Barbara Freese is an environmental attorney and energy policy analyst who, for more than twelve years, helped enforce her state's environmental laws as an assistant attorney general in Minnesota. Freese lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A New York Times Notable Book "An absorbing book that never loses its grip. Barbara Freese is a splendid writer and takes the coal of the whole world into her compass." -New Scientist "A magnificent and plaintive ballad to the black stone that radically altered the path our lives have taken." -Providence Journal "Freese makes her points convincingly and eloquently... Freese paints a fascinatingly wide swath." --Philadelphia Inquirer "A thoroughly absorbing history." --Boston Herald "An engrossing account of the comparatively cheap, usually dirty fuel that supported the Industrial Revolution, inspired the building of canals and railroads to move it, and once made London and Pittsburgh famous for their air." --New York Times "Freese's passion for coal is born out of her work... Freese's book is as much about the growing scientific evidence of the damage coal causes to the environment as it is about the social history of the Industrial Revolution." --Financial Times "Freese has a deft style and a knack for explanatory metaphors. And she enlivens her meticulously researched history with anecdotes and surprising facts... Above all, Freese is a strong storyteller who captivates with detail." --Minneapolis Star-Tribune

• 1. A Portable Climate 2. The Best Stone in Britain 3. Launching a Revolution 4. Full Steam Ahead 5. A Precious Seed 6. The Rise and Fall of King Coal 7. Invisible Power 8. A Sort of Black Stone 9. A Burning Legacy 10. Tipping Points: Epilogue to the New Edition