In “Moby-Dick” and the Mythology of Oil, Bob Wagner casts Melville’s epic novel as a lesson for the ages, one that is critical for us in today’s petroleum age. Wagner’s interpretation of Melville’s tale connects directly with today’s world, even with today’s headlines. Readers concerned with the American economic experience and our relationship with the earth will find much to ponder in Wagner’s illumination of the parallels between Melville’s time and ours.