[1] The book is suitable for both technical and non-technical audiences since it is written in plain English and is "easily digested by anyone with a rudimentary background or interest in energy economics".

[2] The book discusses and presents counter-arguments to thirteen propositions concerning American culture, energy, the environment, and society:[1] The book was produced with support from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and involved 24 contributing authors with a diverse range of backgrounds.

Brown is an American geographer on the faculty of the Georgia Institute of Technology.

She is a member of the National Commission on Energy Policy and the Tennessee Valley Authority board.

She previously worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where she held several leadership positions.