Twilight in the Desert Twilight in the Desert Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy is a book by American investment banker Matthew Simmons. The text was initially published on June 10, 2005 by John Wiley & Sons. The book focuses on the petroleum industry of Saudi Arabia and posits that this country is approaching—or already at—its peak oil output and cannot substantially increase its oil production. —Review on theoildrum.com Simmons' prediction of rising oil prices made in "Twilight in the Desert" led to a bet with "New York Times" columnist John Tierney in August 2005. The two
Twilight of the Idols with a Hammer". The former title, "Götzen-Dämmerung" in German, is a pun on the title of Richard Wagner's opera, "Götterdämmerung", or 'Twilight of the Gods'. "Götze" is a German word for "idol" or "false god". Walter Kaufmann has suggested that in his use of the word Nietzsche might be indebted to Francis Bacon. Nietzsche criticizes German culture of the day as unsophisticated and nihilistic, and shoots some disapproving arrows at key French, British, and Italian cultural figures who represent similar tendencies. In contrast to all these alleged representatives of cultural "decadence", Nietzsche applauds Caesar, Napoleon, Goethe, Thucydides and the Sophists