Man's War Against Nature

by Rachel Carson

In twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement.

With the precision of a scientist and the simplicity of a fable, Rachel Carson reveals how man-made pesticides have destroyed wildlife, creating a world of polluted streams and silent songbirds.

Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement. Together, these books show the richness of environmental thought, and point the way to a fairer, saner, greener world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Ecology, Nature, Essays, Sustainability, Science

92 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist and conservationist whose book Silent Spring and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement.

Carson began her career as an aquatic biologist in the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, and became a full-time nature writer in the 1950s. Her widely praised 1951 bestseller The Sea Around Us won her a U.S. National Book Award, recognition as a gifted writer, and financial security. Her next book, The Edge of the Sea, and the reissued version of her first book, Under the Sea Wind, were also bestsellers. This sea trilogy explores the whole of ocean life from the shores to the depths.

Late in the 1950s, Carson turned her attention to conservation, especially environmental problems that she believed were caused by synthetic pesticides. The result was Silent Spring (1962), which brought environmental concerns to an unprecedented share of the American people. Although Silent Spring was met with fierce opposition by chemical companies, it spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy, which led to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides, and it inspired a grassroots environmental movement that led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Carson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

A variety of groups ranging from government institutions to environmental and conservation organizations to scholarly societies have celebrated Carson's life and work since her death. Perhaps most significantly, on June 9, 1980, Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. A 17¢ Great Americans series postage stamp was issued in her honor the following year; several other countries have since issued Carson postage as well.

Carson's birthplace and childhood home in Springdale, Pennsylvania — now known as the Rachel Carson Homestead—became a National Register of Historic Places site, and the nonprofit Rachel Carson Homestead Association was created in 1975 to manage it. Her home in Colesville, Maryland where she wrote Silent Spring was named a National Historic Landmark in 1991. Near Pittsburgh, a 35.7 miles (57 km) hiking trail, maintained by the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy, was dedicated to Carson in 1975. A Pittsburgh bridge was also renamed in Carson's honor as the Rachel Carson Bridge. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection State Office Building in Harrisburg is named in her honor. Elementary schools in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County, Maryland, Sammamish, Washington and San Jose, California were named in her honor, as were middle schools in Beaverton, Oregon and Herndon, Virginia (Rachel Carson Middle School), and a high school in Brooklyn, New York.

Between 1964 and 1990, 650 acres (3 km2) near Brookeville in Montgomery County, Maryland were acquired and set aside as the Rachel Carson Conservation Park, administered by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. In 1969, the Coastal Maine National Wildlife Refuge became the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge; expansions will bring the size of the refuge to about 9,125 acres (37 km2). In 1985, North Carolina renamed one of its estuarine reserves in honor of Carson, in Beaufort.

Carson is also a frequent namesake for prizes awarded by philanthropic, educational and scholarly institutions. The Rachel Carson Prize, founded in Stavanger, Norway in 1991, is awarded to women who have made a contribution in the field of environmental protection. The American Society for Environmental History has awarded the Rachel Carson Prize for Best Dissertation since 1993. Since 1998, the Society for Social Studies of Science has awarded an annual Rachel Carson Book Prize for "a book length work of social or political relevance in the area of science and technology studies."

More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_C...

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mind-blowingly depressing ... and, sure, scary ... although this was published long before everything associated with Bayer/Roundup, but that's another story.... Given everything going on today, it's ... unnerving that this was published ... 50+ years ago?

Originally published in the classic/iconic Silent Spring, in 1962, this mere snippet is published as standalone here; and, by itself, this slender volume serves as installment 19 in the Penguin Green Ideas collection. I think the editors/publishers did well to place this late in the series - they had to include it, but it might not have resonated as well had I read it sooner. But, as with some of the other later offerings, arriving at this point in the journey, it felt like a nicely shaped puzzle piece falling comfortably into place.

I guess the biggest question for me is whether it's productive or worthwhile - at this point - to go back and read the entirety of Silent Spring. Having read this, it's pretty clear that the book is well written and compelling, so ... maybe. So many books, ... with new and interesting stuff constantly coming to market (both in terms of new content and translations) ... and, yet, so little time...

As has been the case, for the most part, throughout, acquiring the boxed set was well worth the investment ... and the minor hassle of acquiring it... Sadly, as my local independent bookstore confirmed, it is not available for sale (in the slipcase collection) in the U.S. What a shame! (Fortunately, thanks to our modern, global economy, it's not that difficult to order it from a UK supplier). With end in sight - there's only two left after this one, I'm ecstatic that I found and bought it. Well worth the effort, money, and time. Frankly, I can't recommend the collection (warts and imperfections and all ... including the challenges of getting a copy/set in the U.S.) enough.

