The “unconventional” energy resources in the title of this collection are shale oil and gas. The volume's 16 contributors are a mix of social scientists, geologists, engineers, and economists based in universities, research institutes, government agencies, and energy management and capital investment firms. This eclecticism of backgrounds affords panoramic, extensively detailed descriptions of the technical, legal, and logistical hurdles future fossil energy extraction faces in regions such as the Middle East, Russia, Africa, Europe, Australia, and the US. . . Most contributors focus on the economic viability of shale exploitation; only the penultimate chapter by Michael Slattery explores, with analytical detachment, the environmental and public acceptability dimensions of unconventional sources. . . useful graphics and tables are provided.Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates and above.