The End of Country: Dispatches from the Frack Zone

<p><b>&quot;A rare, honest, beautiful, and, yes, sometimes heartbreaking examination of the echoes of water-powered natural gas drilling - or fracking - in the human community . . . vivid, personal and emotional.&quot; - Minneapolis <i>Star Tribune </i></b><br> <b> </b><br> Susquehanna County, in the remote northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, is a community of stoic, low-income dairy farmers and homesteaders seeking haven from suburban sprawl - and the site of the Marcellus Shale, a natural gas deposit worth more than one trillion dollars. In <i>The End of Country,</i> journalist and area native Seamus McGraw opens a window on the battle for control of this land, revealing a conflict that pits petrodollar billionaires and the forces of corporate America against a band of locals determined to extract their fair share of the windfall - but not at the cost of their values or their way of life. Rich with a sense of place and populated by unforgettable personalities, McGraw tells a tale of greed, hubris, and envy, but also of hope, family, and the land that binds them all together.<br> <br> <b>&quot;To tell a great story, you need a great story. Seamus McGraw . . . has lived a great story. . . . [He] is just one of its many characters - very real characters - caught up in a very human story in which they must make tough, life-altering decisions for themselves, their community, and ultimately their country.&quot; - Allentown <i>Morning Call</i></b><br> <b><i> </i></b><br> <b>&quot;Compelling . . . <i>The End of Country </i>is like a phone call from a close friend or relative living smack-dab in the middle of the Pennsylvania gas rush. . . . Anyone with even a passing interest in the [fracking debate should] read it.&quot; - Harrisburg <i>Patriot-News</i></b><br> <b><i> </i></b><br> <b>&quot;This cautionary tale should be required reading for all those tempted by the calling cards of easy money and precarious peace of mind.&quot; - Tom Brokaw</b><br> <b><i> </i></b><br> <b>&quot;A page-turner . . . McGraw brings us to the front lines of the U.S. energy revolution to deliver an honest and humbling account that could hardly possess greater relevance.&quot; - <i>The Humanist</i></b></p>