Silent Spring [Paperback]

Rachel Carson (Author), Linda Lear (Introduction), Edward O. Wilson (Afterword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 22, 2002

Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was first published in three serialized excerpts in the New Yorker in June of 1962. The book appeared in September of that year and the outcry that followed its publication forced the banning of DDT and spurred revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. Carson’s passionate concern for the future of our planet reverberated powerfully throughout the world, and her eloquent book was instrumental in launching the environmental movement. It is without question one of the landmark books of the twentieth century.
   In 2012 we invite you to join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the publication of this great work.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Rachel Carson's Silent Spring is now 35 years old. Written over the years 1958 to 1962, it took a hard look at the effects of insecticides and pesticides on songbird populations throughout the United States, whose declining numbers yielded the silence to which her title attests. "What happens in nature is not allowed to happen in the modern, chemical-drenched world," she writes, "where spraying destroys not only the insects but also their principal enemy, the birds. When later there is a resurgence of the insect population, as almost always happens, the birds are not there to keep their numbers in check." The publication of her impeccably reported text helped change that trend by setting off a wave of environmental legislation and galvanizing the nascent ecological movement. It is justly considered a classic, and it is well worth rereading today. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

This new edition of Carson's classic features a new introduction by Vice President Al Gore.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company; Anniversary edition (October 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618249060
• ISBN-13: 978-0618249060
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (239 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Civil
  • #2 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Earth Sciences > Environmental Science
  • #3 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Conservation

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Right to Know December 2, 2008

