The Gentle Subversive: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, and the Rise of the Environmental Movement (New Narratives in American History) (Hardcover)

~ Mark Hamilton Lytle (Author)
Key Phrases: something about the sky, Rachel Carson, House of Life, Silent Spring (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Biologist Rachel Carson (1907-1964), an outspoken forerunner of the environmental movement and author of the National Book Award-winning The Sea Around Us (1951), is best known for her groundbreaking, highly controversial tome Silent Spring (1962), a scathing exposé of the effects of DDT and other pesticides. In this brief, fascinating ecological biography by historian and fellow environmentalist Lytle, Carson's life is separated into four chapters?Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter-each focusing on the genesis, gestation and publication of Carson's four books. Lytle takes care in balancing his account, devoting equal attention to Carson's family life (for decades, Carson took care of her ailing mother, sister and nieces) as well as the arduous path of her career. Although she ultimately achieved wide recognition both as a writer and an ecologist, clearing the way for landmark environmental policy change, Carson endured staggering setbacks, including years of overcoming gender prejudice in a male-dominated field, her costly familial burden and several battles with recurring breast cancer?a fight she would ultimately lose at age 56. Lytle's spirited, thoroughly documented re-telling sheds ample light on the implications of this remarkable scientist's commitment to "protect the living things she loved so dearly." Photos.
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Review

"Lytle's narrative biography in The Gentle Subversive provides a refreshingly compact, thoughtful, yet readable portrait of Rachel Carson, as well as a most timely and intelligent discussion of her significance into the twenty-first century. Readers planning to read only one book about Rachel Carson would do well to read this one. Readers planning to read several books on her would do well to start here."--Priscilla Coit Murphy, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society
"Lytle's biography is a beneficial introduction to Carson's life, providing insight on her ecological philosophy, her writing, and her role as an alternative voice in the realm of science and technology."--Andy Karvonen, Technology and Culture
"The Gentle Subversive is well worth pursuing."--American Scientist
"The author wonderfully weaves literary interpretation, intimate biographical detail, and sociopolitical observations into a new narrative on the life and influence of Rachel Carson."--Jim Bingen, Michigan State University
"The Gentle Subversive is an easy book to read, providing a logical and interesting account of the development of Rachel Carson as a writer and as the eventual spokeswoman/symbol for the environmental movement of the 1960s and beyond."--Kathryn Flynn, Auburn University
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 277 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (February 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195172469
• ISBN-13: 978-0195172461
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #219,158 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem, February 2, 2008

By	Jennifer J. Timmons "womanwarrior007" (Princess Anne, MD, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gentle Subversive: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, and the Rise of the Environmental Movement (New Narratives in American History) (Paperback)

Mr. Lytle has written a very compelling biography of the gentle subversive. I was drawn to read this well-written biography of Rachel Carson from the title alone! I didn't know anything about her, except that she was the author of Silent Spring, which I have not read.

Controversies aside, I imagine she must have been an amazing person to know. That she was able to support her family, as well as nurse them through their illnesses until their deaths--with no outside help, throughout her career, AND also battle cancer along with the side effects of radiation, is heroic in and of itself. I admire that Carson managed to marry her passions of writing and nature in her lifetime, publishing several books despite the ceaseless personal obstacles around every corner. Even more impressive is the fact that she stood her ground on issues important to her, in a time when women were few in the sciences--let alone the working world, and that she wasn't afraid to face the powers that be in industry and government.

Rachel Carson was a thinking woman who wanted the public to be aware of the beauty around them, as well as the damage that could be done by injudicious use of chemicals.

This was truly enjoyable, informative and short!

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Tribute to the Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson, March 7, 2007

By	Bugs "Patrick" (Los Angeles, Ca.) - See all my reviews

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Mark Lytle does fine justice to the legacy of Rachel Carson in this well researched summary of her early life, upbringing, education, professional experiences, evolution of her writing and publishing culminating with the struggles to write and publish her most potent and last book, "Silent Spring", a dire warning of how deadly pesticide and herbicide assaults were damaging the health of ecosystems and non-targeted life forms including humans and which many proffer, launched the modern age of environmentalism.

Lytle continues Carson's beautiful legacy in his "Epilogue" and "Afterword".

Packed with an abundance of notes, citations and bibliography, this little book gives one a huge sense of awe and admiration for Carson's perseverance and dedication to educate the world about the interconnectedness and beauty of Nature and to cultivate a sense of responsibility and good stewardship.

3 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A sensitive subject indeed, June 25, 2007

By	Peter Glaskowsky (Cupertino, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Rachel Carson's careless criticism of DDT killed millions of people, mostly poor children, a point that deserved better coverage in this book. Even today, decades later, there is still no good alternative to DDT for fighting malaria.

Carson was correct to point out that DDT has very bad side effects, but as it turns out, banning DDT has had much worse side effects. Science eventually determined that very small amounts of DDT would have been effective against malaria-carrying mosquitos and safe for the environment-- but Carson's rush to judgement prevented the scientific facts from being adequately investigated and considered.

She and her followers in the environmentalist movement refused to consider the full consequences of their actions, and millions of people have paid the price for that refusal.

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