Running head: CRITICAL REVIEW

Student name
Teacher name
Course title
Date

Critical Review

Review of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

This paper is a critical review of the selected book by Rachel Carson. The purpose is to establish
the significance and major point of criticism in the book. The purpose is to analyze the book in
terms of its content.
Authors background
Rachel Carson (May 27, 1907 April 14, 1964) was a conversationalist and marine
biologist from America. Most of her work was praised for her farsightedness and futuristic
concepts regarding the environment. She began her work as a marine biologist. In the 1950s, she
began a full-time writer and associated herself with the group of nature writers. She constructed a
trilogy based on the ocean life and in depth analysis of what goes on beyond the sea. The first of
her trilogy bagged an award titled the National Book award. Due to her bestselling books, she
was able to establish financial and emotional security. Despite her success as an environmental
writer, her concern for the environment and its issues was not left behind. Eventually, she turned
towards adding conversation to her books. She started focusing on the environmental concerns
and biochemical hazards that destroyed that natural development. She was especially against the
utilization of pesticides; which she believed caused most of the environmental issues. She is also
considered an environmental activist due to her involvement and interest in this field.
Main criticism for the book
One of the major criticisms filed against Carson and her book were the use of nonscientific and non-academic references. Dr. J. Gordon Edwards pointed out that the author
loosely played around with information to make it seem like what she says is the truth. However,
her bibliography openly revealed that her sources were non-academic. Apart from that, it was

Critical Review

also revealed that the references she quoted did not support the argument stated in the book
(Edwards, 2016). In testifying to the case of banning DDT, many scientists paid their visits to
ensure the pesticide was not banned. This was because the information Carson suggested seemed
to have been misquoted. There were chances that the author manipulated information and loosely
gathered it under a boon form to suggest what she believes in. There were chances and doubts
regarding authenticity, accusations and subjectivity in a scientific book. Therefore, the major
criticism regarding her book was the supposed information and misquoted facts.
Genre of the book
This book falls in the genre of non-fiction, science book. While the book is an
interpretation of the real life process of chemical production and harm it causes to the
environment, it is non-fiction as it does not document a real story. However, the book falls in the
category of science due to its documentation of something authentic and detrimental being
caused to the environment.
Historical background
In the 1950s, Carson started paying attention to the conservation of environment. Silent
Spring was a result of this newly found interest. As she yearned for the environments safety and
peoples health, she pointed out the harm pesticides inflicted on the peoples lives. The book was
published in 1962 as a construction of her criticism regarding the use of pesticides in the
environment. The author was suffering from cancer and was undergoing radiation therapy at the
time of the books publication. When the book was published, the author was afraid it would be
termed as a rebellion and false accusation towards the industries. She stated how she did not

Critical Review

have the energy to defend her stances and evidence collected. However, the book was wellreceived and appreciated by most of the people who took part in its publication.
As Carson was a bestselling author at that time, her book had a huge impact on the
government and eventual use of a pesticide called DDT. The industries utilizing DDT were under
observation and their association with the pesticide was being tested. The industries that
manufactured and excessively utilized the pesticide were also cautioned due to the book. When
the book got acclaimed, the government of America put a ban on the use of DDT. Eventually, the
book encouraged an environmental movement for protection and conservation of the
environment. Her fame further led to the development U.S Environmental Protection Agency.
The book was named one of the top 25 science books in the entire world.
Significance of the book
The book played a significant role in determining the financial and social condition of the
author. Apart from that, the book also displayed an interpretation of how humans cause harm to
nature. The authors main argument in the book circulated around the use of pesticides and their
impact on the environment as a whole. According to her, the pesticides were widely referred to as
biocides because they not only impacted the pesticides, but everything else living (Carson,
1962). She especially focused her argument around the use of DDT and how the pesticide led to
bioaccumulation. The environment was not safe around the use of such pesticides.
Carson focused on examining the use of pesticides in the farms and blamed industries for
manufacturing them. She declared that the use of pesticides led to illnesses in human beings such
as cancer. She stated in her book, In laboratory tests on animal subjects, DDT has produced
suspicious liver tumors. Scientists of the Food and Drug Administration who reported the

Critical Review

discovery of these tumors were uncertain how to classify them, but felt there was some
"justification for considering them low grade hepatic cell carcinomas." Dr. Hueper [author of
Occupational Tumors and Allied Diseases] now gives DDT the definite rating of a "chemical
carcinogen (Carson, 1962). According to Carson, the environment and naturally existing
ecosystem was destroyed due to something that was being introduced as a commodity. Not only
that, this could lead to the invasion of unknown species in the environment, without human
knowledge.
Carson also stated how the excessive use of pesticides would lead to the development of
natural resistance in insects. If the insects were safe from the chemicals used to kill them, what
option did the human beings have in offering protection to the produce? Therefore, she stated
that the use of pesticides and other preservation methods to be reduced and used only if
absolutely necessary.
The book was published in 1962, when the rate of pollution was not as high as it is today.
The book not only plays a significant role in enlightening about pesticides, but also documents a
futuristic approach towards the natural ecosystem. Conservation and protection are two major
stances encouraged by the book published so many years ago. This is why; the book becomes an
informative piece of evidence to support and save the environment.

Critical Review

References
Carson, R. (1962). Silent spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Edwards, D. (2016). The Lies of Rachel Carson. 21stcenturysciencetech.com. Retrieved 8
November 2016, from
http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/articles/summ02/Carson.html