Is big oil more evil than your average corporation? Maddow’s short answer is: “Yes, but they have a practical reason to be.” Democracy can be an inconvenience and ExxonMobil (and others) are content to do business with authoritarians as long as they honor their contracts.

This book left me with a much better understanding about why Putin will cling to power until the day he dies, why Oklahoma City grew up in no time, and why on earth any of us know who Rex Tillerson is.