Blowout

Name: Blowout
Author: Rachel Maddow

Rachel Maddow

Uncover how oil and gas power fuels corruption, weakens democracies, and quietly shapes political crises around the world.

19 min9 Chapters

Listen to the intro

1:39

Money & Economics

History & Politics

Society & Culture

Nature & the Environment

Outline

What's it about?

Blowout (2019) investigates the global oil and gas industry and its influence on politics and democracy. Rachel Maddow traces how energy wealth has fuelled corruption, strengthened authoritarian governments, and caused environmental harm, with examples ranging from Russia to Oklahoma. The book calls for stronger oversight of one of the world’s most powerful industries.

Key ideas

Blowout looks at the global oil and gas industry and how much influence it has over politics and democracy.
Rachel Maddow argues that energy wealth has fuelled corruption in the places where oil and gas are produced.
The book shows how oil and gas money has strengthened authoritarian governments.
Its examples run from Russia to Oklahoma, showing the same industry shaping very different places.
Maddow calls for stronger oversight of one of the most powerful industries in the world.

About the author

Rachel Maddow is an American television host, political commentator, and author, best known for The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. She was a Rhodes Scholar and earned a doctorate from the University of Oxford. Her other books include Drift and Prequel.

Questions people ask

What is Blowout by Rachel Maddow about?

Blowout, published in 2019, investigates the global oil and gas industry and its influence on politics and democracy. It traces how energy wealth has fuelled corruption, backed authoritarian governments and harmed the environment.

Who should read Blowout?

It suits readers interested in geopolitics, economics, the environment and how governments are governed. Anyone curious about how energy wealth shapes political events will find it relevant.