Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Book Giveaway of $20 per Gallon by Christopher Steiner

Thanks to Valerie at Hatchette Books, we are giving away 5 copies of $20 per Gallon by Christopher Steiner. Thank you so much, Valerie and Hatchette Books!

About the Book, courtesy of Hatchette Books:

Imagine an everyday world in which the price of gasoline (and oil) continues to go up, and up, and up. Think about the immediate impact that would have on our lives.

Of course, everybody already knows how about gasoline has affected our driving habits. People can't wait to junk their gas-guzzling SUVs for a new Prius. But there are more, not-so-obvious changes on the horizon that Chris Steiner tracks brilliantly in this provocative work.

Consider the following societal changes: people who own homes in far-off suburbs will soon realize that there's no longer any market for their houses (reason: nobody wants to live too far away because it's too expensive to commute to work). Telecommuting will begin to expand rapidly. Trains will become the mode of national transportation (as it used to be) as the price of flying becomes prohibitive. Families will begin to migrate southward as the price of heating northern homes in the winter is too pricey. Cheap everyday items that are comprised of plastic will go away because of the rising price to produce them (plastic is derived from oil). And this is just the beginning of a huge and overwhelming domino effect that our way of life will undergo in the years to come.

Steiner, an engineer by training before turning to journalism, sees how this simple but constant rise in oil and gas prices will totally re-structure our lifestyle. But what may be surprising to readers is that all of these changes may not be negative - but actually will usher in some new and very promising aspects of our society.

Steiner will probe how the liberation of technology and innovation, triggered by climbing gas prices, will change our lives. The book may start as an alarmist's exercise.... but don't be misled. The future will be exhilarating.

About the Author, Christopher Steiner, courtesy of Hatchette Books:


Intrigued by rising gasoline prices in spring 2008, Christopher Steiner conceived of the concept for $20 Per Gallon when he wondered, simply, how will our lives change in a future of higher gas prices? A civil engineer and a staff writer at Forbes who regularly reports on energy, technology and innovative entrepreneurs, Steiner researched the question. His examination roamed from Manhattan tunnels to desert plane graveyards to organic farm fields and manifested in this book, which breaks down our future and its coming changes in terms of dollars per gallon.

Before his first reporting job at the Chicago Tribune, Steiner worked as a civil-environmental engineer in San Francisco and Park City, Utah. He holds degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University. He lives in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife, Sarah, and his son, Jackson.

Visit Christopher Steiner's blog or the $20 per Gallon website to learn more.


CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, please tell us if you live in a city or the suburbs and how much gas prices and your commute to work had factored into your decision.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.
2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.
3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader or blogger or by email and let me know that you do.
4. For another entry, follow me on twitter (startingfreshny) and let me know that you do.
5. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.
6. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at midnight of Saturday July 18, 2009. July 31, 2009.

Note: Due to the delay in posting the book review, I decided to extend the giveaway deadline to allow readers of the book review to join in the contest.

43 comments:

  1. I live in a suburb and have been fortunate to have a 10 mile or less one way commute to work my whole life, so gas prices have not been a huge factor for me personally, and have not influenced choosing where to live. Thanks for the giveaway Gaby.

    glenn_pessano AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like in a small city. Gas prices aren't really responsible for my decision though I HATE commuting so living in a larger city or a suburb wasn't much of an option. Other factors though such as cost of living in general did come into play.

    I'm a follower already.

    melacan at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. We live in the city and the commute was a big factor in this decision (though I work out of my house). We recently gave up our SUV for a more economical van too

    cabadov(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  4. Oh I am a follower of your blog through my google reader. A great book idea too. Thanks for offering it up.
    cabadov(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am in LA-so we are always on the freeway-on the weekends I try to ride my bike everywhere.

    chocolateandcroissants at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I live even further out than the suburbs and I would have moved into the city, but even the obscene gas prices were better than the only rat holes I could afford.

    This looks like a good book, please enter me into this drawing.

    I'm also a Blogger follower of your blog.

    Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
    jake.lsewhere[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi,
    I live in a small town that has no stores. The closest grocery stores are about 5 and 12 miles away in the next towns. Gas prices are about 1.20/litre, but it's certainly not worth moveing.
    chey127 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Gaby.

