The “best all-around book yet on fracking” (San Francisco Chronicle) from a Pulitzer Prize finalist: “Gold's work is a tour de force of contemporary journalism” (Booklist).
First invented in 1947, hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has not only become a major source of energy, it is changing the way we use energy, and the energy we use. It is both a threat and a godsend for the environment, and it is leading the revival of manufacturing in the United States.
A definitive narrative history, The Boom follows the twists and turns in the development and adoption of this radical technology. It is a thrilling journey filled with colorful characters: the green-minded Texas oilman who created the first modern frack; a bare-knuckled Oklahoman natural gas empire-builder who gave the world an enormous new supply of energy and was brought down by his own success and excesses; an environmental leader whose embrace of fracking brought an end to his public career; and an aging fracking pioneer who is now trying to save the industry from itself.
A fascinating and exciting exploration of one of the most controversial and promising sources of energy, The Boom “brings new clarity to a subject awash in hype from all sides…a thoughtful, well-written, and carefully researched book that provides the best overview yet of the pros and cons of fracking. Gold quietly leads both supporters and critics of drilling to consider other views” (Associated Press).
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“In The Boom, Russell Gold provides a compelling
account of the last half century of natural gas technology development.
Driven by hunches, large ambitions, and even larger personalities, the
story of fracking is the story of innovation, American style. Gold
delves into the growing conflict between economic development and
concerns over environmental damage, and explains why fracking is seen by
some as a vital bridge to a sustainable energy future and feared by
others as another excuse to postpone addressing the risks of climate
change…. The Boom puts a human face on the unfinished story of our struggle to transition to a sustainable world.”
—
Steven Chu, former United States Secretary of Energy