Meet the Frackers.

George Mitchell, the son of a Greek goatherder, who tried to extract gas from rock that experts deemed worthless. He faced an unexpected obstacle in his quest to change history.

Aubrey McClendon, the charismatic descendant of an Oklahoma energy dynasty, who scored bil­lions leading a land grab. He wasn't prepared for the shocking fallout of his discoveries.

Tom Ward, who overcame a troubled childhood to become one of the nation's wealthiest men. He could handle natural-gas fields but had more trouble with a Wall Street power broker.

Harold Hamm, the son of poor farmer, who believed America had more oil than anyone imagined. Hamm was determined to find the crude before others caught on.

Charif Souki, the dashing Lebanese immigrant who saw his career crumble and his fortune disintegrate, leaving one last, unlikely chance for success.

Mark Papa, the Enron castoff who panicked when he realized a resurgence of American natural gas was at hand- one that his company wasn't prepared for.

Praise for The Greatest Trade Ever

'Simply terrific. Easily the best of the post-crash financial books.' Malcolm Gladwell

'The definitive account of a strange and wonderful subplot of the financial crisis.' Michael Lewis

'Zuckerman is a first-rate reporter who is able to explain the complexities of finance in layman's terms. At times, The Greatest Trade Ever reads like a thriller.' The New York Times