„... a book about what is going on in the commodities space atthe moment“ (CNBC Europe Squawk Box, Thursday 3 July 2008)
"... examines the link between the price of raw materials andwhat's happening on the high street.„ (Sky TV News & Sky Radio News, Tuesday 8 July 2008)
“... timely... heavily researched..." (CityA. M., Thursday 10 July 2008)
At a time when the world is grappling with rising food and energyprices and climate change, Living in a Material World provides aninsight into some of the contributing factors behind thesechallenges. The emergence of new consumers in China, India, Russiaand the Middle East has added formidable competition to the naturalresources that have been taken for granted in the developed world.
Everything we consume involves the use of metals, fossil fuelsor agriculture. Our high tech 'lifestyles' depend on the securesupply of these raw materials which we take from planet earth anduse to make our lives more comfortable, more productive or moremanageable. The effect of this increasing global demand forcommodities has pushed up prices of materials from oil and copperto corn and wheat; forcing consumers to pay more for the many'necessities' of life, from a loaf of bread to electricitybills.
Since the commodity boom has unfolded, commodities have gonefrom the back page of the newspaper to the front; with more andmore headlines about record food and oil prices, dire climatechange warnings, energy security and China's demand for more rawmaterials.
This era of high oil and food prices is no passing phase: Thesupply of many key natural resources is stretched to the limit. Butwhat is the real cost?
Living in a Material World makes the link between raw materialsand the consumer, and shows how they are relevant to everybody, everyday - now more so than at any time since the last oil shocknearly three decades ago. A unique insight into this 'once in ageneration' boom, the book shows how the increasing value ofcommodities is impacting on consumers and investors, in ways we areonly just beginning to understand.
„It was a great pleasure to read this book which provides anessential background to understanding commodities for anybodyinterested in understanding them more closely. It is so rare to seeall the essential elements brought together in one book.“
-Chris Brodie, Krom River Partners LLP
„Kevin Morrison set out to write a book about the dailyrelevance that raw materials have for the ordinary consumer. He hasachieved his objective par excellence. The subject matter has beencomprehensively researched and well documented - yet the writer hasavoided using complicated technical language. The style of the bookis more in tune with a novel and the main topics are treated with aspecial sense of humour. I would readily recommend this work toanyone interested in how global energy issues have a direct affecton us all.“
-Mehdi Varzi, President, Varzi Energy, London
Everything we consume involves the use of metals, fossil fuelsor agriculture. Our high tech 'lifestyles' depend on the securesupply of these raw materials which we take from planet earth anduse to make our lives more comfortable, more productive or moremanageable. The effect of this increasing global demand forcommodities has pushed up prices of materials from oil and copperto corn and wheat; forcing consumers to pay more for the many'necessities' of life, from a loaf of bread to electricitybills.
Since the commodity boom has unfolded, commodities have gonefrom the back page of the newspaper to the front; with more andmore headlines about record food and oil prices, dire climatechange warnings, energy security and China's demand for more rawmaterials.
This era of high oil and food prices is no passing phase: Thesupply of many key natural resources is stretched to the limit. Butwhat is the real cost?
Living in a Material World makes the link between raw materialsand the consumer, and shows how they are relevant to everybody, everyday - now more so than at any time since the last oil shocknearly three decades ago. A unique insight into this 'once in ageneration' boom, the book shows how the increasing value ofcommodities is impacting on consumers and investors, in ways we areonly just beginning to understand.
„It was a great pleasure to read this book which provides anessential background to understanding commodities for anybodyinterested in understanding them more closely. It is so rare to seeall the essential elements brought together in one book.“
-Chris Brodie, Krom River Partners LLP
„Kevin Morrison set out to write a book about the dailyrelevance that raw materials have for the ordinary consumer. He hasachieved his objective par excellence. The subject matter has beencomprehensively researched and well documented - yet the writer hasavoided using complicated technical language. The style of the bookis more in tune with a novel and the main topics are treated with aspecial sense of humour. I would readily recommend this work toanyone interested in how global energy issues have a direct affecton us all.“
-Mehdi Varzi, President, Varzi Energy, London
