Silent Spring

I had plans to audit an environmental literature class this semester, but backed out when I saw how doing so would leave me with little to no time to write. I dropped the class and vowed to read everything on the syllabus on my own. That decision was made in January and until now I haven't read any of it. I haven't really been in the mood for the books and have never liked feeling forced to read something. But as April came around, I picked up one of the books, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.

On the copy of the book I read it says, "the classic that launched the environmental movement" and I can certainly see why. The stories and evidence Carson presents about the damage that pesticides and insecticides are wreaking on the environment is startling. Thankfully DDT, which she focuses on, is no longer used, thanks to this book. However, many other chemicals are still in use and new ones have been developed. Considering the magnitude of the effects of these chemicals that Carson so eloquently outlines in her book, it is surprising that there wasn't a larger shift away from their use. This book wasn't a light read, but it was, for the most part, quite readable and a real eye-opener.