William R. Freudenburg is Professor of Rural Sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He served for six years on the Scientific Advisory Committee of offshore oil drilling for the U.S. Department of Interior. Robert Gramling is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Socioeconomic Research at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and has served on an advisory panel on federal offshore oil leasing for the National Academy of Sciences.

"This book is extremely well written, so that it reads like an interesting story, even as it chronicles the intermingling of a complex set of cultural, historical, political, economic, and technological factors. It is an excellent sociological analysis which challenges the reader's taken-for-granted assumptions about the nature of offshore drilling and carefully documents the reasons behind the different perceptions and experiences of California and Louisiana residents. The current status of offshore drilling is meaningfully framed by a cultural history of the political economy of the two states." — Jean Blocker, University of Tulsa

• List of AcronymsList of PhotographsPreface1. Dawn of Discord2. Getting to Gridlock3. The Citizens Speak4. Probing the Paradox5. Spinning and Slipping6. A Framework for the Future?7. Ideology and ImpactsAppendix. The Legal ContextReferencesIndex

William R. Freudenburg is Professor of Rural Sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He served for six years on the Scientific Advisory Committee of offshore oil drilling for the U.S. Department of Interior. Robert Gramling is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Socioeconomic Research at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and has served on an advisory panel on federal offshore oil leasing for the National Academy of Sciences.

"This book is extremely well written, so that it reads like an interesting story, even as it chronicles the intermingling of a complex set of cultural, historical, political, economic, and technological factors. It is an excellent sociological analysis which challenges the reader's taken-for-granted assumptions about the nature of offshore drilling and carefully documents the reasons behind the different perceptions and experiences of California and Louisiana residents. The current status of offshore drilling is meaningfully framed by a cultural history of the political economy of the two states." — Jean Blocker, University of Tulsa

• List of AcronymsList of PhotographsPreface1. Dawn of Discord2. Getting to Gridlock3. The Citizens Speak4. Probing the Paradox5. Spinning and Slipping6. A Framework for the Future?7. Ideology and ImpactsAppendix. The Legal ContextReferencesIndex

William R. Freudenburg is Professor of Rural Sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He served for six years on the Scientific Advisory Committee of offshore oil drilling for the U.S. Department of Interior. Robert Gramling is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Socioeconomic Research at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and has served on an advisory panel on federal offshore oil leasing for the National Academy of Sciences.

"This book is extremely well written, so that it reads like an interesting story, even as it chronicles the intermingling of a complex set of cultural, historical, political, economic, and technological factors. It is an excellent sociological analysis which challenges the reader's taken-for-granted assumptions about the nature of offshore drilling and carefully documents the reasons behind the different perceptions and experiences of California and Louisiana residents. The current status of offshore drilling is meaningfully framed by a cultural history of the political economy of the two states." — Jean Blocker, University of Tulsa

• List of AcronymsList of PhotographsPreface1. Dawn of Discord2. Getting to Gridlock3. The Citizens Speak4. Probing the Paradox5. Spinning and Slipping6. A Framework for the Future?7. Ideology and ImpactsAppendix. The Legal ContextReferencesIndex