Simmons, an investment banker specializing in the energy industry, theorized that Saudi Arabia's oil reserves were overestimated, oil production had peaked and we were in for a rude shock when the pumps started going dry. (There was no mention of Bella or vampires, which may explaing why the book's popularity waned.) In recent years, he focused on wind and other alternative energy sources.

Even though the mideast oil supply keeps going, Simmons' dire prediction may have helped Americans realize that it was time to start developing alternatives, and changing their lifestyles by conserving and recycling. Not a bad legacy.