Jeff Rubin Knihy

Cheap oil = Foreign imports. Huge houses. Big cars. Binge flying. Expensive oil = Local food. Local industry. Small cars. Fewer flights. Our civilization as we know it is entirely dependant on cheap oil. And that civilization is about to get the shock of its life. Our systems of trade, finance, shipping and manufacturing, of labour and international relations are all going to be affected as oil supplies dwindle and prices fluctuate wildly. Soaring energy costs are not going to get thrown into permanent reverse; but, as a direct result, the machinery of globalization certainly will. For years Jeff Rubin has been accurately predicting how the world's dwindling oil supply will affect oil prices. Now he shares his predictions for what is going to happen next, including how oil prices will bounce back after the current economnic crisis and why permanently cheap oil is now a thing of the past. He explains why the conventional rules of economics don't work when it comes to oil markets and shows why prices will continue to rise in the coming years, even as demand increases. He reveals how globalization and developing economies are accelerating depletion of oil reserves and pushing prices ever higher, and in turn shows how this will lead to a new inflation, with higher food prices and transport costs. But there is good news: as Rubin shows, skyrocketing oil prices will lead to a new kind of localised living, in which we'll reinvigorate our national manufacturing industries, embrace local food production and make positive changes in where and how we live and work.

Pinole is a small city with a very big history. Pinole holds the unique distinction of having the oldest name in Contra Costa County. The area's first fast food, "pinolli," originated here with the 1772 Spanish discovery. Since then, the landscape has changed from nineteenth century cattle round-ups at Rancho El Pinole to twenty-first century round-ups of laptops, iPads, and smartphones at local eateries. The last grizzly bear disappeared from here in 1848. But the last dinosaur still exists from the extinct Pinole Midget Golf course. Pinole's appealing geography of bay, fertile valleys, and favorable climate has attracted a multi-cultural stream of newcomers through time. From gala Fourth of July parades of the early 1900s to the Fiesta del Pinole pageants of the 1960s, Pinole has always known how to celebrate its heritage and the contributions of its citizens. This book captures the images of many of those moments of celebration as Pinole emerged from a sleepy village into a dynamic city.

Focusing on the insights gained from individuals aged 5 to 103, this book compiles personal observations and life lessons about aging and the journey through life. It serves as a heartfelt resource filled with humor, warmth, and inspiration, encouraging discussions on various topics. Aimed at challenging ageism, it highlights the wisdom that transcends age, advocating for dignity and respect for all. This collection not only offers comfort but also fosters a movement to recognize and celebrate the value of wisdom from every generation.

We are constantly being told that globalisation is good for the economy and good for us, but it's actually the opposite, argues bestselling author Jeff Rubin in this provocative, timely book. In the pre-coronavirus world, governments and economists bragged that GDP was growing and unemployment was down. But even then, real wages had been stagnant for decades, union membership had collapsed, and full-time employment no longer guaranteed you could pay the bills. When we emerge from the virus, it would be nice to think that living in a country that's getting richer means that you're getting richer too, but that's not the way it works anymore. Falling tariffs, low interest rates, global deregulation, and tax policies that benefit only the rich have all had the same effect: the erosion of the 'expendable' middle class. The result, growing global inequality, is a problem of our own making. And solving it won't be easy if we draw on the same ideas about capital and labour, right and left, that led us to this cliff. Articulating a vision that, remarkably, dovetails with the ideas of both Naomi Klein and Donald Trump, The Expendablesis an exhilaratingly fresh perspective that is at once humane and irascible, fearless and rigorous.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER A Globe and Mail Favourite Book of 2020 From the #1 bestselling author of Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller, a provocative, far-reaching account of how the middle class got stuck with the bill for globalization, and how the blowback—from Brexit to Trump to populist Europe—will change the developed world. Real wages in North America have not risen since the 1970s. Union membership has collapsed. Full-time employment is beginning to look like a quaint idea from the distant past. If it seems that the middle class is in retreat around the developed world, it is. Former CIBC World Markets Chief Economist Jeff Rubin argues that all this was foreseeable back when Canada, the United States and Mexico first started talking free trade. Growing global inequality is a problem of our own making, he says. And solving it won't be easy if we draw on the same ideas about capital and labour, right and left, that led us to this cliff. Articulating a vision that dovetails with the ideas of both Naomi Klein and Donald Trump, The Expendables is an exhilaratingly fresh perspective that is at once humane and irascible, fearless and rigorous, and most importantly, timely. GDP is growing, the stock market is up and unemployment is down, but the surprise of the book is that even the good news is good for only one percent of us.

Exploring the implications of declining oil availability, the author presents a thought-provoking analysis of a future without economic growth. He examines how this shift will reshape society, economies, and daily life, emphasizing the challenges and adaptations that will arise. The updated edition includes a new afterword, providing fresh insights into the evolving landscape as the world grapples with these significant changes.

Here's the question: will we decide to reinvest in a global economy and an infrastructure that keeps us bound to oil consumption for every dollar or pound or yen of wealth we produce? If so, we are committing ourselves to a damaging cycle of recessions and recoveries that keeps repeating itself as the economy keeps banging its head on oil prices. If we go this route, peak oil will soon lead to peak GDP. Or we can change. Not only must we decouple our economy from oil but we must reengineer our lives to adapt to a world of growing energy scarcity. And that means learning to live using less energy. While much could go terribly wrong in this transition, don't be surprised if we find more than a few silver linings in the process, like a solution to carbon emissions for example. And don't be surprised if the new smaller world that emerges isn't a lot more livable and enjoyable than the one we are about to leave behind. Either way, your world is about to get a lot smaller.