    Great to talk to you this afternooon. It's been a very long time. My current address is 450 N. Mathilda Avenue, Apt O-202, Sunnyvale, CA 94085.

    Regarding your email, I'm not a big fan of romance novels, but I do like mysteries, history-related books, and ones that will make me laugh.

    Take care.

    Bea

    ReplyDelete
  9. computer died - hope I don't post this twice.

    I live in a suburb of a major city and gas prices are some of the highest in the nation so it was a consideration. DH has a short commute compared to many - about 30 miles mostly freeway but can and does telecommute at least once a week.

    budletsmom at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I follow.

    budletsmom at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I subscribe.

    budletsmom at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Please sign me up to win--thanks!

    lesleymfan(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm a follower

    melacan at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Subscribe via google reader

    melacan at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I live in the suburbs... the price of homes effected my relocation a lot more than gas prices did.
    oheeyore at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I follow your blog.
    oheeyore at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I subscribe via google reader.
    oheeyore at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I live in a community about 17 miles from my office. Although we try to combine errands and only go to town if we need to, neither the price of gas nor the half hour commute have much of an impact on her decision making.

    rsgrandinetti@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I have a 30 km drive to work. When I started working where I did the gas prices were not bad at all. Now that they have gone way up I wish I worked much closer to where I work. It does not have an impact though on anything other than my wallet.

    Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat - join us at CoolCanucks.ca


    bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I follow

    Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat - join us at CoolCanucks.ca


    bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I am an email subscriber

    Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat - join us at CoolCanucks.ca


    bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I live in a city, so I commute by subway or bus because it is the only method available to me. I know how lucky I am to have these relatively inexpensive options, though!

    lesleymfan(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I already follow your blog through Blogger; thank you!

    lesleymfan(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I also subscribe via e-mail already; thanks!

    lesleymfan(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  25. I follow you on Twitter (username: uwsreader); thank you so much!

    lesleymfan(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  26. I want to win this book!
    dag888888[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Already a google reader subscriber!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I live in the city but we all work from home here so gas prices aren't as much an issue for us. We live within walking distance of walmart super center and another major grocery store so that helps lot as well. Thanks for the chance to win this book!

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  29. I follow on twitter! My name is sparkleglow!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I live in a small town and only drive 5 min to school so it has not factored into my decision much.

    amanda
    catss99@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. i'm a follower
    amanda
    catss99@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. i subscribe via email
    amanda
    catss99@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. i follow on twitter
    catss99@yahoo.com
    amanda

    ReplyDelete
  34. I live in the suburbs and use alternative transportation whenever I can. aitmama (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Please don't enter me. I am doing a review & giveaway on my blog for this book. Just want to comment that this book is excellent. Very eye-opening about how much we rely on gasoline and definitely worth reading.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I drive an H2 and love it. I hope I don't have to pay $20 gal, but I refuse to drive a roller skate. Not everyone lives in the city and when I have to drive on snow-packed rural roads I want to be safe!
    annarudow at gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. I heard a long interview with the author on NPR last week, and I cannot wait to read this book!

    I live in a small town about 30 minutes outside of a major urban area. We moved to the small town because we couldn't afford housing prices in the city, but soon we won't be able to afford gas prices!

    ignoramoose (at) gmail (d0t) com

    ReplyDelete
  38. I live in a Southern New Jersey town that is a suburb of Philadelphia, PA. My commute to work is 30 miles each way and it takes me anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour each way to get back and fourth between work and home. I HATE MY COMMUTE!!! Changing jobs is not a good idea right now because of the economy but in the next 2-3 years would love to find a job close enough so I can commute by bicycle. I would love to use mass transit now but it just wouldn't be feesable for me as it would take a little over two hours one way. I welcome $20.00 per gallon gas because it would force our government to put more money into public transportation. Even at $5.00 or $6.00 per gallon I think you would find alot of people like me FORCED to find jobs closer to home or FORCED to rely on public transportation or carpools. Can't wait to read the book!

    foojersey@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. I live in the "city" (a rural community). We have an A frame on 4 acres about 30 miles out but decided to buy a home in town (3 miles away on 5 acres) so I would not have to commute to work and DH would not have to commute to Lowes and Walmart!
    mesreadsATgmailDOT com

    ReplyDelete
  40. I am a follower
    mesreadsATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  41. I am a subsriber on google reader.
    mesreadsATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete