Plugged & Abandoned: A Semi-Professional Memoir

by Steve Moore

My Epic Failure to Achieve Self-Actualization after 40 Years of Reservoir Engineering in the Oil and Gas Industry.

This humorous memoir takes the reader on a completely unnecessary journey through the author’s 40-year struggle to transcend his career as a petroleum reservoir engineer and become something Moore. The easy-to-read essays and short stories include a variety of fun topics, including:

Horrifying tales from the Heart of Presentation Darkness
How poor communication can also be great entertainment
Way too many examples of Professionals Behaving Badly
How to make a urologist laugh
Proper spit-cup etiquette in a corporate setting
The complete list of Moore’s Laws
Why snatching that new chair from the empty cubicle down the hall is a really bad idea
The Self-Actualization Dream Team Cocktail Party
The risks of playing handball with your supervisor
How to train your reservoir monkey

Illustrated with more than 43 pictures and silly sketches, PLUGGED & ABANDONED will make you feel better about yourself and your career.

368 pages, Paperback

Published September 21, 2022

About the author

Steve Moore is a former engineer but hopes you like him anyway. He finished his first novel, A FORTUNE OF REVERSAL, during the Great Time Out of 2020.

After a 40-year career in petroleum reservoir engineering, chronicled in the semi-professional memoir PLUGGED & ABANDONED, he is finally starting to get the hang of the self-actualization thing as a writer of satire and comedy.

He and his wife live in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Visit his sporadically published blog at TunnelWriter.com

Reviews

[Steve]

Read this eleventy-seven times during 2022…on purpose.

[Susan Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very insightful and hysterically funny read. I don't know much about petroleum engineering (learned a lot though), however the author brilliantly conveyed scenarios in his career that could apply to all of us trudging through our jobs and life's quirky hurdles. Great writing and I couldn't stop laughing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs reassuring that you aren't alone in your trials and tribulations of whatever career you find yourself in. Thanks Steve for the Greatread!!! (Note exclamation points).

[Zack Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s like this book was written particularly for me. Steve takes a deep dive (or should we call it a drill down?!) into life as a reservoir engineer for 35 years. I’ve only done it for 18, but it’s as if he and I have been in many of the same hellacious meetings. I laughed, I groaned, and I shook my head. The reservoir engineering puns were *chef’s kiss*. Four stars because while the first half is great, the second half slowed down like ARIES In January. Highly recommended as a Christmas gift for the reserves monkey in your life. They will feel seen.

Thanks for documenting my life, Steve!

[Danny Dallis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have looked forward to this book for the past ten years, and I can say I was not disappointed in the least. I enjoyed reading about Mr. Moore's journey through the energy business, his lessons learned, and the people he met along the way. Steve has been a colleague, teacher, and, most of all, a great friend. I have had the pleasure of a front-row seat for the audio version of this book as I listened to his recollections over coffee, lunches, and adult beverages. Steve has always had a unique way of looking at everyday situations from a perspective few others share. In addition, the witty writing style and seemingly unlimited reservoir(see what I did there) of pop culture knowledge kept the pages turning. I recommend this book to anyone who has worked in the corporate hierarchy, no matter the industry. I am glad he has finally put down the calculator and picked up the pen. I hope there is much Moore from him in the years to come.

[Indi Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read more than my fair share of autobiographies and memoirs, but rarely has one had so many laugh out loud moments for me. The author has a real knack for making what could be highly technical anecdotes widely accessible to any audience; while I'm certain it holds special value for those who do identify themselves as such, even if you're not an engineer (I'm certainly not!), you'll find this memoir a lovely read. At times audible-chuckle-worthy, informative, nostalgic, and even sweet, I would rate this read 10 stars if the scale allowed. What a massive undertaking to winnow one's professional life into such an easily readable format, and it definitely sparks joy. Highly recommended!

A perfect gift for the engineer in your life, they will feel seen!