Fracking, a method of accessing natural gas and oil by fracturing rock with pressurized fluid, is one of the most hotly debated issues in America today. A process that has been used since the 1940s, fracking has recently been given a major boost as natural gas has been promoted as a clean,"21st-century" fuel - one that helps reduce global warming, creates jobs, and provides tax revenues - by everyone from President Obama to the conservative billionaire T. Boone Pickens. Today, 90 percent of natural gas wells use hydraulic fracturing, better known as "fracking," to extract gas trappedin subterranean rock formations. Though highly effective, the process has been criticized for polluting land, air, and water, and for impacting human health. Aimed at a sophisticated lay audience, Hydrofracking: What Everyone Needs to Know tackles this contentious topic, looking at both sides of the debate as well as providing a clear guide to the science underlying fracking. Alex Prud'homme guides readers through the maze of opinions and rhetoric touncover the key points on both sides, from the economic and political benefits of fracking to the health dangers and effect on the environment. Prud'homme explores the claims of the energy industry, which maintains that fracking creates jobs and provides energy independence for the US; he alsoconsiders the recorded health impacts and the ongoing study of the EPA into the effects of the method. With an even-handed style and engaging voice, Prud'homme arms readers with the knowledge they need to understand the debate around hydraulic fracturing, and to enter the conversation themselves. | Hydrofracking by Alex Prud'homme, Paperback | Indigo Chapters