[Veromika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel Carson's seminal work on the lasting and destructive effects of hazardous chemicals on ecology remains disturbing and crucial even sixty years after it was first published.
Man's War Against Nature is an excerpt from Carson's Silent Spring that led to a huge outcry in the States against the use of dangerous, lab-manufactured chemicals used in insecticides and pesticides. The ripple caused by this work eventually led to their ban. This groundbreaking work not only represents an exceptionally relevant subject for our generation, but it also proves how prodigious changes can be brought on by the simplest of means.

...a central problem of our age is the contamination of man's total environment with substances of incredible potential harm- substances that accumulate in the tissues of plants and animals, and even penetrate the germ cells, to shatter or alter the very material of heredity, upon which the shape of the future depends.

Reading this book sent a chill down my spine. Carson's remarkable narration of how we are blatantly poisoning our world is stark and horrifying. The effect of man's careless actions has been insidious on millions of species of plants and animals. We've single-handedly altered many ecosystems, tampering with the delicate balance of nature, all for seeking fleeting economic gains.

To think that in just under a century, we have managed to subvert and attack what took nature aeons to develop is a lasting testament to human greed and vanity. Although most of the chemicals Carson talks about are banned today, their effects prevail, and the ones that have taken their place are only marginally better. Man continues to wage his war against nature.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up

Having had Rachel Carson's 1962 Silent Spring on my to read list for ages I was curious to check out an excerpt when I saw it was included in Penguin's "Green Ideas" series. This is my third book from the series after The Democracy of Species (loved this one) and The Dragonfly Will Be the Messiah (liked this a lot less).

Man's War Against Nature falls somewhere between these two. Clearly Silent Spring (and any excerpt from it) needs to be viewed in the historical and scientific context in which it was published and in how things have changed since the book was released - the book led to the nationwide ban in the US of the use of DDT for agricultural uses - and the book should be celebrated for what it helped to achieve. As a contemporary reader in 2021 with a only passing familiarity with pesticides from my days studying Biology A Level at school (admittedly some 13-14 years ago now...), I found a lot of the information presented in the book went over my head and felt quite technical for a layperson. Lots of statistics were included and it was presented in a relatively accessible way... but there really was a lot of information on the topic of various pesticides.

I'm glad I gave this a go but I have to say I'm not chomping at the bit to go and pick up Silent Spring, although I am curious to see if perhaps other chapters in the full book would interest me more than this excerpt did.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man’s War Against Nature is an excerpt from Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book Silent Spring first published in September 1962, and although compact, it certainly packs a powerful punch within its page count. It alerted a large audience to the environmental and human dangers of indiscriminate use of pesticides, spurring revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. Now recognized as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century, Silent Spring exposed the destruction of wildlife through the widespread use of pesticides. Despite condemnation in the press and heavy-handed attempts by the chemical industry to ban the book, Rachel Carson succeeded in creating a new public awareness of the environment which led to changes in government and inspired the ecological movement. It is thanks to this book, and the help of many environmentalists, that harmful pesticides such as DDT were banned from use in the US and countries around the world.

Rachel Carson (1907-64) wanted to be a writer for as long as she could remember. Her first book, Under the Sea Wind, appeared in 1941. Silent Spring, which alerted the world to the dangers of the misuse of pesticides, was published in 1962. Carson's articles on natural history appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, the New Yorker, Reader's Digest and Holiday. An ardent ecologist and preservationist, Carson warned against the dumping of atomic waste at sea and predicted global warming. The book is, sadly, still as necessary and relevant today as it was well over half a century ago and will likely catch the interest of those who are ardent advocates for both the disintegrating environment and people’s wellbeing being valued over and above company profit which is easier said that done due to the scourge of capitalism. A passionate and robust polemic on issues that should have been resolved by now and thus proving we have a very long way to go in terms of setting the situation right. Highly recommended.

[Els De Waegeneer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zeer verontrustend, urgent en deprimerend.
En we stonden erbij en keken ernaar.

[Atul_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.8/5 🌟

Today (28/9/21) marks the publication date of this brutally honest book #manswaragainstnature that was a part of the Green Ideas Series; which is also an extract taken from Silent Spring. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

As I don't further my studies in science, to fully understand this book can be quite tricky; what with the science terms of chemicals involved and the vast types of pesticide. It took me nearly 9 hours to complete my reading and also note-taking. But I don't regret every hour I spent acquiring the knowledge.

