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Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite
I have never wanted to be an oil trader. I had imagined it as a pretty low stress job compared to, let’s say, a soldier. Depression, Oil Trading & a Mind at War with Itself has cured me of that illusion. Any job can be stressful and a job you don’t like and are depressed about may be more stressful than most. Jonathan Ford has written an interesting memoir and I doubt few in his field could do a better job at it. It is rich in detail and certainly doesn’t read like he is trying to make the industry or himself look good. That is what I liked most about it. It has the feel of expressing some hard-earned bitter truths about life as well as this particular industry. This is much better than the usual more 'feel good' approach some memoirs take.
Jonathan Ford starts with his childhood. The writing is authentic and leads credence to the later chapters which might be considered more controversial. One consistency throughout the entire memoir is good writing. He pays attention to the little details that draw one into a book and make it feel more personal. This is a memoir so it is personal. Unfortunately, a lot of memoirs are not well written so you don’t get that feel, but from his childhood to his marriages and even his struggles on the job, Jonathan Ford writes well and it feels like a very balanced telling. I liked it. The sections on being married to American women were very illuminating. A lot of people don’t realize how stressful inter-cultural relationships can be.
