Power Trip: From Oil Wells to Solar Cells---Our Ride to the Renewable Future

by Amanda Little

Power Trip is an adventurous, wonk-free, big-picture, solutions-oriented narrative by leading young journalist Amanda Little that maps out the history and future of America’s energy addiction. Infused with next-generation candor and optimism, Power Trip examines the ways in which oil and coal have shaped America as an international superpower—even as they posed political and environmental dangers to the nation and the world. Hard-hitting yet optimistic, Power Trip is a manifesto for the younger generations who are inheriting the earth.

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Science, Climate Change, History

446 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Amanda Little is a professor of journalism and Writer-in-Residence at Vanderbilt University. Her reporting on energy, technology and the environment has taken her to ultra-deep oil rigs, down manholes, and inside monsoon clouds. Amanda's work has appeared in the New York Times, Wired, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and elsewhere. She writes, bikes, and is learning to cook and tango in Nashville, TN, where she lives with her husband and kids. More about her work at: www.amandalittle.com

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yikes America! We really are bent over a barrel of oil. You and I already know this, but it's good to be reminded, not by shrill voices on TV or worthless politicians on the campaign trail, but by a good 200-level primer on America's energy crisis. Power Trip is a solid, current, balanced book on the crisis. Amanda Little provides a comprehensive review of our dependence on petroleum, coal, and natural gas. In the first of 2 Parts, she underscores our sickening dependence on oil, in all its ramifications beyond simple power production, and the second part reveals some components of the promise of a green power revolution. Here's the title of her chapters:

LIFE LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
1. OVER A BARREL: The Boom and Bust of America's Domestic Oil Empire
2. WAR AND GREASE: How Oil Build and Sustains a Military Superpower
3. ROAD HOGS: Why a Hundred Years of Joyriding Has Us Running on Empty
4. PLASTIC EXPLOSIVE: From Baggies to Boob Jobs--Our Love Affair with Synthetics
5. COOKING OIL: How Fossil Fuels Feed the World (and Energy Shortages Could Starve It)
6. CHAIN OF FUELS: The Story of a 20,000-Mile Spinach Salad
7. SHORT CIRCUITS: Why a High-Tech Superpower Has a Third World Grid

GREENER PASTURES
8. EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE: How Renewable Energy Will Dethrone the Powers That Be
9. AUTOPIA: Detroit Does the Electric Slide
10. CITY, SLICKER: Building Energy-Smart Homes and the Cities of Tomorrow
11. FRESH GREENS: Not Your Grandma's Eco-Movement--Meet the New Pioneers

If you're a cognizant citizen, and don't spend all your days at medieval fairs, then you have a baseline knowledge of these topics. What I find most interesting--and refreshing--is that the author, despite a Jane Bagley Lehman Award for excellence in environmental journalism, didn't really know the extent to which America is built on coal and oil until she began research for this book. What that means is, she earned a well-paid living writing magazine articles about the environment for Outside, New York Times, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Wired, In Style, Men's Journal, and Washington Post as an ostensible 'Expert' without spending the 2 years necessary to write a book. In other words, as she drilled down (yep, that's a pun) into the topic, she became more aware of her own complicity in being dependent on oil. This is not a book of self-discovery, but it is a genuine expression of her gullibility and ignorance--like all of our own ignorance when the subject is broken down in detail. I think Amanda Little originally viewed herself as a low-carbon-footprint kinda girl; a 'green,' young, urban, professional hottie. It was nice to see her admit her culpability in adding her own small part to the crisis.

Again, this is a 200-level summary. The writing is straightforward. Each chapter could easily have been a long book. It's just good to keep it in balance; to keep the energy crisis at the forefront of your cranium with so much else going on.

