Silent Spring
by Rachel Carson · first published 1962
23% recommend70% neutral7% critical
Why HN recommends it
Beautifully written account of indiscriminate pesticide use and DDT's effects on the wider ecosystem, credited with helping launch the EPA and the DDT ban; suits readers interested in ecology and environmental history.
Common criticism: Critics say its science was shaky and the DDT ban it prompted was harmful
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
This account of the effects of pesticides on the environment launched the environmental movement in America.
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Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
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If you haven't read it pick up a copy of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson which covered the indiscriminate use of pesticides and the effect on the wider ecosystem. The awareness she helped raise contributed to the founding of the EPA and the banning of DDT.
on “New insights on pesticide exposure and autism” ↗Oh yes. The history of the Ethyl Corporation and Dr. Clair Patterson is fascinating, right up there with Rachel Carson and "Silent Spring." There's a very disturbing correlative graph between the banning of anti-knock lead additives from gasoline and the drop in violent crime rates in the United States. Correlation does not imply causation,…
on “Flint, MI: So much lead in children’s blood, state of emergency declared” ↗The height of government writing would be Rachel Carson. She's best known for Silent Spring but her Sea books are just as good. Much of her writing was published by the GPO. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson#List_of_works But as for writing advice, the CIA isn't so bad. Thinking…
on “Checklist for Plain Language” ↗…considering that they're usually ignored or even actively despised by the media and the powers that be. I don't know of specific examples in film, but some books have had such impact. The Jungle[1] and Silent Spring[2] come to mind. Film is a relatively young media, and its full potential is unlikely to be realized for decades if not centuries. Give it some time. I'm optimistic that truly moving and motivating…
on “Where are all the films about poor Americans?” ↗Also highly recommended to anyone who wants to nerd out on ecology: Rachel Carson's Silent Spring https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20151002 , which among other things lead to the ban on DDT in agriculture in the US. Still relevant, and beautifully written.
on “Ask HN: Any interesting books you have read lately?” ↗So far? It could be (read: is) recency bias, but I recently finished Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and found it fascinating and relevant, although some of the one-off science facts are outdated. I'm planning on reading her other books. I've heard they're much more poetic annd have…
on “Ask HN: Best non-fiction book you read in 2024?” ↗…"children's" book series under a pen name; quotes from it appeared in Middlegame. It's called the Up-and-under series. I've only made it through book one so far, as I lost book two, but so far it's been good! Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. It's been on my list of books to read for ages and it is in fact excellent, if difficult. I'm planning on reading some of her--allegedly much less dark--books about the sea next, because…
on “Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?” ↗Silent Spring by Rachel Carson for Environmental Science.
on “Ask HN: Make someone interested about your field with only one book?” ↗Silent Spring by Rachel Carson should be mandatory reading…
on “Study shows glyphosate impairs learning in bumblebees” ↗…global changes that started with individual actions? We should probably define what you mean by "real global changes" if the abolition of slavery doesn't qualify. I'll try anyway. 1. Rachael Carson's "Silent Spring": Her seminal book, "Silent Spring," wasn't just an American wake-up call but catalyzed a global environmental movement. It laid the groundwork for the creation of environmental agencies and legislation…
on “The World Is in a Climate Emergency” ↗Another vote for Silent Spring here. One of those books that stay with you.
on “Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?” ↗This is absurd. Have you heard of Rachel Carson's 1962 "Silent Spring"?
on “NASA Artemis II moon mission live launch broadcast” ↗…disproportionality a lot sooner than most. The other important discovery he made was electron capture detector, which is a device capable of detecting man-made toxic chemicals in the wild. When I read Silent Spring and the testament to the frightening effects of DDT, it changed my life. Without that invention, Silent Spring might not have been written. Absolutely transformative for me. 1-https://archive.ph/bQFAt
on “James Lovelock has died” ↗Teddy K really is the best read. But you could always read the classic Silent Spring if you want something more mellow. The more adventurous could try Running on Emptiness by Zerzan who AFAIK isn't a terrorist.
on ““Industrial Society and its Future”: the writings of the Unabomber” ↗Maybe paid too much attention in that "elective" class Environmental Science in college but this book should have been taken seriously since its publication: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Spring
on “Healthy soil is key to feeding the world” ↗