The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World

Want to get an accessible introduction to "fracking" (short for hydraulic fracturing)? This should do nicely. This is not a technical tome--far from it. It is a well written book aimed at a general audience. If you want a solid scientific analysis, this is not the book for you. But, if you wish to get a sense of what is at stake, this would be quite useful.The author had family land in Pennsylvania in the Marcellus Shale region (a large pool of underground natural gas). This is a personal story of his effort to learn about fracking--its history, its positive economic effects, its effects on the environment, its effects on the land. One aspect of this work struck me as positive: it is a balanced work. Russell Gold, the author, does not take sides in an overt manner. By the end of this book, I felt that I had learned quite a bit about fracking as a technique and its effects (positive and negative).In the process, one also gets a sense of the major figures in the development of the technique, such as Aubrey McClendon. There were quite a few swashbucklers, like McClendon, who tried to develop their companies as rapidly as possible. Others were more cautious. The examination of a series of key figures humanizes the book, giving us a sense of the personal side of this issue.The final chapter tries to provide an even handed analysis of fracking and its effects. Whether the author succeeds will be up to the readers to decide.

I enjoyed this book. It accomplished what I set out for which was a better understanding of modern fracking. The author gave a good inside perspective of how his parent interacted with the drilling companies. The book did dry up towards the end and the last chapters dragged and blurred together. Again the book gave me exactly what I was looking for with the education on fracking and the industry.

For years I have lived right in the middle of the fracking business and never really knew what it was. One of my sons-in-law works in it and I still didn't know what it was. This book reveals the whole thing from Day One, naming names and pointing out where they went wrong and where they went right. There is some humor, some irony and a wealth of good story telling in the volume. Any Anywhere there is oil, even in YOUR backyard, there could be fracking which could make you a millionaire. You owe it to yourself and your heirs to read this book! ... besides, you'll have a lot of fun doing it!

I'm really glad I read this book - I don't know much about fracking but wanted to get a better sense of what it was and how it has transformed this country's energy outlook. This is a perfect book for people who want to learn more about the processes, personalities and politics behind fracking in the US. Would love to see more from this author.

As a Pennsylvanian I have been subjected to endless bulletin boards and radio ads touting the benefits of Range Oil and Chesapeake Oil and natural gas their companies extract. This well documented book is a must read for those interested in how the fracking boom came to be. The other side of the beneficent coin is terrifying indeed. Read it and weep.

This book was very helpful in my understanding of the oil and gas industry. It also provided a neat insight into the industry without the political and environmental rhetoric that is found in many other books about modern-day drilling practices.Gold does a great job at making sure the book is interesting to the laymen, as well as informative enough for interested parties.

Really interesting and enjoyable reading. The author was very even-handed on the subject, which I commend.

Interesting about the modern day frackers and they started!