Justin Mando shows the importance of looking at place-based discourse to understand how people construct meanings in talking about the environment. Through sensitive observations of stakeholders’ rhetorical presentations at public hearings he shows how seemingly straightforward descriptions of hydraulic fracturing reveal how these speakers evaluate and position themselves towards this controversial technology. This work makes a valuable contribution to a growing body of literature on one of the most contentious environmental issues of the day.

Richard Buttny, Syracuse University

In Fracking and the Rhetoric of Place, Justin Mando drills deep into the rhetoric of public hearings on fracking in Pennsylvania, providing a nuanced analysis and much-needed tools that teach the reader how the rhetoric surrounding fracking affects representations of places and the way we use of them. Fracking prepares readers to participate in conversations about place in meaningful and forceful ways. A useful book.

Jimmy Guignard, author of Pedaling the Sacrifice Zone