George P. Mitchell : fracking, sustainability, and an unorthodox quest to save the planet / Loren C. Steffy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Steffy, Loren C., author.

Series:

Kenneth E. Montague series in oil and business history ; Volume 26.

Kenneth E. Montague series in oil and business history ; Volume 26

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mitchell, George P. (George Phydias), 1919-2013.

Mitchell, George P.

Businesspeople--Texas--Biography.

Businesspeople.

Philanthropists--Texas--Biography.

Philanthropists.

Hydraulic fracturing.

Texas.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxi, 346 pages) : illustrations.

Place of Publication:

College Station : Texas A & M University Press, [2019]

Summary:

"Upon George Mitchell's death in 2013, The Economist proclaimed, "Few businesspeople have done as much to change the world as George Mitchell," a billionaire Texas oilman who defied the stereotypical swagger so identified with that industry. In George P. Mitchell: Fracking, Sustainability, and an Unorthodox Quest to Save the Planet, award-winning author Loren C. Steffy offers the first definitive biography of Mitchell, placing his life and legacy in a global context, from the significance of his discoveries to the lingering controversies they inspired. Mitchell will forever be known as "the father of fracking," but he didn't invent the drilling process; he perfected it and made it profitable, one of many varied ventures he pursued for years. Long before his company ever fracked a well, he pioneered sustainable development by creating The Woodlands, near Houston, one of the first and most successful master-planned communities. Its focus on environmental protection and livability redefined the American suburb. This apparent contradiction between his energy interests and environmental pursuits, which his son Todd dubbed "the Mitchell Paradox," was just one of many that defined Mitchell's life. Anyone who puts fuel in a tank or turns on a light switch has benefited from Mitchell's efforts. This compelling biography reveals Mitchell as a modern renaissance man who sought to make the world a better, more livable place, a man whose unbounded intellectual curiosity led him to support a wide range of interests in business, science, and philanthropy."--Amazon.com

Contents:

A farewell to trees

The Greek with the Irish name

George

The fortunes of lovesick freshmen

"Call me Mitch"

"You're going to end up a bum"

The bookie and the big bet

Beyond the big nine

Growing concerns

Social awakening

Flying by the seat of his pants

Lafitte's gold

Going public

How to build a city

A house divided

Galveston reborn

Subatomic dreams

The fight for fracking

Fire from the ground

The frack heard round the world

Persistent doubts

Selling out

Attempted retirement

Wendy's telescope

Fishing in the sunsets of eternity

Benefits and backlash.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-62349-804-X