Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson is arguably the most important environmentalist of this century. Her Silent Spring, published in 1962, is one of those rare books that changed the course of history. Paul Brooks, who was Carson's editor for many years, has selected excerpts from her works (Under the Sea-Wind, 1941; The Sea Around Us, 1951; The Edge of the Sea, 1955; Silent Spring, 1962; and The Sense of Wonder, 1965) that illustrate her remarkable talent for writing popular science. From these excerpts, as well as Carson's letters and unpublished writings and the recollections of those who knew her, Brooks has created an intimate portrait of the writer at work.