Amanda Little’s ambitious and engaging first book grabs readers from page one with lively profiles of just about everyone touched by oil — from NASCAR fans and their gas-guzzling cars to the plastic surgeon who uses synthetic (i.e. oil-derived) body parts to remake clients into their dreams come true. Along the way, Little delves into the short-sighted policies that got us into this oil crisis in the first place and tracks down the people who are trying to get us out of it.