Depression, Oil Trading & A Mind At War With Itself Paperback – April 21, 2016

Excellent book! Jonathan Ford has an individual and articulate voice and tells his story with authenticity and grace. The anecdotes are interesting, well told, and funny and painful at the same time He weaves them into his story of high professional pressure; personal choices that in retrospect turn out badly; and life as a complicated cerebral personality that constantly questions each professional and personal decision. This constant internal dialogue well reflects the anxieties and neuroses of being a gifted person in the 21st century working in high performance environments and the painful trajectory of Jonathan's story is one we can all understand and appreciate. Jonathan never loses his ability to observe and engage us. I fully recommend this book – an entertaining read that stays with you because of the poignancy of the story and our empathy for the intelligent and articulate writer.

As the author acknowledges, there are two major themes in this well-written, and therefore easy to read, book. There is the insider story of life in the oil trade industry when he was involved, and then there is the honest story of his battle with depression. I found the first theme fascinating. One need only be an interested citizen to find it revealing, educational – and even disconcerting.As for the second theme, I couldn’t help pondering the relationship between depression and involvement in a career that conflicted with the author’s ethical base. As a practicing psychologist, I know that a basic requirement in the handling of a tendency toward depression is to gain control over one’s life. When one’s ethics conflict with one’s daily life, control is basically impossible to achieve. The author, I believe, has essentially saved himself by leaving a toxic career.While the depression theme did set me to thinking, I found it less exciting as a read. That’s probably not because of the author’s presentation, but because of the career experiences I brought to it.For the oil industry part, I’d enthusiastically give it five stars. I did run out of enthusiasm around the depression descriptions, so my final choice has to be four stars.

For a man with mental illness he writes quite well. The work has some great stories, and genuine feeling behind each one. Would have liked more trading stuff. What is contained is NOT sufficient to make a case against trading with depression. Rather it works to remind us all that maintaining wealth is not easily done without mental strength and commitment.With six figure bonuses, a man would have been doing better to find a legitimate hobby or interest outside the world of finance.

Highly recommended. Extremely well written for a first book - easy reading, flowing with grace and humour. It stands as a memoir of oil trading in the 90's - it also stands as a study of a fight with depression - but maybe most importantly, it is also a fable of how the pursuit of life and love can backfire and destroy the very things that one is seeking. The anecdotes of the chaotic days of oil trading entertain, yet the fun side of the story provides such contrast to his inner pain that it amplifies everything in an extremely effective way. His recall of detail from 20 years ago is phenomenal and extremely accurate. As far as the portrait of oil trading goes - some of the companies that the author worked were on the extreme end of the ethical spectrum - at least in those days. The whole industry is not like some of the people portrayed in the book and it would be a sad consequence of this excellent book if people took the impression that the entire industry is as portrayed in this fascinating book.

It is a interesting and well-written book. Although the author takes us through a whirlwind tour of energy trading firms during his three decades in and out of the industry, the story is more about his personal struggle with his inner demons and how those are influenced by outside pressures, both from his personal and professional life. Jonathan Ford is evidently a very intelligent and witty person that captures the reader's empathy. As a result, many times making me wish I could reach inside the pages to shake some sense into him.Although his mental turmoil makes this book a serious, and at times painful, read, it is also often an easy and amusing 'page turner'. The book is generously peppered with interesting stories, tidbits of information, a healthy bit of gossip punctuated by the occasional witty but snarky remark. I particularly enjoyed the quotes preceding each theme.

This is the best book about the work of a petroleum trader. However, it covers a lot of issues about a man, his mental state, and his life.It’s too much drama if you look for a business book, and too technical for an autobiography. Somehow the words, while not perfect, sounds deeply sincere.I bought this book looking to understand oil trading, and end up understanding the despair of a fellow human. Thanks to Damian Wursten for the recommendation.

This was a fascinating book in terms of the oil & gas industry and the challenges brought on by toxic personal relationships.It is an honest, "no holds barred" account of the daily struggles that depression and mental anguish brings. At times it was difficult to keep reading and at other times it was difficult to put down. One of the things I find so amazing about this subject matter is that we work and interact with people struggling through depression every day yet never know or understand their pain. This book should be a wake up call to all of us to better understand our family and friends and the demons they battle.I hope we see more from this writer!