By TJ

Format:Paperback

Every once in a while a book comes a long that has such a profound effect on society that it creates a movement for awareness and betterment. Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, is one of those. Silent Spring did for the environmental movement what Upton Sinclair's The Jungle did for the labor movement and Uncle Tom's Cabin did for the anti-slavery movement. Carson took a stand on environmental abuses, especially against the chemical industry in this work of social criticism. Carson opened the eyes of many and forced many to take responsibility for their actions, which sparked a modern environmental and awareness movement that is still active today.
Silent Spring discusses the implications of using harmful chemicals to all life--plant, animal, human and the like. They cause negative cyclical reactions--the processes do not continue to work, so it is the harmful chemicals to the Earth are repeated year after year. Though the chemical industry would make you believe the levels in use are not harmful, that is a fallacy. They are extremely dangerous chemicals and poisons, which build up over time in one's body and in the Earth, over time make them lethal.
Carson did well in creating a book that everyone, not just science and environmental enthusiasts could both read and understand. The information presented captures the urgent and sincere trouble that the United States was heading down during the time Silent Spring was written. The use of chemical insecticides and pesticides was going against nature and creating irreversible damage to all living things. The Earth and its facets have its own built-in system to correct problems and to make it work in harmony.... Industry, farmers, and others trying to self correct these--mainly by using large amounts of dangerous chemicals, upsets this balance and creates even more problems. It is a cyclical action where there is no positive end in sight.
The actual idea of a "silent spring" which Carson helps the reader visualize in chapter one is a dreary one. Carson goes on to describe specific chemicals (especially DDT), their make-up, and specific hazards they pose. Pesticides and insecticides are both broken down into the dangerous poisons that they are. Carson discusses how these poisons are passed through the food chain, therefore leaving every living thing at risk. Unhealthy consequences, such as disease often occurs, resulting in death if exposed heavily. It is important to understand that the use of these chemicals creates the decline of the Earth's natural defenses against insect populations. By understanding that these poisons exterminate insects only temporary, it's clear that most insects develop resistance to the chemicals rendering them useless. For example, once insects become resistant they can take over in even greater numbers.
Carson uses several chapters to focus on specific aspects of the Earth and how they are specifically affected by these poisons--water, soil, and plants are examined in detail. Carson goes into specific massive spraying campaigns that were used rigorously, but at the expense of the health of the planet and those inhabiting it. One in particular included the spraying in the Midwest for eliminating the Japanese beetle. The Japanese beetle became resistant to the chemicals and has now increased their population. The Midwest completely disregarded the fact that other parts of the United States had successfully used natural predators of the beetle. Again the "easier" and cheaper plan was used at the cost of much of the wildlife in that area.
There was much research and reference to the effect this all had on the bird populations in the United States. This is likely because birds were greatly affected, but also because Carson began this book project after hearing about her friend's experience--many birds died in this friend's hometown as a result of a spraying campaign of DDT. Since birds eat insects and worms (which feed on the insecticides and pesticides) they are extremely vulnerable to being poisoned. Birds were also greatly affected by the mass spraying of DDT for Dutch elm disease. The birds' natural habitat was once again being negatively harmed.
Rivers, streams, and lakes, along with the life that goes with it have also been greatly influenced. Groups of salmon were killed in the campaign against the spruce budworm in forests. Another forest campaign was against the gypsy moth--many people were affected by this (along with many other campaigns) as areas outside of the forest region were sprayed. This is not an uncommon occurrence though. There are few people in the world who do not carry residue from these chemical poisons in their body. Carson uses some of the last chapters to explain the human body's make-up and just how detrimental chemical insecticides and pesticides can be. This leads to diseases such as cancer and eventually death.
As far as some negatives of the book--obviously since the book was written in the early 1960's it is not all up-to-date and relevant. Also, Carson becomes repetitive throughout the book. Though it may not be specifically relevant, it did occur and therefore it affects us nowadays in some way. Not all has been resolved as well--we have a long way to go to become universally environmentally friendly. This book should be used as a tool to help present day and future generations learn from the mistakes of the past. Also, it is fairly one sided with the information. Carson is presenting her findings, but not exactly presenting valid counterarguments.
Carson does not just go over all that is wrong and leave it at that--she wraps up by explaining possible alternative methods of insect control, including some methods that have been tested and proven valid. These "biological" methods are based on understanding the living organism that needs to be controlled, as well as the environment surrounding it. Alternatives include the "male sterilization" technique, using natural enemies of the insects, creating weapons from the insects own life--understanding and then using the insects' venoms, attractants, repellants, and secretions against it. Also, sound repellent and the use of natural diseases of the insects and crops are also alternative ideas.
Overall, Silent Spring is an incredible wake-up call for the fragility of earth and for the dangerous "butterfly effect"--one mistake can set off a chain of events critical to all life as we know it. Silent Spring is a classic work of literature that should be read by school children and adults alike, as a reminder to how vital it is to respect our amazing planet. Because it is not just the birds in danger, it is all of nature and all of humanity. Read more ›

203 of 248 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars DDT Doesn't Taste Good December 17, 2002

By Jeffrey Leach HALL OF FAMEVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Rachel Carson sent tremors through American society with the publication of her 1962 book "Silent Spring." Carson, a marine biologist who died two years after publication of the book, wrote "Silent Spring" when she received a letter from a concerned citizen lamenting the mass death of birds after a DDT spraying. Carson continues to serve as a touchstone for both mainline and radical environmental groups, from the Sierra Club to Earth First!. It is not difficult to see why; Carson's call for active involvement in our environment is still an absolute necessity today as the industrial system continues its rapid march across the landscape. If we do not want our children born with gills and fins, keeping Carson in mind is important.

Carson's analysis of DDT and other synthetic chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides resulted in a deeply ominous conclusion-pesticides destroy the environment and threaten everything within the ecological system. Carson examined the composition of pesticides, revealing that synthetic pesticides have the ability to not only kill their intended targets, but they also move right up the food chain, eventually reaching the human population. The pesticides then build up in the tissues of the body, rarely breaking down but often building in intensity through continued exposure or changing into forms that are even more toxic by interacting with other ingested chemicals. Even worse, these chemicals cause tremors, paralysis, cancer, and a host of other unpleasant ailments. Carson cites numerous stories about exposed people falling ill and dying shortly after spraying these toxic chemicals. Carson also shows the biological process these poisons take when they enter the body, when they cut off oxygen to the cells and raise the metabolic rate to unhealthy levels.... Carson proves these chemicals move on to succeeding generations of offspring through mother's milk and other biological processes.

