Book review: The oil curse: how petroleum wealth shapes the development of nations

"The Oil Curse: How Petroleum Wealth Shapes the Development of Nations." Michael L. Ross. Princeton University Press. September 2013. --- Countries that are rich in petroleum have less democracy, less economic stability, and more frequent civil wars than countries without oil. What explains this oil curse? And can it be fixed? Michael L. Ross looks at how developing nations are shaped by their mineral wealth–and how they can turn oil from a curse into a blessing. Ramin Nassehi recommends this book to scholars of development or Middle Eastern Studies, and in particular, researchers who share a passion for studying oil.