In 2025 the shift from an industrial to a knowledge economy is underway. The shift has introduced changes in our essential economic assumptions and models in how markets behave and the nature and sources of capital. The shift is affecting the way we do business and the ways we manage our organizations and operations. Over the past two hundred years, we have developed and perfected methods and tactics to help us analyze and cope with the economic environment. These established methods and t...

Despite ongoing efforts to find alternatives, oil is still one of the most critical—and valuable—commodities on earth. This two-volume set provides extensive background information on key topics relating to oil, profiles countries that are major producers and consumers of oil, and examines relevant political issues.Aside from air and water, oil is perhaps the most valuable natural resource. Oil supplies the tremendous energy needs of the modern world. What exactly ...