Drawing on stories from people who live close to the nation's thousands of fracked gas and oil wells, and the analysis of proprietary industry data on active and potential shale gas and tight oil fields , Heinberg describes the impacts of "fracking" (hydraulic fracturing) on communities and the environment across the US--and predicts relatively short-lived success for the oil and gas industry, who tout 100-year-supply fossil fuels from these expensive new methods. He describes the monetary and environmental hidden costs that society will bear, and posits that there is relatively little time left to build a new non-fossil-fuel-dependent energy infrastructure before oil and gas production decline sets in again. There are six chapters: this is what peak oil looks like; technology to the rescue; a treadmill to hell; fracking wars, fracking casualties; the economics of fracking: who benefits? and energy reality. This interesting and readable book is targeted for policy makers and the general public. There are notes, abbreviations, a glossary, information about the author, and many figures. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less