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Meet the original energyphile

Peter Tertzakian has devoted his career to energy, first as a geophysicist, then as an economist and bestselling writer. He has written two bestsellers, A Thousand Barrels a Second and The End of Energy Obesity. His latest book, The Investor Visit, is the first publication from Energyphile.

About Energyphile

A Thousand Barrels a Second

This compelling bestseller from 2006 tells the story of the world's investment in oil, the future of oil and how working together will help us meet upcoming global energy challenges.

Available on Kindle and in limited print quantities

Energyphile Sessions

For anyone with a desire to dig in deeper, every Session includes a story, related questions and answers and a facilitator’s guide.

Session N^o. 1

Stairway to Hell

A visit to a ghost coal-mining town reminds Peter of the recurrent maladies that still plague business attitudes today — and to look beyond the spreadsheet for answers.

Session N^o. 2

Nobody Tips a Scandiscope

As a young climbing boy meets his fate in the bowels of a tiny flue, Peter examines why the horrific practice of sending children up chimneys persisted for so long.

Session N^o. 3

Alfred Dickie’s Utility Bill

The 1915 utility bill of a lumber magnate gets Peter thinking about our relationship with our energy sources and the shared responsibility of consumers and producers.

Planning A Group Session?

If you’re ordering 10 or more copies, contact us for pricing details.

Coming soon

Session N^o. 4

The Investor Visit

Skeptical of gushing promises made by a fast-talking broker and slick oil company CEO, an investor visits his oil investment in 1915, leading to some timeless advice.

Session N^o. 5

Long Way Around

During the Arab Oil Embargo, Canada had to use foreign tankers to transport its oil from west to east. Energy security is rarely a priority … until it’s too late.

Session N^o. 6

When Stoke Stokes

In 1947 England, a man sends his daughter a postcard featuring smoke-belching factories. Why was such an image glorified? The answer is how we define prosperity.

Session N^o. 7

The Great Aha

A once-staunch stagecoach driver sees the light and buys a Model T, never to look back. This 1914 Ford Times story shows how human need influences energy transitions.

Session N^o. 8

Rocket Man

An early pioneer of rocket-powered travel, Max Valier is an example of the kind of bravado, vision and wild ideas required to alter the course of history.

Session N^o. 9

Hubris Defined

When a 1914 dictionary dropped coal from its definition of “fuel,” the Standard Oil Bulletin gloated. But cheap energy is tough to displace, and hubris is ill-advised.

Session N^o. 10

Once Upon A Time

These children’s stories might seem to be just about a whale, a caboose or a steam shovel. But they’re actually helping to shape the next generation’s energy beliefs.