Traces shifting attitudes toward DDT and pesticides in general through a variety of sources: excerpts from scientific studies and government reports, advertisements from industry journals, articles from popular magazines, and the famous "Fable for Tomorrow" from "Silent Spring".

Foreword by William CrononPreface and Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: BACKGROUNDViews of Nature1. Stephen A. Forbes, "The Ecological Foundations of Applied Entomology"2. Leland O. Howard, "The War against Insects" -Pre-DDT Pesticides and DDT's Use in World War II3. Paul Neal et al., "A Study of the Effects of Lead Arsenate Exposure on Orchardists and Consumers of Sprayed Fruit" 4. Paul Neal et al., "Toxicity and Potential Dangers of Aerosols, Mists, and Dusting Powders Containing DDT" Part 2: DDT'S BRIGHT PROMISE AND NEGLECTED PROBLEMS (1942-1958)DDT as Miracle Chemical5. Brigadier General James Stevens Simmons, "How Magic is DDT?" 6. "Aerosol Insecticides" 7. Clay Lyle, "Achievements and Possibilities in Pest Eradication" -Early Warnings8. Paul B. Dunbar, "The Food and Drug Administration Looks at Insecticides" 9. Clarence Cottam and Elmer Higgins, "DDT and Its Effect on Fish and Wildlife" Part 3: RISING CONCERN ABOUT NEW PROBLEMSDDT, Food Chains, and Wildlife10. Roy J. Barker, "Notes on Some Ecological Effects of DDT Sprayed on Elms" 11. Editorial from Bird Study 12. Derek A. Ratcliffe, "The Status of the Peregrine in Great Britain" 13. Robert Rudd, Pesticides and the Living Landscape 14. Thomas R. Dunlap, Interview with Joseph J. Hickey15. Robert S. Strother, "Backfire in the War against Insects" Part 4: THE STORM OVER SILENT SPRINGPublic Alarm16. Morton Mintz, "'Heroine' of FDA Keeps Bad Drug Off Market" 17. Rachel Carson, "A Fable for Tomorrow" -Reactions18. President's Science Advisory Committee, Use of Pesticides 19. Robert H. White-Stevens, "Communications Create Understanding" 20. Edwin Diamond, "The Myth of the 'Pesticide Menace'" 21. Robert Gillette, "DDT: Its Days are Numbered, Except Perhaps in Pepper Fields" Part 5: DDT AND MALARIA22. Thomas Sowell, "Intended Consequences" 23. Thomas R. Hawkins, "Rereading Silent Spring" 24. May Berenbaum, "If Malaria's the Problem, DDT's Not the Only Answer" Notes on Further Reading Credits Index

"DDT, Silent Spring, and the Rise of Environmentalism provides an important survey of petrochemical use in the postwar United States. It is both a thought-provoking text for undergraduates and a diverse collection of primary sources for scholars..Dunlap valuably provides a succinct overview of the complicated relationships between industry, environment, and the chemical debate."

"A superb collection. Included here are the texts that galvanized Rachel Carson to write Silent Spring and inspired her to insist on a new vision of cooperation between man and nature. Dunlap's book provides the context for one of the defining debates of our time and shows us why a resolution remains so elusive."

A superb collection. Included here are the texts that galvanized Rachel Carson to write Silent Spring and inspired her to insist on a new vision of cooperation between man and nature. Dunlap's book provides the context for one of the defining debates of our time and shows us why a resolution remains so elusive. -- Linda Learbiographer and, author of Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature To understand how DDT could win its developer a Nobel Prize and then be banned just decades later, read this book. Read it, too, if you want to understand the modern environmental movement. In these pages, those who helped make history tell you, in their own words, what happened. -- Edmund P. Russell, University of Virginia This thought-provoking and occasionally surprising collection of readings brings needed attention to Rachel Carson and her work. Dunlap's book will prove valuable for classes in environmental studies and American environmental history and for historians studying conflicts over pesticides. -- Nancy Langston, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison A fascinating and thought-provoking collection of texts that will give readers whole new perspectives on this critical controversy in the history of environmental thought. -- William Cronon, University of Wisconsin-Madison Students can use this collection to gain greater understanding of the development of the environmental movement, changing ideas about progress, science, and technology, as well as changing ideas about the role of nature in the modern world. -- David Stradling, University of Cincinnati