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Coll, Steve. Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power. New York: Penguin, 2012. 685pp. $36
What is it like to lead and work for America's largest privately owned company, one that finds, transports, processes, and ultimately delivers a product essential to the operation of almost everything in the developed world? This product is found hundreds to thousands of feet below the surface of the earth, from the deserts of the Middle East to the Arctic, as well as many miles beneath the ocean. It is located in areas of the world that are isolated, disease ridden, politically unstable, and often right in the middle of armed conflicts.
When this company gets the product to where it is needed, when it is needed, and at the expected price, it is highly regarded. However, when...