Even under the best of circumstances, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring makes for grim reading, as a cursory look at its chapter titles suggests: “Elixirs of Death.” “Rivers of Death.” “And No Birds Sing,” “Needless Havoc,” “The Obligation to Endure.” These titles capture Carson’s sense of the urgency of chemical pesticides, as does the litany of dead creatures she details as she systematically works her way through the poisons' effects on different ecosystems.
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The Margins of a River
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Even under the best of circumstances, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring makes for grim reading, as a cursory look at its chapter titles suggests: “Elixirs of Death.” “Rivers of Death.” “And No Birds Sing,” “Needless Havoc,” “The Obligation to Endure.” These titles capture Carson’s sense of the urgency of chemical pesticides, as does the litany of dead creatures she details as she systematically works her way through the poisons' effects on different ecosystems.