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| Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of Energy Independence | 
 enlarge | Author: Robert Bryce
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (39 reviews)
Sales Rank: 100092
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.6 x 1.4
ISBN: 1586483218
Dewey Decimal Number: 333.790973
EAN: 9781586483210
ASIN: 1586483218
Publication Date: March 3, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A surprising, irreverent, and scrupulously reported deconstruction of today's fashions in energy policy. Everybody is talking about "energy independence." But is it really achievable? Is it actually even desirable? In this controversial, meticulously researched book, Robert Bryce exposes the false promises behind the rhetoric while blasting nearly everybody--Republicans, Democrats, environmentalists, and war-mongering neoconservatives--for misleading voters about our energy needs. Gusher of Lies explains why the idea of energy independence appeals to voters while also showing that renewable sources like wind and solar cannot meet America's growing energy demand. Along the way, Bryce eviscerates the ethanol scam. Whether the issue is cost, water consumption, or food prices, corn ethanol is one of the longest-running robberies ever perpetrated on American taxpayers. Consumers concerned about peak oil and the future of global energy supplies need to understand that energy security depends on embracing free markets and the realities of interdependence. Gusher of Lies is illuminating, vital reading.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 34 more reviews...
 A voice of reason amid the cacophony November 28, 2008
Mr. Bryce's Gusher of Lies is a bracing antidote to the pervasive fantasy of U.S. "energy independence." Touted for over 35 years by any number of people who should know better (including, alarmingly, both of our most recent presidential candidates), the chimera of energy independence has misinformed American domestic and foreign policy and acted as a kind of soothing substitute for reasoned actions on America's undeniable energy problem. Lately, and most perniciously, energy independence has been sold as a natural and necessary step in the country's War on Terror. In his extensively researched and closely reasoned book, Mr. Bryce persuasively shows that achieving energy independence is technically infeasible, economically undesirable and of no particular value to our national security.
In a career in the energy field that has spanned six presidential administrations, I have yet to hear "energy independence" explicitly renounced as a policy goal, and yet the nation has moved steadily in the opposite direction. Mr. Bryce's book will show the open-minded reader why this has happened and why it's time we ceased pursuing a pipe dream in lieu of formulating a rational energy policy.
Ignore the hyperbole and you'll find a great book November 22, 2008
This is a great book. "Gusher of Lies" goes too far. As does "Dangerous Delusions." Robert Bryce does not make a case for lots of lying and delusional behavior by proponents of energy independence. The title of the book is hyperbole.
But Bryce does make a case for working on energy "inter"dependence, rather than "in"dependence. Energy issues are hard to handle. Nothing simple about them. Bryce takes the time to look at them carefully. He writes well, and supports his case with facts and argument.
Hyperbole aside, Bryce makes a very persuasive case that we will be better off if we strengthen our energy connections with all other countries around the globe. Not try to wall ourselves off with energy independence.
But critics of this book are right on one point -- you will not get a fair view from this book of the case for the other side. Bryce does what he implies in the title of the book. He treats those who support energy independence as lying and delusional. For Bryce, if you do not agree with him, you are wrong. Period.
That focus on the one side did not bother me. This book is like a buffet with a limited selection. I supped on the facts, and spurned the opinion. That gave me a hearty meal. I enjoyed Bryce's writing style. His organization was particularly well done. I have read many books and articles on this subject, but Bryce presented facts and arguments that I had not seen before.
Different people have different tastes. If you do not share Bryce's view on energy independence, and do not like to hear only a view you do not share, you will find little to your taste here. You will go away hungry, perhaps completely empty.
If, on the other hand, you have an open mind on energy independence, give this book a read. You will, I'm pretty sure, come away with as full and satisfying a feeling as I did. Bryce's book is as good a book as I've read for a while, on any subject.
My habit when reading a book is to tear up a piece of paper for bookmarks to put into pages I want to come back to later. The first fifty pages into the book I had already marked most pages. Later pages got less. But that's the first time I can remember marking more than ten pages in a book, let alone fifty. That told me something.
Bryce's book may not appeal to everyone. But it appealed to me. Ignore the hyperbole, and I think you will find a great book.
Great Facts But Poor Politics November 3, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As someone that's been in the energy business for 34 years I am happy to say that this is the best overall book on the energy business I have ever read. The ample supply of cold, hard facts as opposed to rhetoric makes it vastly different from most books that delve into the realms of alternatives to an oil based energy system. I would like to have seen a little more discussion of natural gas and the ongoing development of tight gas plays coupled with the possibilities of Gas to Liquids technology which is superior in many ways to Coal to Liquids.
Having said all that, I found the author way too sanguine about the terrorist threat; and naive concerning the drivers for and intent of Islamic terrorism. The continual "neocon" bashing seemed to serve little purpose other than making the book more palatable to his liberal readers. To be fair he did spend a little time taking liberals to task on the nonsense they spout on energy but it was somewhat cursory compared to going after conservatives which seemed to be much more in his comfort zone. Some of his sources on the more political issues such as "All the Shah's Men" by Stephen Kinzer are more than a little dubious and certainly not objective.
The energy stuff would rate five stars or more if that were possible. Too bad he had to salt the broth with liberal talking points related to the political issues. Even so this book is highly recommeded for anyone that wishes to become knowledgeable on the energy business.
Gusher of Lies contains oceans of facts and great arguments October 15, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
What I love about Gusher of Lies is that it's highly entertaining, educational and subversive, and it will appeal to readers across the political spectrum.
I think so highly of the book that I have the hope -- perhaps naive hope -- that it will open the eyes of voters who have been subjected to the campaign rhetoric of energy independence. You don't have to consider yourself on the left or the right to enjoy Bryce's dissection of those "energy independence" claims.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the ethanol scam, and if you don't think it is a scam, just check out the evidence.
Broadly speaking, this is a one-of-a-kind book on the realpolitik of energy.
A sound rebuke to a flawed idea September 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Gusher of Lies gives a cogent convincing rebuttal to the idea that America should be energy independent.
Robert Bryce is a journalist and author who has been writing about energy issues for awhile. He is thoroughly knowledgeable about the topic and explains the issues clearly.
Gusher of Lies starts with three chapters describing the idea of energy independence in American politics. This sections is a good summary of the politics and press behind the idea.
In part two Bryce gives an overview of energy markets over the past thirty years. I found a lot of new information in this section, and good explanations of a complex subject.
Part three covers in detail why the idea of American energy independence is so flawed. There is a lot of data in this section, and it is presented well. This is obviously an area of strong interest to Bryce. I found the arguments through and convincing.
Part four is were Bryce explains how interdependent we really are, and offers some advice on what we should do. This section is fairly weak. He made the crux of this argument throughout the book, and this sections devolves into show and tell. He describes his visit to Saudi Arabia and Dubai. There was little new in this section. The last two chapters offer some advice about what to do. They mostly seem to say stay the course.
Gusher of Lies is well written thoroughly researched book on an important topic. I learned a lot from reading it. The author is strongest in parts two and three were he leans most heavily on real data. His proscriptive section is weak, in my view.
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