Rachel Carson: Silent Spring & Other Environmental Writings

Plt;BPgt;The book that sparked the modern environmental movement, with an unprecedented collection of letters, speeches, and other writings that reveal the extraordinary courage and vision of its authorPlt;/BPgt;Plt;bPgt;Plt;bPgt;The book that sparked the modern environmental movement, with an unprecedented collection of letters, speeches, and other writings that reveal the extraordinary courage and vision of its authorPlt;/bPgt;Plt;/bPgt;Plt;brPgt;Plt;brPgt;Library of America launches its Rachel Carson edition with this deluxe illustrated volume presenting one of the landmark books of the twentieth century together with rare letters, speeches, and other writings that reveal the personal courage and passionate commitment of its author. A huge bestseller when published in September 1962, Plt;bPgt;Silent SpringPlt;/bPgt; led not only to many of the laws and government agencies that protect our air, land, and water, but prompted a revolution in environmental consciousness. Now for the first time, in previously unpublished and newly collected letters to biochemists, ecologists, cancer specialists, ornithologists, and other experts, CarsonP#39;s groundbreaking expose of the unintended consequences of pesticide use comes together piece-by-piece, like a puzzle or detective story. She makes common cause with conservationists and other allies to build public awareness, hiding her private battle with cancer for fear it might distract from her message. And in the wake of her bookP#39;s astonishing impact, as she becomes the target of an organized campaign of disinformation by the chemical industry, Carson speaks out in defense of her findings while remaining a model of grace under pressure. Throughout the collection, CarsonP#39;s lifelong love of nature shines through. In writings both lyrical and intensely moving, she conveys her Pquot;sense of wonderPquot; to her young nephew, dreams of conserving old-growth forest in Maine for posterity, and recounts her adventures and epiphanies as birdwatcher and beachcomber. A future companion volume will gather CarsonP#39;s Pquot;sea trilogyPquot;:P#160;Plt;iPgt;Under the Sea-WindPlt;/iPgt;P#160;(1941),P#160;Plt;iPgt;The Sea AroundPlt;/iPgt;P#160;Plt;iPgt;UsP#160;Plt;/iPgt;(1951), andP#160;Plt;iPgt;The Edge of the SeaPlt;/iPgt;P#160;(1955).Plt;brPgt;Plt;brPgt;Plt;bPgt;LIBRARY OF AMERICAPlt;/bPgt; is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nationP#8217;s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, AmericaP#8217;s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.