Comments on: NYT Book Review of “The Frackers” by Gregory Zuckerman https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2014/08/17/nyt-book-review-of-%e2%80%9cthe-frackers%e2%80%9d-by-gregory-zuckerman/ Just another WordPress site Wed, 14 Feb 2024 02:06:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: S. Thomas Bond https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2014/08/17/nyt-book-review-of-%e2%80%9cthe-frackers%e2%80%9d-by-gregory-zuckerman/#comment-95460 S. Thomas Bond Mon, 18 Aug 2014 21:18:57 +0000 http://www.frackcheckwv.net/?p=12495#comment-95460 Mr. Zuckerman seems to be among those who attribute intelligence to the wealthy, as though it was some kind of I. Q. test. Acquiring wealth has more to do with values than intelligence. A "go for it" attitude which subsumes all else is a major asset. Family, patriotism, any kind of community spirit. Most wealthy do nothing original, simply find a good trick and repeat it over and over. The notion that wealth measures merit is a characteristic of the Calvinism strain that has been so strong in North Europe and the United States. In most times and places the wealthy have been seen in a different, clearer light. In the case of the shale drilling evolution out of conventional oil and gas business it is something more like the old Tom Lehrer ditty, "The secret of success is plagiarize." You can hear the whole song about half way down the page here: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Lobachevsky-lyrics-Tom-Lehrer/D97B21BF6516390448256A7D0024B8B9 Lehrer was very popular when I went to college. He was a faculty member at MIT, Harvard and Wellesley and later the University of California at Santa Cruz, and had an outstanding career singing popular songs he wrote himself and accompanying himself. (He was also a writer for the American version of "That Was The Week That Was," a news satire program on TV in 1964 and part of 1965.) Mr. Zuckerman seems to be among those who attribute intelligence to the wealthy, as though it was some kind of I. Q. test. Acquiring wealth has more to do with values than intelligence. A “go for it” attitude which subsumes all else is a major asset. Family, patriotism, any kind of community spirit.

Most wealthy do nothing original, simply find a good trick and repeat it over and over. The notion that wealth measures merit is a characteristic of the Calvinism strain that has been so strong in North Europe and the United States. In most times and places the wealthy have been seen in a different, clearer light.

In the case of the shale drilling evolution out of conventional oil and gas business it is something more like the old Tom Lehrer ditty, “The secret of success is plagiarize.”

You can hear the whole song about half way down the page here:
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Lobachevsky-lyrics-Tom-Lehrer/D97B21BF6516390448256A7D0024B8B9

Lehrer was very popular when I went to college. He was a faculty member at MIT, Harvard and Wellesley and later the University of California at Santa Cruz, and had an outstanding career singing popular songs he wrote himself and accompanying himself. (He was also a writer for the American version of “That Was The Week That Was,” a news satire program on TV in 1964 and part of 1965.)

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