A history of ressources trading, starting in the 20th century, sort of. And it's important to read, for these freedealing traders have accumulated much money and power. It seems as if billionaires only pop into existence when there is something new, which means information assymmetry as well as almost no regulation (think railway barons, internet tech, and here, natural resource exploitation).

Basically, this is neocolonialism and money rules the world in one.