“An academic career was in front of me, but I sampled the oil and gas industry and stayed. Thirty years later I became CEO of an international company based in Greece.”Michael Earle’s story is full of exploration and adventure from beginning to end. He witnessed the aftermath of the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and felt the threat of nuclear war between Pakistan and India; in the Sahara Desert he crossed a minefield in the war zone between Libya and Chad, an...

In September 2005, corporate South Africa was rocked by the violent murder of mining maverick Brett Kebble. In life, he was known as a billionaire patron of the arts, compassionate philanthropist, champion of black economic empowerment, urbane raconteur and generous host. But within six months of his death, Kebble was exposed as the architect of one of the biggest and most convoluted frauds seen by any stock exchange in the world, a flawed genius who lied and cheated and stole so cunningly...

“A brilliant page turner, alternately daringly funny, coldly sobering, starkly terrifying – poetic, personal, beautiful and intensely urgent." Josh Fox, Emmy-winning film director“Great fun to read; kind, tough, and often very funny.” Lord Nicholas Stern, London School of Economics“We can rely on Jeremy Leggett to provide an interesting and insightful perspective.” Richard Branson, Virgin Group“A vital message that deserves as wide an audience as possible.” Mark Lew...

BP - Where did it all go wrong? is a quick-read business biography; it is a history and current breakdown of British Petroleum. The book introduces the reader to BP, how the company was formed, the chequered past it has, and discusses the recent disaster of one of the biggest oil spills in history. The book is skillfully written by Paul Andrews, who interprets many of the more advanced technological points, and explains them to the reader in more readable, plain English. The book asks - an...

A fascinating investigation into how people around the globe are cashing in on a warming worldMcKenzie Funk has spent the last six years reporting around the world on how we are preparing for a warmer planet. Funk shows us that the best way to understand the catastrophe of global warming is to see it through the eyes of those who see it most clearly—as a market opportunity.Global warming’s physical impacts can be separated into three broad categories: melt,...

A thrilling, eye opening investigation into private equity, a secretive wing of the finance industry that is so relentlessly destructive, it could potentially undermine our way of life.For decades, private equity firms have infiltrated every corner of modern life. Wielding debt as a weapon, they push vital services into crisis. Their cover story: that this is merely the "creative destruction" essential to growth. Old-school capitalists say they're dismantling every...

The never-before-told story of BHP Billiton's global conquests, told by the key players.BHP is part of Australia's DNA; but it remains an enigma. The Big Fella: The rise and rise of BHP Billiton is the compelling story of how BHP and its partner Billiton rose from the humblest beginnings in the Australian Outback and on the Indonesian island of Belitung to starry heights on the great bourses of the world. Based on more than 60 exclusive interviews...

"The brave may not live forever-but the cautious do not live at all!" -Sir Richard BransonRichard Branson is an iconic entrepreneur and the founder of Virgin Airways, Virgin Records, and many other Virgin businesses around the world. Now he shares the inside track on his life in business and reveals the incredible truth about his most risky, brilliant, and audacious deals. Combining invaluable advice with remarkable, and candid stories of Virgin's greatest achievem...

One of the world's top 40 manufacturing companies, one of the largest global petrochemicals producers and the biggest private company in the UK, INEOS has risen to prominence over the past twenty years led by three unassuming northern grammar school boys: majority owner Jim Ratcliffe and his business partners Andy Currie and John Reece.The company's prolific growth and unlikely success have reshaped the industry, though its first two decades have been punctuated by close calls and ...

A masterclass in becoming a wealth-generating entrepreneur!Do you have what it takes to become a billionaire? Written by the founder of Forbes Africa, this is a masterclass on how the brightest and most successful entrepreneurs across Africa made their fortunes, as well as a timely look at how the work of entrepreneurs can influence lives in Africa and create the jobs that empty state coffers can no longer afford. Chris Bishop gets up close and personal with the biggest names in bu...

What are countries famous for making? For Japan, the answer might be electronic goods. For Germany, automobiles. For France, perhaps a Louis Vuitton bag. But what about Britain?Here, Evan Davis sets himself the task of finding out. Offering a fascinating look at our manufacturing industries and revealing the various companies that might not be household names, but are very much world leaders in their fields, he shows how we have learnt to specialise in high end and niche areas that...

In April 2010, the world watched in alarm as BP's Macondo well suffered a fatal explosion and a catastrophic leak. Over the next three months, amid tense scenes of corporate and political finger-pointing, millions of barrels of crude oil dispersed across the Gulf of Mexico in what became one of the worst oil spills in history.But there is more to BP's story than this. Tom Bergin, an oil broker turned Reuters reporter, watched the 'two-pipeline company' of the early 1980s grow into ...