Silent Spring is one of the most repetative books I've ever read. The only part where it was interesting was when she went off topic to explain the inner workings of the cell. All 300 pages could literally have been summed up on the front and back of a single sheet of paper. In this day and age, there ARE better ways of becomming aware of polution than putting so much time into such an outdated book.

The entire book is about DDT and how it affects the planet. The point that DDT and other chemicles will turn up in unforseen places if dumped somewhere is hammered into the reader thoughout the whole book. And that's really all there is to say. If you want to learn about polution, go to a more recent and refined resorce.


Drudgery   August 6, 2001
 6 out of 18 found this review helpful

The title explains it all. I needed to read this book for my biology class and it took me a month to get over the first quater of the book! I usually devour my books in a day, but I couldn't read a page of this book without having to reread it because I my mind wandered with reading it. This is the kind of book that most students will read, but not really READ the book, unless they are truly, TRULY into the subject. So to all the biology and english teachers, spare your students!!!


The epitome of junk science   July 12, 2001
 17 out of 36 found this review helpful

This book started the leftist, environmentalist revolution. Carson, like so many others today, appeals to emotion and twisted findings rather than scientific facts. For one, she fails to mention that DDT is similar to saccharin in that it is only somewhat harmful in HUGE doses of usage. What is even more baffling than her distortion of the facts is that many people, including the many members of US government, buy into it. Before you jump to any conclusions, consider true scientific findings and research, done by groups other than Green Peace; and pay attention to both sides of the issue.


A Monumental Work   April 7, 2001
 7 out of 12 found this review helpful

Rachel Carson writes a truly amazing account of humankind's need to destroy itself and everything around us. What amazes me is that even after the first birds began to fall from the rain of pesticides, the government continued to spray year after year! The way in which we go blindly into the world assuming every new invention and chemical to be 'safe' because the companies that make them say so will never cease to boggle my mind. When iit comes down to making money, big companies will say anything about their products to get them sold. PBS just ran a very interesting documentary on the subject of chemicals in our workplace and environment see pbs.org for a time when it is to be rebroadcast.

I must say that the book did seem a bit repetitive at times, but nontheless, I think this was Carson objective, to hammer home how truly stupid we humans can be.