Kirkus Reviews listed as one of 2012’s top 25 books William Souder’s biography of Rachel Carson, On a Farther Shore.
William Souder, author of On a Farther Shore. Minnesota Public Radio image
Rachel Carson often gets credit for starting the modern environmental movement. In highly cynical political times, Carson is under cruel smear attack from people who wish the environmental movement did not exist, and who appear to think that we could poison Africa to prosperity if only we’d use enough DDT, contrary to all scientific work and medical opinion.
Souder’s book, issued on the 50th anniversary of the publication of Carson’s best-known book, Silent Spring, lays out the facts.
Nice to see that book lovers like Souder’s work, too. Carson’s work was painstakingly accurate as science, but also a wonderful read. Silent Spring has a larger following among lovers of literature than science, a tribute to her writing ability. Souder’s book plows both veins, science and writing.
Cover of On a Farther Shore, by William Souder
In circles serious about science, the environment, human health, and literature, Souder’s book is the book of the 50th anniversary of Silent Spring. There is irony there. Pesticide manufacturers mounted a campaign against Silent Spring and Rachel Carson calculated to have cost $500,000 in 1962, when that book was published. Souder’s book fights propaganda from Astro-turf™ organizations like Africa Fighting Malaria, a pro-DDT group that collects money from chemical manufacturers and anti-environmental political sources for a propaganda campaign that costs well over $500,000/year. Despite all the paid-shill shouting against Rachel Carson and her work, it is the voice of On a Farther Shore that stands out.
More:
- William Souder commentary on Silent Spring at Minnesota Public Radio
- Souder in Slate: “Rachel Carson didn’t kill millions of Africans”
- New Rachel Carson Biography (Book Acquired, 11.13.2012) (biblioklept.org)
- “The Poisoned Earth,” by Elizabeth Royte, New York Times review of Souder’s book; NYT also named the book one of their “100 notable” books for 2012
- Amy Stewart’s review of Souder’s book in The Washington Post
- Christian Science Monitor review, by Emily Cataneo (Jim Bencivenga, Ron Preston, where are you guys?); also see the CSM blog piece about the campaign against Carson, “Smearing Rachel Carson”
- William Souder’s “On a Farther Shore” Scores NYTimes Nod (thesamerowdycrowd.wordpress.com)
- REVIEW: On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson (macleans.ca)
- Birders talk about Rachel Carson (billingsgazette.com)
- Silent Autumn (whattheducks.com)
- “DDT chronicles at Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub,” a chronological index to stories here on Rachel Carson, DDT and malaria, and the pseudo-controversy
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
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