This is not a textbook about the geology of ore deposits or mining or mineral economics. This is the factual story about the United States' enormous mineral wealth sitting right under its citizens' feet and the tragic irony that it is also the largest importer of minerals in the industrial world. This country could be held hostage over critical minerals used in all advanced technologies due to the decades-long shunning of domestic mining.

Groundbreaking! describes the consequences of misguided policy decisions and environmental alarmism and recommends 21st-century solutions to sustainable self-reliance by leveraging the wealth right under our feet.

By importing 100 percent of key minerals from China, Russia and third-world dictatorships, The United States faces an ongoing risk of losing the technology behind everything from smartphones to green technology. The recent requirements put into place by legislators and regulators literally require tons of minerals for batteries and magnets to run electric cars and trucks, to support advancements in medical equipment, such as dental drills and MRIs, and to manufacture solar panels and wind turbines for alternative energy sources. Advanced weaponry and defensive equipment for U.S. troops requires critical minerals, too, yet this country is reliant on getting that gear from countries who at best could be called allies, and at worst are outright hostile to America’s values.

The authors assert that policies must acknowledge the reality that critical minerals, or more accurately the lack thereof, often play a key role in dictating foreign policy and national security decisions. Planning to adapt before a problem occurs must become a national goal. This means reversing dangerous import trends and exploring for domestic minerals - the two major policy goals explained in this book.