Alberta Trade Non-Fiction Book Award nominee 2008 ""With a well-paced, easy-to-read style," Pumped" is a much-needed primer to the Byzantine world of Canada's oil patch. From the fascinating history and politics (seven national energy programs, yikes ) to the booms and busts, mistakes and lessons, it's all here."" -- Alister Thomas, managing editor of "The Roughneck, Energy Processing Canada" and "Propane Canada" magazines Seasoned petroleum historian David Finch engages and entertains as he acquaints us with the basic vocabulary and mechanics of Canada's oil industry right through its most complex issues. "Perhaps you know the answers to some of the basics: " What is a barrel of oil? Where does it come from? How does it get into the gas tank? Why is oil so political? "Do you recall the details of some of the programs?" What was the National Energy Program, The National Oil Program, The Western Accord, and why did they matter? "Are you well-versed enough in the politics to know the answers to these questions?" Are we really running out of oil? What is the current state of the tar sands? What do "upstream," "midstream," and "downstream" mean? Who controls oil and gas in Canada and why does it cost so much if it belongs to us, the people of Canada? "And finally," Why does this industry dominate the world's economic and political arenas. With short chapters, illustrations, maps, photographs, and a user friendly index-glossary, "Pumped" makes the complicated, jargon rich, high-stakes world of petroleum exploration, excavation, and consumption easy to understand. Finch provides a balanced, knowledgeable, and often humorous primer on the mechanics, history, andpolitics of Canada's oil industry.