At a time when the world is grappling with rising food and energy prices
and climate change, Living in a Material World provides an insight into
some of the contributing factors behind these challenges. The emergence
of new consumers in China, India, Russia and the Middle East has added
formidable competition to the natural resources that have been taken for
granted in the developed world.
Everything we consume involves the use of metals, fossil fuels or
agriculture. Our high tech 'lifestyles' depend on the secure supply of
these raw materials which we take from planet earth and use to make our
lives more comfortable, more productive or more manageable. The effect
of this increasing global demand for commodities has pushed up prices of
materials from oil and copper to corn and wheat; forcing consumers to
pay more for the many 'necessities' of life, from a loaf of bread to
electricity bills.
Since the commodity boom has unfolded, commodities have gone from the
back page of the newspaper to the front; with more and more headlines
about record food and oil prices, dire climate change warnings, energy
security and China's demand for more raw materials.
This era of high oil and food prices is no passing phase: The supply of
many key natural resources is stretched to the limit. But what is the
real cost?
Living in a Material World makes the link between raw materials and the
consumer, and shows how they are relevant to everybody, everyday - now
more so than at any time since the last oil shock nearly three decades
ago. A unique insight into this 'once in a generation' boom, the book
shows how the increasing value of commodities is impacting on consumers
and investors, in ways we are only just beginning to understand.
"It was a great pleasure to read this book which provides an essential
background to understanding commodities for anybody interested in
understanding them more closely. It is so rare to see all the essential
elements brought together in one book."
-Chris Brodie, Krom River Partners LLP
"Kevin Morrison set out to write a book about the daily relevance that
raw materials have for the ordinary consumer. He has achieved his
objective par excellence. The subject matter has been comprehensively
researched and well documented - yet the writer has avoided using
complicated technical language. The style of the book is more in tune
with a novel and the main topics are treated with a special sense of
humour. I would readily recommend this work to anyone interested in how
global energy issues have a direct affect on us all."
-Mehdi Varzi, President, Varzi Energy, London
