This is an interesting book that stands conventional wisdom on its head. Basically Owen is saying that increases in energy efficiency INCREASE energy consumption and environmental impact. Human behavior is the important thing. We must use less energy. The problem with the book is that the author’s proposed remedies seem not to be possible. He wants to make energy much more expensive, but only for the rich. It is not clear how this would be done, except that he hints that he would return to the income tax rates of the 1950s (when we were paying off our WW2 debt). This is reminiscent of the soak-the-rich solution that left-wingers want to apply to all problems with a wave of the hand, meaning that it solves all problems. I don't think so. Nevertheless, I rate this book an 8 out of 10 because of the many interesting facts and figures he includes. Just as an example: The average American consumes 22 pounds of coal, 180 cubic feet of natural gas, and 3 gallons of oil per day. That much energy in Roman times would only have been available only to someone owning 6000 strong slaves.