“Resource curse” describes the phenomenon where people who live on land richest in natural resources are the poorest. It’s typically used for developing nations, but it exists in the U.S., too. Using seven years’ worth of immersive journalism, research, and anecdotes from her newest book, Eliza Griswold discusses the human impact and social costs of natural resource development. Griswold touches on corporate greed, the disenfranchisement of rural Americans, and the neglect of environmental activists and the federal government, all of which have contributed to the disaster of fracking wreaked on Amity, PA and other towns.