[Shinynickel]

Off this review:

Power Trip: From Oil Wells to Solar Cells—A Ride to Our Renewable Future
By Amanda Little (HarperCollins)
At first blush, it seems like weaning ourselves off fossil fuels won’t be terribly hard: Swap that clunker for a Prius, that old lightbulb for a CFL, and that plastic bag for a sturdy tote. But, as veteran journalist Amanda Little reveals in this sweeping account, there is almost nothing in modern life untouched by oil and coal. To tell the story of America’s epic entanglement with hydrocarbons, she revisits President Franklin Roosevelt’s seminal pact with the King of Saudi Arabia and Fritz Haber’s revolutionary nitrogen fixation process and travels from the Corn Belt of Kansas to inside New York’s electrical grid. Finally, Little profiles a few “fresh greens,” who, using innovative scientific approaches, might help the world to survive withdrawal from its epic addiction.

[Tin Wee · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting exploration of the rise in importance of oil in our life - going beyond just energy and transport, its derivatives form an integral part of almost every consumer good available today. The book explores how various sectors in America (and by extension the rest of the world) are trying to wean themselves off oil, and the various developments in green technologies in building, transportation, etc. But the author is right that this green movement must move out of America to the rest of the world. However, I felt that there isn't enough solutioning on how to move away from oil derivatives in consumer goods - despite this being highlighted as a problem. One thing at a time, I suppose - moving away from oil as a source of energy and fuel for transport will already be a major step forward.

[Jo-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long and detailed. Informative.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little takes a complex subject, energy, and makes it simple and interesting for non-experts. Her road trip starts with people who've done interesting things in energy in the past, like Edison, John D. Rockefeller or wildcatters in the glory days of Texas oil in the early 20th century. Then she talks with people in the present who work with both fossil fuels and renewables. Her chapter on plastics is especially interesting.

"Power Trip" came out in 2009, so the last part of the book on clean energy technologies is a bit dated by now -- which shows that Little's predictions more than a decade ago were sound, for example, that solar and wind along with electric vehicles and batteries would all get cheaper and better, helping to displace fossil fuels in the energy market.

Read from the perspective of today, the final part of "Power Trip" feels a bit sad. You can blame Little for being as optimistic about politics as she was about technology since she seemed to think that, back in 2009, the newly elected Obama Administration would represent a turnaround in America's commitment to transitioning from dirty to clean energy. The way she talks about the massive brainpower of Obama energy appointees on the one hand (as if they were going to make big things happen) and the rise of Republicans who wanted clean energy as much as Democrats on the other hand (as if they'd cooperate with the White House) is touching, given how things turned out.

Soon after Little's book came out, the Supreme Court would make its Citizens United decision, driven by fossil fuel companies hiding behind a surrogate, that would allow really big corporate money to change politics. That's when the optimistic world of bipartisan cooperation on energy seen by Little shattered into a million pieces, leaving us a partisan hellscape where Republicans were bought by Big Oil and then had to give payback to their new owners by denying climate science, slowing down clean energy and increasing handouts to coal, oil, and gas companies.

The depressing political picture of today informs Little's rosy picture from 2009, helping "Power Trip" to deliver an important lesson that perhaps Little did not intend: no election of Democrats is ever going to be enough to make America serious about a clean energy transition as long as fossil fuel companies continue to throw their money around to buy Republican officials (and some Democrats too).

Maybe Little came to recognize the importance of politics after Obama failed to take any serious action on energy. Today, she's involved with World War Zero, a climate lobbying initiative founded by John Kerry with help from some national security types focusing on political action.

[David James · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Power Trip" may not be the most comprehensive or technical book on energy issues, but it is one of the most broad reaching, upbeat, and fair minded. Amanda Little offers a solid overview of our harnessing and use of energy evolved over the past 150 years or so, explores both the benefits and costs of these developments, and covers a wide range of emerging ideas about how we can move forward with improved efficiencies, new technologies, and the use of renewables.

Little's persistent accentuation of the positive is refreshing amidst the glut of authors who write about dwindling oil supplies and warn of an oncoming energy apocalypse. Rather than sit in her basement fretting about the future, she goes out and meets the people who are facing it head-on, finding plenty of reason for optimism. She introduces readers to individuals working in numerous areas of energy, from oil riggers to the most innovative designers of our time, and shows how all are working toward common goals. The result is a book that leaves the reader looking forward to a greener tomorrow.

