America's Blind Spot

Michael J. Economides is Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Houston, US. One of America's leading energy analysts, he has done technical and managerial work in over 70 countries. He is the author with Ron Oligney of The Color of Oil: The History, the Money, and the Politics of the World's Biggest Business (2000), which looks at how petroleum dictates international politics and was nominated for a Pulitzer prize. Andrés Cala is a journalist in Spain whose career spans three continents and over a dozen countries, specializing in geopolitics and energy. His work has been published by some of the world's leading publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Newswires, The Christian Science Monitor, and TIME Magazine. He is also the European correspondent of Energy Tribune.

• PrefacePart One: America's failed relations south of the borderChapter 1: National security: the idealist curseChapter 2: The Bolivarian caudillo and failed US policyChapter 3: Gauging Chávez as a threatPart Two : The century of oil, againChapter 4: America and energy: an "addiction" hard to kickChapter 5: America and oil imports: until death do us partChapter 6: Global oil supplies and American securityChapter 7: Latin America: the new frontierPart Three: A new approachChapter 8: Colombian lessons for ObamaChapter 9: The way forward