Duffield, John S. (Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University)

Fuels Paradise: Seeking Energy Security in Europe, Japan, and the United States Duffield, John S. (Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University)

Commendation Quotes: Written in a simple, readable, direct style, "Fuels Paradise" is a unique comparison of the respective energy policies--and energy vulnerability and security--of advanced industrial democracies. Commendation Quotes: All industrial powers seek energy security, but not in the same way. By carefully comparing the energy policies of Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States, Duffield shows how domestic politics and past 'policy legacies' shape these different paths. "Fuels Paradise" is a terrific book and a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how democracies keep the lights lit and the home fires burning. Commendation Quotes: "Fuels Paradise" is an informative, theoretically nuanced analysis of the energy security policies of the world's key developed democracies. Drawing on well-structured histories of each country's energy policies, Duffield explains their divergences largely as a result of differences in what he terms the 'three faces of state strength.' A wide range of readers--including energy experts, political scientists, and policy makers--will find great value in this book. Biographical Note: John S. Duffield is a professor of political science and the director of academic assessment at Georgia State University. He is the author most recently of "Over a Barrel: The Costs of U. S. Foreign Oil Dependence" and the coeditor of "Toward a Common European Union Energy Policy: Progress, Problems, and Prospects."Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Publisher Marketing: In recent years, the efforts of nations to promote energy security have been hotly debated. "Fuels Paradise" examines how five major developed democracies--Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States--have sought to enhance their energy security since the oil shocks of the 1970s and in response to the more diverse set of challenges of the early twenty-first century. Drawing on a vast range of primary and secondary sources, John S. Duffield explains the actions taken--and not taken--by these countries to address their energy security concerns. Throughout the book, Duffield argues that state strength and policy legacies are essential for understanding national responses to energy insecurity. In addition to identifying feasible energy policies and the constraints faced by policy makers, he evaluates the prospects for international cooperation to promote energy security and considers the implications of recent advances in the production and distribution of energy, particularly the fracking revolution. An ambitious cross-national and longitudinal study grounded in promising theories of national behavior, "Fuels Paradise" will contribute substantially to broader debates about the determinants of state action and public policy.

Contributor Bio:  Duffield, John S John S. Duffield is Professor of Political Science at Georgia State University. He has published two previous books with Stanford University Press: "Power Rules: The Evolution of NATO's Conventional Force Posture" (1995) and "World Power Forsaken: Political Culture, International Institutions, and German Security Policy After Unification"(1998).