Book: The Crazies

Anyone who’s spent time in Big Timber knows the wind is a full-time resident. Rather than just letting it blow over his land, 4th-generation cattle rancher Rick Jarrett decided to cut his teeth in the wind industry and hoped to use the profits to keep his ranch afloat. In her debut book The Crazies: The Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War Out West (Simon & Schuster, $30), Amy Gamerman unveils the layers of geology, local history, social inequalities, and financial motivations that lie at the foundation of Jarrett’s quest to harness renewable energy, and the opposition that mounted against him. A feat of both storytelling and diligent reporting, The Crazies digs deep into each of the characters and asks hard-hitting questions about inequalities in the American West, both past and present. This is a worthwhile read for narrative nonfiction fans, history buffs, environmentalists, or anyone looking to get to know the local landscape and politics a little better.