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$20 Per Gallon: How the Inevitable Rise in the Price of Gasoline Will Change Our Lives for the Better Audiobook
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(3.07) - 344 listener ratings
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An extraordinarily insightful and thought-provoking look at how our society and culture are going to change, and change rapidly, as the price of gasoline, heating oil, and all other everyday consumer products that are derived from oil continue to escalate.
Imagine an everyday world in which the price of gasoline (and oil) continues to go up, and up, and up. Think about the immediate impact that would have on our lives.
Of course, everybody already knows how about gasoline has affected our driving habits. People can't wait to junk their gas-guzzling SUVs for a new Prius. But there are more, not-so-obvious changes on the horizon that Chris Steiner tracks brilliantly in this provocative work.
Consider the following societal changes: people who own homes in far-off suburbs will soon realize that there's no longer any market for their houses (reason: nobody wants to live too far away because it's too expensive to commute to work). Telecommuting will begin to expand rapidly. Trains will become the mode of national transportation (as it used to be) as the price of flying becomes prohibitive. Families will begin to migrate southward as the price of heating northern homes in the winter is too pricey. Cheap everyday items that are comprised of plastic will go away because of the rising price to produce them (plastic is derived from oil). And this is just the beginning of a huge and overwhelming domino effect that our way of life will undergo in the years to come.
Steiner, an engineer by training before turning to journalism, sees how this simple but constant rise in oil and gas prices will totally re-structure our lifestyle. But what may be surprising to readers is that all of these changes may not be negative - but actually will usher in some new and very promising aspects of our society.
Steiner will probe how the liberation of technology and innovation, triggered by climbing gas prices, will change our lives. The book may start as an alarmist's exercise.... but don't be misled. The future will be exhilarating.
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"Not only did I learn how the rise cost of gas will change our travel habits, but also how it will impact where we live, how we shop, and where we get our food. Europe is on the right path; however America has a long way to go to be able to cope with the inevitable increases in oil prices. We say we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, yet our leaders aren't doing a fraction of what can be done to achieve that goal. The author put together a very thorough, well-researched argument on how our lives will actually improve when gas becomes too much for the average American to afford."
— Jenn (4 out of 5 stars)
$20 Per Gallon Listener Reviews
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" Interesting book to make one stop & think how dependent our life is on petrol & what it'll mean when it's no longer available. "
— Marci, 2/19/2014 -
" Much in the way of interesting facts, but far too optimistic I think. The future Steiner sees looks a lot like the present extrapolated. "
— Seligne, 2/15/2014 -
" I really appreciated the food for thought -- it's made for some great conversations. One of the best aspects of the book was to focus on people who are currently working on the ideas or technologies we'll be needing in the future. Fascinating. "
— Rachael, 2/15/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book, basically what happens when gas hits various prices (btw, starting flying places NOW) [and sell your SUV]. On the whole, he presents a really positive picture of what will happen, that is, unless you live in the suburbs in which case your home will largely be worthless in thirty years, etc., etc. In any case, he's kind of relentlessly optimistic--basically we'll all become Portland, which is nice, but a little naive. But, whatever, it's good to read a positive book about all this happening as opposed to the usual doom and gloom. "
— Chris, 1/17/2014 -
" Steiner guides readers through various stages of changes to American lifestyle as the price of oil grows ever higher. The areas he explores are not just limited to gasoline, but also to other products derived from fossil fuels such as asphalt and fertilizer. Insight from the book ranges from repeating things most readers will likely already know (a side-effect, no doubt, of preaching to the choir) to examining other facets that most overlook when thinking about life after oil. Overall, the book is a quick read and contains many valuable ideas, but at times the analysis drifts into details far too specific, notably detailing exactly which airlines, routes, and hubs will survive as the price of jet fuel surges. Steiner largely lives as a fortune-teller, envisioning an America where all produce is locally grown, cheap goods cannot be imported due to shipping costs, and where our cities repopulate and are revitalized. "
