A new book examines how oil can be a "blessing" instead of a "curse.

In development literature, oil production has often been seen as a problem to be handled, rather than an opportunity to be seized. The “resource curse” is a theory with flaws but one that does demonstrate a certain truth: oil is not necessarily a blessing.

The question becomes one of how best an industry can provide benefits to a broader populace. Nigeria and Angola would seem to offer lessons in how not to accomplish such an end.

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