The Eskimo and The Oil Man: The Battle at the Top of the World for America's Future

by Bob Reiss

The Arctic century is upon us. A great jockeying for power and influence has erupted among nations in the high north. At stake are trillions of dollars in profit or loss, US security, geopolitical influence and the fate of a fragile environment as well as the region's traditional people. As the ice melts and oil companies venture north, the polar regions may become the next Panama Canal, the next Arabian Peninsula-places on earth that remain relatively unknown in one century and become pivotal in the next. Now Shell oil plans to sink exploratory wells in the pristine waters off the North Slope of Alaska-a site that the company believes contains three times as much oil as the Gulf of Mexico.

The Eskimo and the Oil Man tells this story through the eyes of two men, one an Iñupiat Eskimo leader on Alaska's North Slope, the other the head of Shell Oil's Alaska venture. Their saga is set against the background of an undersea land rush in the Arctic, with Russian bombers appearing off Alaska's coast, and rapid changes in ice that put millions of sea mammals at risk. The men's decisions will affect the daily lives of all Americans, in their cities and towns and also in their pocketbooks. The story begins as a fight and ends with a surprise.

In the spirit of Thomas L. Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded, bestselling author Bob Reiss traveled in America's High North over three years and spent time with scientists, diplomats, military planners, Eskimo whale hunters and officials at the highest levels of the government. He traveled to remote villages and sailed on a US icebreaker.

The Eskimo and the Oil Man reflects the issues dividing every American community wrestling with the balance between energy use and environmental protection, our love of cheap gas and the romance of pristine wilderness.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Bob Reiss (born 1951) is an American author of nonfiction and fiction books. Reiss, who also writes under the pen-names of Scott Canterbury, Ethan Black, and James Abel, has written more than a dozen books, including Purgatory Road, a murder mystery set in Antarctica, The Road to Extrema, a study of the destruction of Brazilian rain forests, and The Coming Storm, which focuses on global warming and catastrophic weather. Many of his books and articles are based on his travels to Hong Kong, Somalia, South Africa, Antarctica, and other locations around the world.

As the writer Ethan Black, Reiss has penned a series featuring Conrad Voort, a New York City police detective.

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the book is several years old and many of the issues raised in this book have moved on, it is a good overall view of the dilemma faced on the North Slope of Alaska. The conflict between enjoying the money received from oil revenue to support what would otherwise be a destitute community verses the danger of damaging a sensitive ecosystem along with the interruption of the native way of life.

The other interesting aspect that does not really get examined, and this is an issue across all those against drilling, is no one every points out the sure hypocrisy of being against more oil production while extensively using said oil. No one walked to the meetings to take a stand against drilling. The Native Alaskans are now using snowmobiles to engage in their hunts.

Reiss does a fairly good job of laying out the conflicting issues to drill or not to drill. He also lays out the never ending labyrinth of government bureaucracy that has becoming the very symbol of how our own government is the biggest impediment to safe exploration and drilling. Reiss does a very good job of laying out examples on how getting approval from one agency means conflicting with another. I am amazed anything gets approved after reading this book.

Reiss does not take a side one way or another but does a very good job of presenting the complexities of this issue and its seemingly overwhelming mass of concerns. However, he does present how other countries have address, successfully I might add, in addressing them and moving forward.

At the end of the day, the other countries that have Arctic borders are going to move forward in claiming the resources it provides. When you read this book, you will find out that the US has practically surrendered our claims already. Bureaucracy and politics overwhelming our future needs.

[Greyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the same issues abound in the US Arctic here in 2021, with Shell still in a holding pattern with drilling. Since publication some large firms have pulled out of Arctic drilling, the Shell Kulluk crashed near Dutch Harbor (very interesting to see it noted in this book 6mo before disaster), and ANWR issues are no closer to final settlement than they've ever been.

While the title sets the focus on Borough mayor Edward Itta and a Shell executive, the journalistic arc of this one swings wide to focus on a number of different agencies. A decent primer on North Slope issues; easier reading than the Federal Register!

[Cary Boswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy-to-read style with important information about the fate of the Arctic region. With the ice melting quickly, the ocean is open to ship traffic, and to exploration of oil and gas, and danger to animals and natural life. It can either help or harm the native people , depending on our actions.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discusses the complexities of balancing interests on the north slope of Alaska near Barrow. Interested parties include native governments benefitting from oil revenues, native hunters, oil companies, environmental interests, federal regulatory agencies. Also emphasizes the US failure to adopt the Law of the Sea Treaty by which nations will stake claims to undersea territories in the Arctic Sea as the ice melts and makes mining and drilling more possible. The "Eskimo" is the native mayor of Barrow. The "Oil Man" is the project manager from Shell Oil tasked with winning approval for Shell to drill an exploratory well to determine whether there is oil under the sea floor in an area for which Shell has a short term lease. Like Thomas L Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded.

[Seamus McGraw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nowhere are the stakes of America's desperate addiction to oil, our inattention to the very real consequences of a changing climate, and the disastrous effect of our political polarization on both of those issues higher than on America's rapidly expanding arctic frontier. Reiss does a good job of laying out not just the challenges, but also the obstacles for a country that is losing not just vast expanses of ice, but is also in danger of losing any common ground. Whether you believe that the changes in climate and the environmental, economic, social political challenges that raises are man made or not, I strongly recommend this book.

[Jon Box · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read on the North Slope of Alaska, the Arctic, and all the issues at stake (financial, US security, geopolitical influence and environmental aspects) barreling our way to affect every American. Bob Reiss provides a captivating, open-minded, and critical review of the impacts of a changing Arctic as well as outlining the need for a bold national strategy for America to realize the promise of this extraordinary frontier. He does this from a personal standpoint, capturing the mixed emotions of all players from Eskimos to the oil men. I was surprised, expecting a one-sided agenda that explained a single way--not the case!

[Elizabeth Moreau Nicolai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lived in Alaska during the time period this book was written and still didn't know a bunch of this. (My husband did, so maybe I just don't pay enough attention). I really enjoyed the perspective on both oil drilling, environmental issues, and global warning issues. The author tried very hard to be objective and for the most part succeeded. (There were maybe one too many quotes from Mead Treadwell, but that's a personal thing.) Highly recommended for anyone interested in oil/drilling/environmental/arctic issues.

[Matt Heavner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is well written and very engaging. It hits on a theme for our country -- America's strength rests in compromise not in polarization. The focus on describing the tensions (and compromises) of energy, culture, and environment in the arctic is fantastic. I really had fun reading this book with so many names, people, and places that feel so familiar.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a pleasure read, but definitely worth reading. Author admits he changed his mind on oil exploration/drilling as a result of his research/writing of this book. Very eye-opening read about our failed policy making and the ineffectiveness of governmental agencies.

[Salem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, and enjoyable in the sense that Reiss' experience in researching and writing this book reached a conclusion based in the true path forward in compromise contrary to his environmentalist leanings.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW I loved it

[Atzimba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about our past and ultimately our future. It has given me a new outlook on the oil industry and how much we truly depend on it every single day.

[Kevin Mccaffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

as has been posited US does need to emulate Norways' method and eliminate all the BS involved when dealing with multitudinous US Gov't agencies sounds familiar?