1. God Bless Standard Oil. Opens with the story of John D. Rockefeller, the father of the modern oil industry.

2. Floating to Victory. Charts the growth of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group and British Petroleum, Europe's leading oil companies, against the backdrop of the two world wars.

3. Sisters Under Siege. Focuses on the trials and tribulations of the seven major oil corporations known as the "seven sisters"--Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, Texaco, Gulf, British Petroleum and Royal Dutch/Shell.

4. The Rise of OPEC.Focuses on Saudi Arabian Sheik Ahmed Zaki Yamani and his role in OPEC, the oil-producing cartel established to counter the power of the oil companies.

5. The Devil Gave us Oil.Looks at the plight of heavily indebted Mexico, where the expectation of a continued rise in oil prices encouraged that government to borrow too heavily.

6. The Independents.Examines the tough, rugged individuals such as H.L. Hunt, John Paul Getty and T. Boone Pickens who have gambled millions in the oil game.

7. Oil and Water. Looks at the challenges of obtaining oil from the North Sea.

8. The Global Gamble. Looks at the future of oil, with exploration taking place in far-flung areas of the world from the Arctic to the African desert.