Fuel Under Fire: Petroleum and It's Perils

Reviewed by: Kathy George - Gray Publlic Library, Gray, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 11, 2017

Review

The world runs on oil. Each year 90 million barrels of oil are used by the earth's population. Ms. Goldstein takes the reader through the history of oil and how we have become addicted to it. Oil or petroleum is found in almost everything -from the gas in our cars, the tires, the roads we drive on, the clothes we wear, the detergent we use to wash them ,and the plastic wrap used to keep foods fresh. It supplies 2.5 million jobs. All things that make our lives more productive. The downside of oil is that it is not renewable,it can contaminate the soil, the water, it releases large amounts of carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming, and it is a pollutant. She presents the pros and cons to this dilemma leaving the reader to draw their own conclusion. As with other books published by Twenty First Century, the subject offered isn't black or white but leads to discussion and a better understanding of our world.

Overall Book Score: excellent