Carson's has provided meticulous reports on the vile use of pesticides and insecticide; starting from most fatal, DDT, to the ones that seem less harmful but in reality, struck as much. And as I emerging deeper into this book it makes me so remorseful and devastated just thinking that how ignorant we can be as a human, you know? We want all the good the world has to offer and then we become super greedy to the point that we took away the share that should be owned by other inhabitants of this earth.

We want to see the fast result and frequently we don't care how it's done as long as it's done. And on the surface, it might look fruitful but years afterwards the impacts starting to take serious turns toward other plants, animals, nature and also humans; the causes of the mischief. I believe that is what Carson what us to see.
That at one point it would all comes back to us and what we did is simply digging our own grave.

As an individual, I might think that I don't contribute to this nightmare but when I look around my household, there must be at least one mosquito sprays hidden somewhere. I can't help asking if it's environment-friendly. It's a long process, money consuming to relinquished what is done, no doubt. If I can start by changing my mindset and stop asking “Which one is good?” By that, I know what I meant is the most effective -able to provide fast killing then I can be the changed I want to be.

[Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very powerful extract from Silent Spring. It’s easy to understand why that book had such an impact back when it came out that actual laws ended up being changed.

[Skye Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extract from Silent Spring… compelling but depressing

[Catullus2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in the 60s - fortunately a lot of these chemicals have now been banned.

[Bagus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, or rather I’d like to call it a pamphlet, is the second I’ve read in Penguin Book – Green Ideas series after The Dragonfly Will Be the Messiah by Masanobu Fukuoka. While Fukuoka’s book is deeply rooted in eastern philosophy and ideas, Rachel Carson in Man's War Against Nature invites us to discuss the catastrophic use of insecticides in the twentieth century. She begins her analysis by inviting us to dream about an imagined town in the countryside with the abundance of floral and animal species as well as prosperous farms with fields of grains and hillsides of orchards that will surely trigger any travellers to stop and admire it. The imagined town was stricken by misfortunes and maladies that caused the villagers and the creatures among them to die, something dystopian in its nature. What she describes through the fate of this imagined town is the prospective future of humanity, amidst the increasing use of insecticides after the Second World War during the time she campaigned her ideas.

Rachel Carson was mainly known as a marine biologist and conservationist, whose influential 1962 book ‘Silent Spring’ along with her other writings managed to advance global environmental movement, particularly to ban the use of DDT and other insecticides first in the United States and then in other parts of the world. Her tone in her writings is cautious, backed with her field working experience as a scientist, she brings into attention the new chemicals that had been used in what she terms as “man’s war against nature”. The chemicals that she mentions particularly found their use as insecticides after their insect-killing properties were discovered following the Second World War.

Now we could see that DDT and other insecticides have been banned in most countries following Rachel Carson’s campaign, but I imagine her ideas stirred controversies during her time. What makes her ideas enduring is perhaps her assessment about the need to consider not only human’s needs as well, but also seeing the entire ecosystem as a whole as part of what humans need to continue their existence. All creatures from the lowest to the top of the food chain are always interconnected, some chemical properties still exist even after the energy transfer has occurred several times over the course of the food chain. She describes cases of people who died unintentionally due to excessive use of chemicals to dispose pests. Even if we see that the use of insecticides has been decreased in the past few decades, we could probably also see Rachel Carson’s warning in terms of the modern use of plastics, or any product that contains carbons and their long-term effects to the environment.

[Filip Šimek · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very pessimistic book, surely. But an important one, especially considering the time it was written. One would like to believe that what Mrs. Carson describes is a mistake from the past, a lack of knowledge and a wrong step, however, it truly seems that humanity does not learn from their mistakes. And so even all the years after it was written, we still struggle with the poisonous foods, toxic land and lifeless waters she describes. Not the best book on ecology I have read, but a solid basis for the problem of pesticide (mis)use in the environment.

[Ryan Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good essay on the proliferation of insecticide use in the middle of the 20th century. Carson highlights the impact of their effects on an ecological scale as well as acute poisonings, describing the delicate relationships of ecological processes and the snowball effect that is a result of polluting our soils and waterways.

