm Permalink | Parent | Comments top
The CEOs I've met are only terrified of Wall Street, their investors, and maybe their board of directors. Personal risk is a factor they have long taken into account, and security services are typically provided and paid for by their corporation. Also they're paid plenty enough to afford secure living arrangements in gated communities, including lavish bunkers in the case of the Waltons of Walmart infamy. They are ready now for the "last man standing" scenario.
scorned by the cockroach on December 10, 2005 - 3:20am Permalink | Parent | Comments top
I didn't say they feared for their personal safety. What I was saying is that they must be in fear of being seen as useless, by Wall Street for instance. I've met a few myself. The "War on Terror" seems like it would help maintain the illusion that the party might indeed be allowed to go on forever. Anything else runs too big a risk of the wrong people noticing the handwriting on the wall. Sure they will withdraw to their bunkers, but not until they absolutely have to. The key question is, will they ever come out again?
igrebnev on December 8, 2005 - 6:44pm Permalink | Parent | Comments top
The difference of price of the oil contract for now and 2011 is $2, while it was $5 through this year. So people get an idea of oil depletion.
I keep one contract. I think it is best possible investement.
LevinK on December 9, 2005 - 12:15am Permalink | Parent | Comments top
Can you direct me of how one can participate? I think that making a good investment and helping drive the price to its real heights along the way is not a bad idea at all.
GJ on December 8, 2005 - 3:14pm Permalink | Comments top
It's those latte drinking, frugal thinking, smug and haughty Prius owners buying the book for their friends, while I ride my bike through the snow :-(
fallout on December 8, 2005 - 3:31pm Permalink | Comments top
I bought Simmon's book for a friend for Christmas (along with JH Kunstler's latest).  He wanted to know what the heck I was talking about regarding "energy depletion".  
I don't drink latte, or own a prius.

Pat Driskoll hit the nail on the head....Iraq IS the opening battle of World War III for control over fossil resources, disguised as a "global war on terror".  Richard Heinberg's very Machiavellian 'Last One Standing' scenario, starting to play itself out.

LJR on December 8, 2005 - 4:53pm Permalink | Comments top
Given the other titles on the list I wouldn't take much comfort.  Written by idiots for idiots.

The 800-CEO-READ Best Books of 2005:

  1.   Blue Ocean Strategy, Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne
  2.   The 7 Irrefutable Rules of Small Business, Steven S. Little
  3.   It's Your Ship, Michael Abrashoff
  4.   Overpromise and Overdeliver, Rick Barrera
  5.   Radical Leap, Steve Farber
  6.   The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, Gary Keller, Dave Jenks,
     Jay Papasan
  1.   The One Thing You Need to Know, Marcus Buckingham
  2.   Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling, Jane Hyun
  3.   The Resilient Enterprise, Yossi Sheffi
  4.  Return on Customer, Don Peppers, Martha Rogers
  5.  Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T. Harv Eker
  6.  Why Business People Speak Like Idiots, Brian Fugere,
     Chelsea Hardaway, John Warshawsky
  1.  Twilight in the Desert, Matthew R. Simmons
  2.  How Full Is Your Bucket, Tom Rath, Donald O. Clifton
  3.  Blink, Malcolm Gladwell
  4.  Brand Sense, Martin Lindstrom
  5.  The Power of We, Jonathan M. Tisch, Karl Weber
  6.  When Generations Collide, Lynne C. Lancaster, David Stillman
  7.  Ten Minute Marketer's Secret Formula, Tom Feltenstein
  8.  Time Off for Good Behavior, Mary Lou Quinlan
  9.  Trading Up (Revised Edition), Michael Silverstein, Neil Fiske
  10.  The Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki
  11.  The Big Moo, Group of 33, Seth Godin
  12.  Time Traps, Todd Duncan
  13.  What the CEO Wants You to Know, Ram Charan
nate hagens on December 8, 2005 - 7:54pm Permalink | Comments top
I used to work on Wall St. This week I talked to two of my clients, one a venture capitalist and the other a rail car manufacturer - both had peripherally heard the term "Peak Oil" but didnt know what it meant. They then asked me how they should make money in the energy sector. My dozen or so wall st buddies are polite, listen to me rant about where we are headed, then ask which stocks are going to do best. I am little better, other than I KNOW the ultimate plan is to turn abstract wealth (dollars) into real wealth (heat pumps, windmills, good soil,etc) at some not-too-distant-point.

Energy traders might understand peak oil, but the average captain of industry does not.

snuffy on December 8, 2005 - 11:45pm Permalink | Parent | Comments top
dollars into fruit trees/comfrey plantings/electric predator fence/woodgas generators.ect ect ect.The captains are about to learn about depression manufactureing.
Oil CEO on December 9, 2005 - 7:11am Permalink | Parent | Comments top
My father does the same thing. But you know what's funny - he has read every book on oil and peak oil and global warming and you name it.

Oh, by the way...I've almost tripled my money on Halliburton in the last few years. HAHAHAHAHA. But it seems I want a little more. Any recommendations folks? I'm only asking cuz I know the best minds are here.

tom deplume on December 9, 2005 - 4:23pm Permalink | Parent | Comments top
How about cruise missile builder Reytheon. Looks like the next trillion dollars of national debt will go into killing Arabs and Persians.
wkwillis on December 10, 2005 - 7:54am Permalink | Parent | Comments top
If you start a business in Australia or New Zealand, you can get immigrant status. That might be the best investment. Otherwise, what was the best stock to buy in 1913 or 1939 in Europe?
Oil CEO on December 10, 2005 - 11:30am Permalink | Parent | Comments top
probably Krupp if it was publicly traded, although I doubt it was.
snuffy on December 10, 2005 - 4:17pm Permalink | Parent | Comments top
  I suggest that you lisen to you father..he has a little more life experience than you.Have you consitered,Mr oil ceo, that you will need to do some very quick changes in your investment stratigy when the new fed chair inflates the dollar,and our debt, out of existance?

Hmmmm....What Corporate America Is Reading

PDF version

18 comments