Tackles the social and economic vulnerability of cities to petroleum depletion and rising oil prices. "When future generations look back on today's struggle to move off oil as the lifeblood of global society, they will wonder why it took so long for people to see the writing on the wall and find a better way to power the engines of human endeavor. This volume makes an important contribution to that writing on the wall and presents promising tools needed to deal with our energy problems. If contemporary economic and political leaders can learn from the thoughtful approaches in this book, the inevitable post-carbon future that awaits will bring a brighter day for human civilization." Anthony Perl, Professor of Urban Studies & Political Science, Simon Fraser University, Canada