Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring caused a sensation when it was published in 1962, and it ultimately led to the banning of DDT and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States.
The Classic Book Discussion Group will read Silent Spring for their next meeting this month.
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BOOK DESCRIPTION: Conservationist Rachel Carson spent over six years documenting the effects on DDT—a synthetic organic compound used as an insecticide—on numerous communities. Her analysis revealed that such powerful, persistent chemical pesticides have been used without a full understanding of the extent of their potential harm to the whole biota, including the damage they’ve caused to wildlife, birds, bees, agricultural animals, domestic pets, and even humans.
In this book, Carson discusses her findings and expresses passionate concern for the future of the planet and all the life inhabiting it, calling on us all to act responsibly, carefully, and as stewards of the living earth. Additionally, she suggests that all democracies and liberal societies must operate in a way that allows individuals and groups to question what their governments have permitted to be put into the environment.
An instant bestseller that was read by President Kennedy during the summer of 1962, this classic remains one of the best introductions to the complicated and controversial subject.
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Copies of Silent Spring can be picked up from the Book Discussion Shelf on our first floor, and it’s also available digitally as an ebook (through Libby/Overdrive or Hoopla) and an audiobook (through Libby/Overdrive or Hoopla).
An in-person discussion of Silent Spring will be held at the library on Thursday, April 24, at 3:00 PM. No registration is required to attend.
Published on April 4, 2025.
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