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BOOKS Reviewed by Ruth Parnell IN DEFENCE OF ASTROLOGY: Learn to Answer the Critics of Astrology by Robert Parry Quantum/Foulsham, UK, 2005 ISBN 0-572-03059-2 (224pp tpb) Availability: http://www.foulsham.com link with the starry firmament above has been encoded in our genes and psy- ches since mankind's earliest days, so most people—whether they admit it or not—will have some intuitive appreciation for the value of astrology, claims Robert Parry. He reminds us that before the so-called Age of Enlightenment, astrology and astronomy were inextricably linked, the latter being the more mathematical aspect of the discipline. Astrology may be an inexact science, but there's a great deal of evidence to confirm that it's a valuable tool in helping us under- stand ourselves and our world. Research such as that by French statistician Michel Gauquelin and British astronomer Percy Seymour has confirmed that there are statis- tical and magnetic correlations behind cer- tain planetary and zodiacal configurations. Parry has produced a primer for those who want to understand and discuss the subject but also need the tools to head off the criti- cisms that are regularly levelled against astrology by those who have no real knowl- edge about it. There's a section on self- defence, which advises on how to deal with the bullying detractors through an under- standing of the four personality types based on the elements of earth, water, air and fire. Parry has identified 12 types of criticism usually put up against astrology and has a @ REVIEWS counter-argument to combat each one. These include controversies over the preces- sion of the zodiac, the twins conundrum, heliocentricity, the fate of nations, the prob- lem of new planets, the question of forced births, and more. There are brief counter- attacks as well as more detailed responses described by Parry, who provides a final pep-talk with reflections on the future direc- tion of astrology. His book has the ammo to help you fend off the astro-cynics, whether at the office water cooler or the dinner party. Considering that even Saudi Arabia's super-giant oilfields are fast approaching their peak production, Simmons thinks there's scant hope that the kingdom will be able to boost its oil output from an average 6.5 to 7.5 million barrels to 10, 12 or even 15 million barrels of oil a day for the next 10 or 20 years, let alone the 50 years that its PR arm announced last year. The largest oilfields are already showing signs of ageing, and, like other super-giants elsewhere in the world that have gone into decline, the Saudi fields will not be spared from the ravages of exploitation. That will have enormous social and economic impacts worldwide, says Simmons, and this is a probability that governments and industries need to plan for now. That means being much more serious about getting alternative, non-polluting energy sources in place to help with the transition to an oil-poor world. Simmons's background details, arguments and analyses are thought-provoking if not disturbing. Politicians, industrialists and economists should consider his warnings. TWILIGHT IN THE DESERT: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy by Matthew R. Simmons John Wiley & Sons, USA, 2005 ISBN 0-471-73876-X (422pp hc) Availability: http://www.wiley.com/ ouston-based energy investment banker Matthew Simmons takes a realistic look at the future of Saudi Arabian oil supplies in his timely analysis, Twilight in the Desert. His main problem in researching this book was finding exact data on oil production in the kingdom, released by the government or its giant industrial arm Saudi Aramco. Simmons had to sift through 200 papers written by members of the Society of Petroleum Engineers to piece together the bigger picture to add to his knowledge gleaned from over 30 years in the field. He says that just because Saudi Arabia has been areliable, cheap supplier of oil to the world up till now, this doesn't mean that the king- dom will be able to continue fuelling a demand that's keeps on growing—and from oilwells that are declining in productivity and a landscape that's unlikely to yield any new reserves of significant size. a TWILIGHT IH THE DESERT NEXUS + 65 OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2005 www.nexusmagazine.com