[Buddy The Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku yang lebih tepatnya disebut essai ini menelusuri fakta-fakta (yang lebih banyak menakutkan dan mencekam) soal pestisida. Yang ketika itu masih sangat toxic dan dijual bebas di pasaran. Considering kalau buku ini ditulis sudah lebih dari 50 tahun lalu, mungkin agak kontroversional (pada zamannya). Tapi berhubung baca ini ketika beberapa jenis pestisida tsb sudah dilarang dan tidak dijual bebas, jadi tidak se”menakutkan” itu. Jadi bisa dibilang, bacanya yaaa semacam baca esai atau jurnal ilmiah. A good piece of information~

[Samuel Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bleak and worrying introduction to how pesticides and many man-made chemicals have obliterated nature and man’s continued naive approach to using them. Although written 60 years ago, Carson clearly had the insight to look at what our species is doing to the planet, in more awful ways than one. Whilst it’s a short and very heart-wrenching piece of science writing, it is perhaps one of the most important pieces of evidence to persuade politicians and communities to take action and help reduce our harmful imprint on the planet.

[Luigi Galicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una lectura esclarecedora. Un viaje por la historia de los insecticidas, su perverso origen y sus terribles consecuencias.

[Miki]

“As Dr. C.J. Briejèr, a Dutch scientist of rare understanding has put it, ‘We are walking in nature like an elephant in the china cabinet’” (LOC 734).

A part of Penguin’s ‘Green Ideas’ collection, Rachel Carson’s work, Man’s War Against Nature is a scientifically-focused study of the disastrous and harmful effects of chemicals—and most specifically synthetic pesticides and insecticides—and the outcome of using these instead of employing the method of vegetation management of selective spraying (LOC 728). Carson was a biologist, ecologist and writer, and it’s clear that her concerns are focused on preventing environmental disasters and caring for humankind by eliminating the abundant use of harmful chemicals in pesticides.

This short text is extremely informative and educational. There are certainly moments when the content was complex. As someone who doesn’t have an academic background in science, I found the first half rich in scientific jargon and points that were quite complex. That being said, I enjoyed when Carson essentially called out people’s destruction of nature, as people are the root cause of major environmental problems—I think we’re at a point now where we can agree that her accusation is accurate. I also thoroughly enjoyed the section about soil and the ways in which chemicals penetrate soil and cause damages to biomes that have soil.
Although it’s short, I struggled to complete the short excerpt from Silent Spring (1962) because it’s quite dark—especially when I considered that this work was originally published in the early 60s and people haven’t moved away from using synthetics. Instead, people use so many products full of synthetic chemicals without giving much thought to the consequences to nature or themselves.

I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in learning about pesticides/insecticides, the environment, biology or social justice. I feel that reading this alongside nonfiction titles such as, “There’s Lead in Your Lipstick” and “Slow Death by Rubber Duck,” the play entitled, “Heroes and Saints” or the short story collection, “Nothing is as it Was” (edited by Amanda Saint) would be especially beneficial.

“Indeed, the term ‘biocide’ would be more appropriate than ‘insecticide’” (LOC 70).

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review!

[B.S. Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Man has forgotten his origins and is blind to the very conditions that are more essential to his survival..."

Carson, who was a marine biologist and activist, dedicated a lot of her life to the study of synthetic pesticides and their damaging impact on the environment. In this short story, we see her explorations into how man-made pesticides have destroyed wildlife and have been a contributing factor in the ongoing climate crisis. Very informative and concise, she explains the obvious and less obvious effects they can have on the Earth and the chain of events this can trigger. Clear, informative and well ahead of it's time, this delves into one specific area that many of us probably haven't given much thought in the past.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the twenty books in the Green Ideas series.
I enjoyed reading this book dense with facts about pesticides and its effects on the environment and people. It is tough and heartbreaking to read this, especially knowing that it was originally published in the 1960s. The beginning and end of this short book read well, however the middle was more like a technical text, which felt slightly too much like an excerpt.
I still believe this is a good start to expanding one's knowledge on chemicals being used in the environment.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Press UK for my e-ARC.

[Chelsea Moreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely the best of the ones I’ve read so far. It was well written and the author made each point/subject comprehensible to me, a dumb dumb. I found this book super interesting and enlightening, the crop industry is devastating the earth in so many ways yet nothing it being done, I’m grateful I won’t be alive when everything really goes to shit and Mother Earth takes revenge.
I didn’t give this 5 stars because the author did still use a bunch of words that were too complex and presented a bunch of statements that weren’t explained well for people like myself who aren’t well versed in this subject which is a shame.

[Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book was certainly very shocking. If you want to learn about the issues with pesticides you must read this book. I thought I knew quite a bit about them but this book really opened my eyes. There were lots of case studies/examples of just how deadly they were. Even from the tiniest drop landing on your skin. It was amazing how they even allowed them. The author looked at how these pesticides were banned across the world but not in America. I was engrossed and loved every second. I learnt so much from reading it and definitely recommend reading it.
Only the highest of praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us this shocking book. I will certainly be looking out for more books by this fantastic author.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult to mark this as 'I really liked it' when it was a thoroughly depressing read. For a book written in the 1960s it is easy to see why, from this short extract, Silent Spring has been considered one of the most influential environmental awareness texts. It is clear and evidence is presented surprisingly dispassionately. I looked up several of the chemical products referenced, they're still made, still used, still being developed - just maybe not by 'us' but our governments are happy enough to allow them to be shipped to other countries for them to use. If you don't want to know, don't read this book.

[Marija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one from the DDT dame, the pesticide princess, the lovely Rachel Carson. This book reminds me of why she is one of the best science communication writers I've read, because she simply is. I think I would relate so hard to her if I could meet her, but that's mainly due to the horrendous connection that I feel we have, facing the same climate crisis. It can be almost scary to read through this book, wonderfully written as it is, simply due to the sheer comparison of where we are now. I love her writing always but the themes are pretty similar to those in Silent Spring, as if you could get enough Carson though.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

As part of the new Penguin collection of classic ideas on the environment, this is an excerpt from Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. Written in 1962, it is as timely, powerful and relevant today. She is a wonderful writer and this is clear, erudite and moving about the impact of pesticides. A wonderful introduction to her work and will hopefully help raise awareness of her writing and of the real issues affecting the environment.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nils · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excerpt from Silent Spring, a polemic against the chemical industry and one of the most influential books in American history, one that did for environmental protection what Upton Sinclair The Jungle did for food quality supervision, essentially justifying a vast new form of governmental intervention to stop the harmful externalities of industrial activities. Alternatively lyrical and scientifically exacting, Carson ultimately retains a human/nature conceptual alterity which would be considered indefensible today. But this should not obscure her achievement.

[Timothy Wildes · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book I read in the green ideas penguin series. I liked it. It’s very scientific and historical facts oriented though so it’s not for everyone. It tracks the use of pesticides and how it’s affected agricultural terrains and nature in general (in a nutshell). It was published in 1962 (excerpt from Silent Spring) so it was a while ago (that aspect of agricultural treatment has changed since then). I won’t lie though, it is a tad bit depressing to read. I have the feeling this wasn’t the first book in the series (19th) I should have read to get me hooked, but I might just keep going.

[Tiago Alexandre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one takes you on a rollercoaster ride through humanity's tumultuous relationship with the environment. It's like peeking behind the curtain of history to see how we've battled, befriended, and sometimes bulldozed our way through nature. With a mix of jaw-dropping facts and thought-provoking insights, this book will make you rethink your next step on this planet. It's a wake-up call wrapped in engaging storytelling—a must-read for anyone curious about our tangled connection with Mother Earth.

[calum :0 · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.5] A really lovely,self contained intro to Rachel Carson's writing, it really made me excited to read more from here. Even though it was written so long ago, it's still extremely relevant to today, with microplastic pollution (idk if the parallels make me hopeful or pessimistic,,,). I loved the writing style, I think she really does a good job of capturing the little rhythms and patterns of nature, which is why I love to read about nature !!💚

[Susanne (Pages of Crime) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first attempt at reading Rachel Carson's work and while some of it is beautifully written and quite evocative, for the most part I found it to just be a litany of disaster related to the use of insecticides. I found that it didn't really live up to the expectations I had of her writing based on other people's glowing praise.

[Koprophagus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a real review, just some thoughts I like to write down.
Das ist keine richtige Bewertung, nur ein paar Gedanken, die ich aufschreiben wollte.

Guter, kurzer Überblick über die Lage und Entwicklung der Pflanzenschutzmittel der 40er - 60er. Der Einfluss von ihr mit Silent Spring ist nicht wegzudenken. Streckenweise zu viele statistische Fakten.

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unremitting and unforgiving piece of ecological writing, landing punch after punch in its detailing of poisons and toxins being used to kill plants and insects and their disastrous effects up and down the food chain. Told in clear, readable prose, with precision and force, it's a powerful, sobering, alarming essay.