Smog. That's the first image that comes to mind when people picture the cost to our health of filling up the tank with gasoline. But in the book Lives Per Gallon, author Terry Tamminen describes how tailpipe emissions are just the tip of the iceberg in assessing how the public health is damaged by our petroleum habit.

Part science lesson and part history book, Lives Per Gallon takes readers on a sobering ride that details the cost to humanity of producing, transporting and consuming petroleum fuel.

Tamminen, whose lengthy career in environmental and health risk assessment included a stint as Secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency in California, clearly describes the toxicity of the pollutants contained in vehicles emission without getting too lost in the chemistry. Many of the toxins are the same as those contained in cigarette smoke, which is not comforting for diesel bus drivers or smokers. He estimates that more than six million Americans each year seek medical treatment because of illnesses prompted by emissions, and more than 100,000 people die from "preventable smog."

Much of the data that Tamminen offers about the health costs of vehicle emissions focuses on notoriously smoggy southern California, but the analysis is relevant no matter where you live. That vehicle emissions are harmful is generally known, but Tamminen also details the injury caused by the lesser petroleum-related pollution -- the millions of barrels of oil that are regularly leaked into the oceans, dumped from boats and planes, and the tons of toxins that spewed into the skies during the refining process

These industries are not regulated nearly as closely as the auto industry, but, he argues, need to be more closely scrutinized. For example, tanker vessels, agricultural equipment, and off-road vehicles are permitted to burn diesel with much less efficiency than automobiles and inflict considerablely more harm per mile to human health.

Lives Per Gallon also talks about the direct and indirect loss of human life around the globe as a result of Americans feeding their "oil addiction." Tamminen provides a few brief but devastating tales of communities in Colombia, Nigeria and Ecuador that were destroyed because of the clashes resulting from conflicts between the private oil interests and unstable political environment.

Tamminen also connects the dots between the lives lost during the Iraq conflict and petroleum dependence while generalizing about "oil wars," but without providing the supporting documentation that accompanies his other discussions.

The book doesn't digress or overwhelm readers on any one topic, providing momentum that keeps readers engaged through to the conclusion. Tamminen romanticizes about what modern American cities might have been if not for the efforts of General Motors and its co-conspirators. He recounts how in the 1940's and 50's, GM, Standard Oil, Firestone Tire and Rubber and others formed a company that dismantled much of the urban electric train systems in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York and dozens of other cities. The company, known as National City Lines, ripped up the tracks and replaced the trains with diesel buses that for decades spewed pollutants, creating the smog-filled cities of today. Tamminen argues that by removing electric mass transit, the group restricted consumer choice.

Tamminen also chronicles the auto industry's history of deception and litigation in fighting regulators and forcing consumers to accept the smog-belching status quo in vehicles. That deception continues today, according to Tamminen, who berates petroleum companies for hyping high-octane fuels that require more energy to produce while providing no benefit to the majority of vehicles.

While Lives Per Gallon will equally depress and alarm you, Tamminen leaves the door open to a happy ending by describing the road to redemption. The final chapters outline calls to action for government agencies and individuals that will reduce the health hazards of today's transportation. Tamminen details the legal and regulatory actions that could prompt the auto and oil industries (whom, he documents, typically only act when forced) to greatly reduce their impact on human health using currently available technology.

Tamminen makes strong arguments as to why auto companies should be held liable for how their products are used, and he outlines the possible enforcement strategies including carbon caps and greenhouse gas trading mechanisms.

While much of the book portrays corporations as the evil-doers and citizens as the unknowing innocents, Tamminen acknowledges that consumers are part of the problem as well as the solution and should use their purchasing power to enact change. In addition to suggesting greater use of mass transit and pedaling or walking instead of driving a vehicle, the most significant step that will reduce petroleum-related harm is to buy a fuel-efficient vehicle. By purchasing the most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets their needs, Tamminen says consumers can reduce emissions and in the long term prolong their lives.

His discussion of alternative fuels and propulsion technologies, including plug-in hybrids, hydrogen and electric vehicles, is a good primer for those who are new to the subject, but he omits some of the technical, financial and logistic challenges that they face.

Tamminen's tour of the casualties of petroleum use is a sobering reminder that when it comes to our health, there is no free ride. Anyone who reads Lives Per Gallon will likely pause before buying their next vehicle or taking unnecessary trips, and that should make us all breathe a little easier.

Lives Per Gallon is one of recommended Books That Matter, available through Amazon.com.