— Chris, 1/14/2014 -
" One word...Boring! Yeah, gas is going up. Tell me something new. "
— Heather, 1/11/2014 -
" Not the best book I've ever read, but an interesting thought experiment. "
— John, 12/2/2013 -
" He takes an optimistic view when answering how $6.00, $8.00, $10.00 etc per gallon will change entire industries. The writing is repetitive but the ideas caught my attention. "
— Caroljean, 9/10/2013 -
" Some people hate it when the price of gas goes up but I welcome it for all the reasons in this book. "
— Daniel, 8/2/2013 -
" A book of one view of our future. It is both depressing and hopeful with stories of the incredible inovations ocurring around us. Our lives will change. Creative and interesting. "
— Mary, 7/8/2013 -
" Intersting synopsis of our world as the price of gas increases to $20 per Gallon...well worth reading. "
— Joy, 4/21/2013 -
" I love reading about gas, and how we'll eventually run out. What makes this book different? Don't panic it says, this is the best thing that can happen. "
— Elf, 3/25/2013 -
" Really interesting. Certainly made me think about what comes next as oil becomes more scarce. He describes a great future. I just wonder what ancillary problems will arise as the world struggles to come to grips with less oil and more demand. "
— Ken, 4/13/2012 -
" This book gives an interesting perspective on what may happen as/if the price of gas goes up. He includes snapshots of what some people and companies are already doing to control their energy costs. "
— Patrick, 3/17/2012 -
" Fascinating look at what happens now that we've passed peak oil and how society changes once gasoline hits $6 per gallon, $8, $10 and so on up to $20 per gallon. Even as soon as gas hits $8 per gallon, the airlines are going to be in huge trouble. "
— David, 10/20/2011 -
" Fabulous, thought provoking meditation/investigation of how our society will change, mostly for the better, with more expensive oil. It has sparked many conversations. "
— Gordon, 9/15/2011 -
" I like the premise of the book, and I only hope the world of fewer cars and more trains comes true. But I'm not optimistic, and I think he vastly underestimates the desire of car companies to maintain their place on top of the world transportation heap. "
— Andrew, 5/30/2011 -
" Interesting book to make one stop & think how dependent our life is on petrol & what it'll mean when it's no longer available. "
— Marci, 4/11/2011 -
" I really appreciated the food for thought -- it's made for some great conversations. One of the best aspects of the book was to focus on people who are currently working on the ideas or technologies we'll be needing in the future. Fascinating. "
— Rachael, 3/22/2011 -
" I read this book over a year ago... decided it was time for a review. <br/>Very thought provoking. "
— Jennifer, 3/6/2011 -
" good audio book. interesting to consider, crazy future consequences...we better get sustainable in a hurry. "
— Jose, 1/28/2011 -
" This books is amazing, I like how it both gives the bleak predictions of our future as well as giving us possible solutions that would make that future less bleak. "
— Carlos, 1/4/2011 -
" Fascinating look at what happens now that we've passed peak oil and how society changes once gasoline hits $6 per gallon, $8, $10 and so on up to $20 per gallon. Even as soon as gas hits $8 per gallon, the airlines are going to be in huge trouble. "
— David, 12/24/2010 -
" He takes an optimistic view when answering how $6.00, $8.00, $10.00 etc per gallon will change entire industries. The writing is repetitive but the ideas caught my attention. "
— Caroljean, 10/20/2010 -
" I wish we could give half stars... this would be a 3.5 for me. The second half of the book was better than the first. "
— Carla, 9/6/2010 -
" Well-argued and thought-provoking, but felt like a magazine article stretched into a book. "
— Brian, 8/6/2010 -
" Cars are a fucking nightmare; they run on blood and oil spills. I wish we paid $10/gallon as they do in Europe. Tax the crude shit and invest in mass transit and alternative energy. We could do without plastics as well. <br/> <br/>$20/gallon next week, please. <br/> <br/> "
— Vernon, 7/9/2010 -
" It is not all gloom and doom for the future! Not so sure about timing of his forecast. "
— Claire, 5/3/2010
About Christopher Steiner
Christopher Steiner is the New York Times bestselling author of $20 Per Gallon, which was named a Best Book of the Year by both the Financial Times and Bloomberg. Formerly a writer for the Chicago Tribune, Steiner is now a civil engineer and a staff writer at Forbes who regularly reports on energy, technology, and innovative entrepreneurs.