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and informative look at the US energy industry, consumption and habits, and new technologies. We don't realize how pervasive oil and petroleum byproducts are in our lives, nor do we really have a grasp how at risk our current power grids/systems really are--and I don't mean from terrorists, but from overuse and neglect. This book was published in 2009, and if our current government leadership were different, ideas covered in this book this would have read like a very plausible, high-level blue print for the future. Instead, it reminded me of the uncertainty of our future. So many of the advances Little covers in this book will probably be undone, the much-needed regulations and funding to drive clean energy will be eliminated or overturned. And even at the most basic level, instead of repairing (forget upgrading) our infrastructure to support increasing demand, we'll be wasting valuable money and resources on building a wall.

[Claudia Fett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of food for thought in this well researched book, written by journalist, Amanda Little. Amanda Little takes the reader on a fast paced journey to map out the history and future of America's energy addiction. Ms. Little travels throughout America to observe energy sources and interviews key people, to bring us insight into the issues that we face in our dependency on energy. "As Little explains, energy is everything: It grows our crops, fights our wars, makes our plastics and medicines, warms our homes, moves our product and vehicles, and animates our cities". Great read!

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

An environmentalist friend of mine recommended this book, and I gave it a shot. I couldn't finish it - I got too turned off by the early chapters which were (depending on your viewpoint) woefully incorrect or merely overcome by events (i.e. declaring firmly that there won't be any more major oil finds on land, when earlier in 2012 the US discovered vast land-based oil reserves). The rest of the book may be good, but I didn't stick around to find out.

[Butch Byers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of interesting stories about America's energy addictions...oil, the military's dependence on oil, plastics, cooking oil, the extended food transportation chain. But its a little unfocused, whereas Oil on the Brain (the oil industry vertical chain), Powering the Dream (renewable energy), and Bottled Lightning (battery tech and lithium in particular) benefit by comparison because they were more focused and had a more central message.

[Eskay Teel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I searched for this book specifically to give it a 5* rating.
I've actually bought this book for other people as well - because I was so impressed with it.
Every chapter was full of information and I kept wondering how she could continue with such clarity and intrigue... but she did... all the way to the end.
The facts and background laid out in the book made such an impact on me that I've never looked at mainstream news the same again.
It's all about oil.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid entry into the history of renewable energy category, but also includes a little more of a journey across America approach where the author profiles communities, individuals and organizations that are embracing the energy independence movement. In fact the book probably leans more towards the latter element than the former, but it was an enjoyable read.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Not only does the book provide the history of how U.S. has come to dependable on fossil fuels to allow our society to function, but also outlines what new technologies that are beginning to emerge that will replace fossil fuels. Excellent read.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have given up on this book when, at about page 45, the author wrote, "The current imbroglio in Iraq, I learned through my research in 20th century military history, was hardly the first war caused by oil."

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.So many cool stories about America's oil history.Many of her chapters deal with politics but she remains bipartisan in her attitude.The Power Trip educated me,inspired me and gave me hope.

[Tom Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting look at the past, present and future of energy and energy consumption in the united states.

[Daniel.j.g59 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really informative and eye opening report on our lives' dependence on oil. Interesting who are the movers and shakers of the renewable energy movement.

[Clare]

I just read "The Lorax" to my kids last night.

[Liz]

reccomendation from DailyCandy

[Cindy]

Very reader friendly and informative.

[Jen Canova · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was able to get through one chapter before I finally gave up. It is a interesting subject but is way to long and detailed. It will definitly put you to sleep!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

easy to read, great narration of many aspects of the USA's energy landscape

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This filled in some of my energy blanks, but I was hoping for something a little more technical.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of an low level Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman. I enjoyed it, but it was not compelling. The idea is that slowly people are buying into the energy shift/revolution.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched, great writing, and very informative. Along with "Hot Flat and Crowded," this is the best environmental book I have ever read.

[Srikanth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read that mixes history, geography, technology and a bit of futurology. Simple but has an impact on the thinking man.