Game Changer: Our Fifty-Year Mission to Secure America's Energy Independence

by Harold Hamm

Game Changer is the story of one man’s fifty-year journey doing battle with the conventional wisdom and in the process helping to restore America as an energy superpower.

A day doesn’t go by without energy in the headlines. From banning gas stoves to prices at the pump to threats to the world’s energy supplies, energy is front and center.

Most of what we are hearing is high emotion, low-fact misinformation offered by folks who have no clue what they are talking about.

Game Changer is the story of Harold Hamm and his fifty-year journey battling conventional wisdom and, in the process, helping restore America as an energy superpower. How did he do it? With horizontal drilling. What Hamm did was game changing—for his country and the world.

In Game Changer, Hamm

We’ve been relentlessly told that oil and natural gas is the enemy, that humanity’s very existence depends on its extinction. Yet our whole world— your world— runs on it.

Game Changer invites you to learn the real story, the story we all need to hear, told through the common-sense eyes of the man who has led what he calls the American Energy Renaissance. If you care about your future, and the future of your kids and grandkids, read this book.

Genres: Business, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Science

352 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[binny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d give this book 3.5 stars. It provides great background on the oil and gas industry, and all the barriers to achieving energy independence. This book did feel a little repetitive at times, but I learned a lot and am glad I read it. It’s a good wake up call.

[Ryan Evernest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harold Hamm's "Game Changer" is an insightful look into the incredible journey of a man who made a massive impact on the energy industry. It reads like an exhilarating journey deep into the heart of the oil and gas industry.

Hamm's story begins in Oklahoma, where he started working on drilling rigs – a far cry from the corporate world. It's his tenacity and vision that really stand out. He took Continental Resources, a company he founded, and turned it into a major player in the energy business.

The book doesn't just focus on the numbers and business deals. It's a story of perseverance and how one person's dedication can revolutionize an entire industry. This is the kind of stuff that makes you believe that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Harold Hamm's journey from modest beginnings to becoming a key player in the energy industry is nothing short of inspirational. As you read his story, you'll find yourself not just turning pages, but also turning over ideas in your own mind.

The book is a reminder that no dream is too big, and no goal is too ambitious. Hamm's unwavering determination and the way he turned obstacles into opportunities are like a powerful motivational boost. It's not just a biography; it's a call to action. When you're done reading, you'll want to roll up your sleeves and chase your own aspirations with renewed vigor.

One of the book's highlights is when Hamm talks about discovering oil in an area everyone else had given up on. It's like a real-life treasure hunt, and it teaches an important lesson: never give up on what you truly believe, even when there are those who doubt you.

Hamm also emphasizes the importance of giving back to the community, which I thought was a nice touch. It's a reminder that success is more than just wealth; it's about making a positive impact.

For those who want to explore more about Harold Hamm and get to know a little more about his energy empire, you can visit his website at https://haroldhammbook.com/. I was actually quite surprised to see how influential people like Mike Row and Schwab were at being a part of this.

So, if you're eager to explore the world of business and energy with a down-to-earth and passionate guide, "Game Changer" by Harold Hamm is a book that will both inform and inspire.

[Luca Bertagnolio · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of love for one’s work

Harold Hamm knew he would work in the oil business since he was a kid. He kept his promise to himself, and boy what a career in oil he had!

This autobiography spans thru decades of modern life, starting from humble and poor beginnings, followed by a thorough dedication to exploring for oil, something that requires a deep understanding of the what’s deep underground.

It’s about the personal contribution of an amazing individual who found early in life his true passion, and followed it for his whole life.

It’s about grit, confidence, faith, and a bit of luck, in order to “get ‘er done”.

One more American “overnight success” which has been a lifetime in the making. A must read, if you are interested in the history of energy.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found his writing to be easy to read, and sometimes a bit repetitive and preachy. But I didn’t mind. There’s probably no one better to write a book like this one, and he’s an oilman first. His bibliography in the back is pretty extensive, and though he definitely has a point of view and a profit motive, I found his arguments to be mostly reasonable and well thought through. I enjoyed this light read- a rarity in an era of renewable glitter.

[Jim Zaloudek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read

As a Oklahoman from birth, I have had the privilege of knowing mister Hamm for many years and am quite proud of his accomplishments. He has truly been Blessed due to his tenacity and passion. Our State, Country and the world owe him a debt of gratitude for the successes in the Petroleum Industry which have provided so many with affordable energy

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harold tells it like it is.

I found this to be a very interesting story of a person who has achieved much in his career and lifetime.
What I really like is his honest and no holds barred perspective and opinions on the direction our country is currently headed.
I only hope that the people who should read this book, will read it, and realize the truth he speaks.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book for learning the history of oil exploration, and the future of America's energy path. Harold Hamm seems to be a person who is very energetic, and lives by constant learning and paying attention to the whole picture of the world around him.

[Jason Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Mr. Hamm is inspirational, and I agree with virtually everything he says. The writing can get a little repetitive at times, but overall a quick and enjoyable read.

[Benjamin Hare · Rating 2 out of 5]

The memoirs of a self-made U.S. oil baron. Harold Hamm was born in 1954 in the small Oklahoma town of Lexington to a large family whose home had no electricity, or indoor plumbing. In 1964 his first job after high school was driving a tank truck in Enid, Oklahoma. By 1966 he went into business for himself with a single tank truck of his own and started the Shelley Dean Oil company (later to become Continental Resources.) After a brief stint at college he went into debt and bet his future on oil exploration. His diligence, determination, and hard work was a big part of the second U.S. energy renaissance by employing Horizontal Drilling and hydrolic fracturing to unlock the untapped reserves of shale oil within the Bakkan formation of North Dakota. He's advised multiple U.S. presidents, and spoken before congressional committees. Hamm is an ardent champion of oil and natural gas in general and U.S. domestic producers in particular. While Hamm is clearly passionate and knowledgeable about his industry, his prose (or that of the ghost-writer helping him out) become repetitive to the point of grating rather quickly. Damningly, there is a contradiction at the core of the book undercutting much of his achievement: his pandering for forgiveness, as though his success was something that requires it. For most of the book he's unapolegetic about oil and gas production, while at the same time and in the same breath reminding us of all the good he's done for others. The final portion of the book is an embarrassing protestation of altruism, including a chapter about his philanthropy. The book ends with an insipid little "Afterward: A Daughter's Perspective" that has all the originality of a Hallmark greeting card, and is just as predictable. The best parts are the first eight chapters, and the citations, but make no mistake, this book is simply a vanity-press puff-piece.

[K L R · Rating 3 out of 5]

In between boasting about how great he is at his business and describing how dependent modern civilization is on fossil fuels without fully recognizing that this is a problem, Hamm does provide a useful perspective on our energy problems. Although he claims not to be a climate change denier, doesn't oppose renewables, and mentions carbon sequestration technology, he is realistic about our prospects of ditching fossil fuels quickly.

He tries to make fossil fuels something better than a necessary evil but leaves some important issues unanswered: 1) Even if we have more than 50 years of fossil fuels left, we are still going to run out eventually, 2) Economic collapse will happen when new production starts to slow, long before we burn through our last drop of oil, 3) By the time we use all the hydrocarbons, there will be way too much CO2 in the atmosphere. Nevertheless, an important perspective, and I learned quite a bit about the industry and its operations.

[JAYNA Cox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up less than half way through. Could not take anymore self-aggrandizing and repetitiveness.