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Silent Spring.: Drawings by Lois and Louis Darling.
by CARSON, Rachel
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company,, 1962. The book that ignited the environmental movement First edition, first printing, of Carson's indictment of the pesticide industry; it was of enormous consequence to the grassroots environmental movement, the deep ecology movement, and the rise of ecofeminism. Carson, a nature writer and editor-in-chief for the Fish and Wildlife Service, had long been concerned about the widespread use of DDT and other pesticides, but lack of interest from magazine publishers led her to put aside her idea for an exposé. When the book finally appeared in 1962, only a year before her death, its great strength was not in presenting new information - most of the data she included was already known to the scientific community - but in making the information accessible to non-scientists and instilling a sense of fear and urgency in the public. Not only an indictment of DDT, her book also challenged the very foundations of post-war modernity and forced humans to reconsider their relationship to the world around them. Octavo. Original green cloth, spine and front cover lettered in gilt, green vertical wavy-patterned endpapers, top edge yellow. With dust jacket. Title-page vignette, line-drawn chapter headings. Light rubbing to spine ends and corners, contents clean; a little creasing and rubbing to jacket extremities, a handful of marks to front panel, 22 mm closed tear to top edge of same, unclipped: a near-fine copy in very good jacket.
Synopsis
Silent Spring is a groundbreaking environmental science book by Rachel Carson that brought environmental concerns to the general population. It was published in 1962, a decade after Carson won the National Book Award for her best-selling book The Sea Around Us (1951). When Silent Spring was published, Rachel Carson was already a well-known writer on natural history but had not previously been a social critic. Silent Spring served as a catalyst for the modern environmental movement, shedding light on the detrimental effects of indiscriminate pesticide use on ecosystems and human health. Examining the widespread use of synthetic pesticides, particularly DDT, and their unintended consequences on wildlife and the environment, Carson exposes how pesticides harm beneficial insects, birds, and aquatic life. Silent Spring argues that these chemicals accumulate in the food chain, posing serious risks to human beings. Upon its release, Silent Spring sparked both praise and controversy. The book's publication history reflects this dynamic reception. The first edition was published by Houghton Mifflin Company in 1962, with illustrations by Louis and Lois Darling. The initial print run of 50,000 copies sold out quickly, indicating the significant public interest in the subject matter. The book's first edition has a few notable points. The cover of the first edition features a striking illustration of a forest with silhouetted birds created by Paul Bacon. The book consists of 17 chapters and ends with a chapter titled "The Other Road," which suggests alternative methods of pest control that are less harmful to the environment. Despite initial criticism from the chemical industry and agricultural interests, Silent Spring garnered widespread acclaim for its scientific rigor and persuasive arguments. It raised awareness about the need for environmental protection and led to increased scrutiny of pesticide use. The book ultimately influenced policy changes, such as the banning of DDT in the United States and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring remains a seminal work in environmental literature, inspiring generations of activists, scientists, and policymakers to address the ecological challenges facing our planet. Its enduring impact continues to shape environmental discourse and conservation efforts worldwide.
Read More: Identifying first editions of Silent Spring.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Peter Harrington
(GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 170249
- Title
- Silent Spring.
- Author
- CARSON, Rachel
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Place of Publication
- Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company,
- Date Published
- 1962
Terms of Sale
Peter Harrington
All major credit cards are accepted. Both UK pounds and US dollars (exchange rate to be agreed) accepted. Books may be returned within 14 days of receipt for any reason, please notify first of returned goods.
About the Seller
Peter Harrington
Biblio member since 2006
London
About Peter Harrington
Since its establishment, Peter Harrington has specialised in sourcing, selling and buying the finest quality original first editions, signed, rare and antiquarian books, fine bindings and library sets. Peter Harrington first began selling rare books from the Chelsea Antiques Market on London's King's Road. For the past twenty years the business has been run by Pom Harrington, Peter's son.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
- Vignette
- A decorative design or illustration placed at the beginning or end of a ...
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
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