In Deep Water: The Anatomy of a Disaster, the Fate of the Gulf, and How to End Our Oil Addiction, Library Edition [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Peter Lehner (Author), Bob Deans (Author), Tom Weiner (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2010

Deepwater Horizon was supposed to be the cutting edge of energy exploration: drilling five thousand feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, the $560 million rig would be indispensable in helping to solve the ongoing energy crisis.

Then, on April 20, 2010, BP's dismal safety record came home to roost. An explosion followed by a massive fireball resulted in eleven lives lost, the sinking of the rig, and the release of millions of barrels of crude oil into one of the world's prime fishing grounds: tens of millions of barrels suffocate the Gulf's waters, and the resultant slick covers 2,500 square miles. Wildlife throughout the region is devastated, and so is the human community dependent on harvesting the area's resources.

Now, OR Books has joined with the Natural Resources Defense Council to release In Deep Water, the first book to appear on this environmental catastrophe, the largest offshore spill in American history. Written by Peter Lehner, executive director of the NRDC, together with Bob Deans, this book provides a brief account of the disaster as well as the policy failures that caused it -- and lays out a blueprint to avoid similar catastrophes in the future.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

NRDC director Lehner and author Deans (The River Where America Began) open their informative anatomy with three questions: What happened? How did we arrive at this point? And where must we go from here? Their answers form a concise narrative about the politics of oil and the environmental implications, and the human impact from current production and accidents. Equally comfortable describing the geological history of the Gulf and the fishing life known to generations, the authors trace the story of a disaster that resulted in an oil spill of 200 million gallons. Readers will be disturbed to learn that BP's engineers and executives had been warned of faults in the process, offering them numerous chances to avoid the 11 deaths and resulting spill. Lehner and Deans discuss the ultimate disaster's source - the unquenchable American thirst for oil - and suggest well-known means of reducing dependency, such as hybrid vehicles, electric trains and increased use of rail transport, and alternative fuels. While the authors do interpret government policy, readers will find the book based in facts and research. (Oct.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

“If you’re looking for something that connects the dots between the BP oil disaster, the harm it’s done to the Gulf of Mexico, and the people paying the price, this book is it. In a clear and compelling voice, In Deep Water explains the worst environmental catastrophe of our time, then shows the way forward to protect this national treasure, safeguard our future, and break our destructive addiction to oil.”
—Robert Redford --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.; Unabridged LIBRARY edition (October 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1441773622
• ISBN-13: 978-1441773623
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Anatomy of a Disaster October 19, 2010

By Stefania

Format:Paperback

The disaster of the Gulf oil spill was a perfect storm of lax government regulation, a corner-cutting global energy titan, and an unthinking energy policy by the United States. This book by Peter Lehner and Bob Deans of the Natural Resources Defense Council skillfully and lucidly weaves together these strains to produce a compelling "first draft of history" that reads like a combination of investigative journalism and Greek tragedy. The book makes clear that many misguided decisions led inevitably to the worst environmental disaster in American history. Filled with telling detail and hard facts, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to know the causes and the consequences of the blowout at BP's Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico, America's richest aquatic ecosystem. It includes compelling human stories of the fishermen, shrimpers and other watermen whose deeply ingrained way of life has been devastated by forces far beyond their control. Most importantly, the authors offer important prescriptions to avoid another Gulf disaster.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The oil disaster in the Gulf. October 23, 2011

By Kevin M Quigg VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I read with interest this book. I have read one other book about the disaster, but I wanted to see the environmentalist stand is on this.

It descibes the disaster and what BP did wrong. They rushed decisions, and didn't use the right equipment. They made decisions that other oil companies wouldn't have done. After the disaster, both BP and the other oil companies did not even have an alternative on how to clean up the oil. In their plans, they even listed the walrus as an endangered species in the Gulf, when clearly this was a form they used for all their oil drilling spots. The authors show the neglect of the oil companies in their quest for riches.

It also offers suggestions on how to end the oil addiction here in America. It makes suggestions like better gas mileage, smaller cars, wind and solar farms. These are all good suggestions.

As with all environmentalists, they want to cordone off the wildness, and prevent oil drilling from being done anywhere. I agree that huge mistakes were made, but simply to suggest that we can't do this more carefully in the future in also not doable or viable. I wonder how or where the authors expect us to get oil in the future. There was no easy short term alternatives and simply not drilling in not a very viable option.

Overall, this book did a good job of detailing why the risks are great at deep oil drilling.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars in deep water s in depth analysis November 14, 2010

By Lynn Dominick

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Peter Lehner gives us exactly what we need to know about the BP oil catastrophe. After a vivid retelling of exactly what happened when the well exploded, Lehner presents essential information about how BP cutting corners opened the door to disaster. He demonstrates how anti-government rhetoric and policies crippled the regulatory oversight that is required whenever a profit-making enterprise endangers the public welfare. And he documents the fragile state of the Gulf ecosystem before and after the blowoutas well as the incalculable damage done to the well-being of the people of this region. Fortunately, Lehner also shows very practical ways, ways that are immediately available, that would allow us to wean ourselves from our addiction to oil.
Except for some small redundancies, the book is very well written.

4.0 out of 5 stars Ocean pollution informed authors. June 7, 2011

By joanne pannone

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Pretty good book! I also liked A Sea in Flames: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout50 Ways to Save the Ocean (Inner Ocean Action Guide)The View from Lazy Point: A Natural Year in an Unnatural World Carl Safina and David Helvarg complement this book. If you want to be an activist, these great books to start your education of the ocean and the effects of drilling and other pollution.