Most of the book deals with the effects of chemical spraying on wildlife in the environment. Separate chapters deal with birds, insects, fish, and plant life. Needless to say, the picture painted here is not pretty. Too often, spraying chemicals in the 1950's and 1960's brought into play the full ignorance of the human race. Carson's book shows how farmers applied pounds of poisons to their land, far exceeding the recommended application levels. Spray trucks moved through neighborhoods, hosing down the community with poison while the kiddies played outside in the yard. On several occasions, planes sprayed poison on cities. This reckless disregard for life in any form ruined landscapes, created mounds of animal corpses, and gave us tasty water that can melt your teeth.

What is surprising about Carson's book is that people knew all about the effects of these poisons. "Silent Spring" made a difference because it puts it all together, showing how a series of localized incidents is, in fact, a national problem. Carson also wrote her book in a style where even the densest yokels in the herd could figure out the dangers of the problem. Since I am a science idiot, I appreciated Carson's clear articulation of the problem without sacrificing the hard data behind the examples.

Carson delivers a stinging rebuke to our conception of mankind as the dominant force in the universe. If humanity truly rules the roost, so to speak, why are we such idiots about sustaining the very environment that feeds us? The ignorance of man in this book is astounding. Repeatedly, we destroy and destroy again even in the face of overwhelming evidence of the damage we are causing. Local governments kept spraying even when evidence showed it was a failure. Birds literally fell out of the sky while the trucks went out for another pass through the neighborhood. Dumb, dumb, dumb!

"Silent Spring" concludes with a call for sanity. Carson's answer to the insane escalation of chemical spraying is to seek out biological control methods. Many insects have natural enemies that, if introduced into a problem area, will keep down pest populations. Even localized spraying will work better than mass, indiscriminate spraying. Carson argues that biological control methods are increasingly important because insects are building up resistance to pesticides, requiring the creation of even more virulent poisons in a never-ending cycle where nobody wins.

"Silent Spring" is required reading for anyone concerned about the environment. Carson's book led to significant changes in environmental law (some would say not enough change) and resulted in the outright ban of DDT. My only problem with the book is the introduction written by Al Gore, as the publisher marketed the book with that fact in mind. Gore's name seems to merit equal billing with Carson's on the cover. One must remember Al Gore is a politician and is in league with the destroyers because he needs their money to run his expensive campaigns. Carson would be appalled. Read more ›

60 of 74 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beware the trolls! August 2, 2011

By Christina Cook

Format:Paperback

Anyone who has read this book has easy reference to multiple studies that ALL show DDT is an entirely ineffective long-term solution to malaria. It isn't hard to miss the sexism in a lot of these comments, calling Carson out as "emotional" especially stands out-anyone who has actually read her book would struggle to find a trace of emotion as she describes case studies in depth. She loved nature, this is true, but the woman never made a single assertion that wasn't backed up by abundant research. The haters can call Carson names and accuse her of murder all day long, but the fact is there isn't a single study out there that gives any hope of DDT being a sustainable solution to malaria (or anything else, really. Does cancer count?). The only reason it is being sprayed in poor areas is because there is restricted funding for sustainable methods of mosquito-control, and DDT is well, cheap. But a cheap poison is still a poison, and at the end of the day none of the trolls on this page can produce any credible research to back up their opinionated claims. So they display this scientist, a woman who was never known to display anything other than calm composure, even when testifying in front of congress and the nation, as an overly-emotional wackjob who decided to rampage against toxic killers one day in the middle of a bad period. She was in fact, the exact opposite- a meticulous, exacting scientist who disliked open displays of emotion and cited all her assertions with plentiful evidence. Read this book, you won't regret it. Unless of course, you already hate facts- then join the trolls on this page!