Oil, Dollars, Debt, and Crises studies the causes of the current oil and global financial crisis and shows how America s and the world s growing dependence on oil has created a repeating pattern of banking, currency, and energy-price crises. Unlike other books on the current financial crisis, which have focused on U.S. indebtedness and American trade and economic policy, Oil, Dollars, Debt, and Crises shows the reader a more complex picture in which transfers of wealth to and from the Middle East result in a perfect storm of global asset and financial market bubbles, increased unrest, terrorism and geopolitical conflicts, and eventually rising costs for energy. Only by addressing long-term energy policy challenges in the West, economic development challenges in the Middle East, and the investment horizons of financial market players can policy makers ameliorate the forces that have been causing repeating global economic crises.

Oil, Dollars, Debt, and Crises studies the causes of the current oil and global financial crisis and shows how America s and the world s growing dependence on oil has created a repeating pattern of banking, currency, and energy-price crises. Unlike other books on the current financial crisis, which have focused on U.S. indebtedness and American trade and economic policy, Oil, Dollars, Debt, and Crises shows the reader a more complex picture in which transfers of wealth to and from the Middle East result in a perfect storm of global asset and financial market bubbles, increased unrest, terrorism and geopolitical conflicts, and eventually rising costs for energy. Only by addressing long-term energy policy challenges in the West, economic development challenges in the Middle East, and the investment horizons of financial market players can policy makers ameliorate the forces that have been causing repeating global economic crises.

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

In the spring of 2001, Robert Jordan was a Dallas attorney whom George Bush wanted for the ambassadorship in Saudi Arabia. Not yet confirmed on 9/11, Jordan's nomination sped through Congress for approval and he found himself on the ground in the Kingdom by early October. Jordan had no prior diplomatic experience-Saudi Arabia mandates that the U.S. Ambassador be a political appointee with the ear of the president-and was forced to learn to run an embassy, deal with a foreign culture, and protect U.S. interests on the job all in the wake of the most significant terrorist attack on the United States in history. Furthermore, Jordan arrived in Saudi Arabia shortly after it became clear that the country had spawned not only the mastermind Osama bin Laden, but also 15 of the 19 hijackers. Desert Diplomat: Inside Saudi Arabia following 9/11 gives an inside account of the fascinating and historic ambassadorship of Robert Jordan from 2001 through 2003. As the newly-installed ambassador, he had to press the Saudis on terrorism while maintaining a positive relationship to ensure their cooperation with the war in Afghanistan and invasion of Iraq. Throughout his appointment he had first-hand dealings with the uppermost echelon of Washington power including President Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, George Tenet, and Tommy Franks while working with the Crown Prince Abdullah and other top Saudi leaders. Desert Diplomat provides a honest portrait of working with these prominent individuals, details of the historic decisions of Jordan's tenure, and a candid assessment the distressing amount of dysfunction in the way American foreign policy, warfare, and intelligence-gathering was conducted.

In a city known for its powerful business leaders, Ben Love towers as one of the most influential. Serving as CEO of Texas Commerce Bancshares in the 1980s, during the collapse of the Texas banking industry, Love had an inside view of the debacle. His story, told here in detail for the first time, provides an insightful perspective on the Texas banking industry's evolution after World War II, its decline, and its subsequent recovery. It also offers a glimpse into of the kind of character that creates men of power. Love grew up with his family during the Great Depression. Their farm outside Paris, Texas, taught him hard lessons about opportunity and financial security-lessons that would serve him well in the future. After America's entry into war in 1941, Love flew Eighth Air Force B-17 combat missions over Europe, then settled in Houston in the late 1940s. His entrance into the world of banking began as a member of the board of directors for River Oaks Bank & Trust. He accepted an offer to leave River Oaks to join Texas Commerce Bank (TCB) in 1967. Appointed president of TCB in 1969 and CEO from 1972 to 1989, Love cultivated change from single banks to holding companies, garnering a national reputation for his banking organization. Under his competent management, TCB was the only "Big Five" Texas bank to survive the economic down-turn. One reason for its continued success lies with Love's successful merger in 1987 with the Chemical Bank of New York, now J. P. Morgan Chase. When he retired at the close of the decade, Love turned his formidable energies to full-time civic and humanitarian work. Ben F. Love's inspiring memoir is one of only a few available in the literature on banking andfinance. Not only does it reveal an inside look at the evolution of banking in Texas, but it will also serve as an instructional guide to future business leaders and managers. The final chapters summarizes experiences and lessons learned in eighty years of a successful and productive life.