The authors feel that America's brittle energy system is easily shattered by sabotage, technical failure, or natural disaster; further, the American public needs to understand and correct this vulnerability. Unnecessarily complex and centralized energy systems are at the root of America's energy insecurity, they note, but the proper use of proven cost-effective technologies can make major failures impossible. With practical examples, the authors show how individuals, communities, corporations, and governments can meet their own economic and security needs through resilient energy technologies. The book examines why the energy system is vulnerable and what can cause it to fail. It describes several types of disasters that are waiting to happen, and explores the nature of resilient systems. 1201 references, 6 figures, 10 tables.