Includes bibliographical references (pages 244-264) and index.

Introduction -- pt. I. The industrial perspective -- Robbing the Mint -- Peakers, bunkers, imports, and yurts -- Shalemania and science experiments -- How the oil business reversed gravity -- pt. II. The local perspective -- Fox in the frack house -- When fracking doesn't mean fracking anymore -- pt. III. The financial perspective -- The two trillion-dollar revolution -- The Internet of oil -- Guar and lease, or Another side of disruption -- pt. IV. The global perspective -- When Rachel Carson meets Al Gore -- On to all of the above -- pt. V. The national perspective -- Renaissance after Renaissance? -- And the land of the free. Fracking has become a four-letter word to environmentalists. But most people don't know what it means. Sernovitz explains the reality of fracking: what it is, how it can be made safer, and how the oil business works. He also tells the bigger story. Fracking was just one part of a shale revolution that shocked our assumptions about fueling America's future. The revolution has transformed the world with consequences for the oil industry, investors, environmentalists, political leaders, and anyone who lives in areas shaped by the shales, uses fossil fuels, or cares about the climate. Thanks to American engineers' oilfield innovations, the United States is leading the world in reducing carbon emissions, has sparked a potential manufacturing renaissance, and may soon eliminate its dependence on foreign energy. Once again the largest oil and gas producer in the world, America has altered its balance of power with Russia and the Middle East. Yet the shale revolution has also caused local disruptions and pollution. It has prolonged the world's use of fossil fuels. Is there any way to reconcile the costs with the benefits of fracking?