Silent Spring Revolution

John F. Kennedy, Rachel Carson, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the Great Environmental Awakening

De: Douglas Brinkley

Narrado por: Stephen Graybill

New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed presidential historian Douglas Brinkley chronicles the rise of environmental activism during the Long Sixties (1960-1973), telling the story of an indomitable generation that saved the natural world under the leadership of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon.

With the detonation of the Trinity explosion in the New Mexico desert in 1945, the United States took control of Earth’s destiny for the first time. After the Truman administration dropped atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II, a grim new epoch had arrived. During the early Cold War years, the federal government routinely detonated nuclear devices in the Nevada desert and the Marshall Islands. Not only was nuclear fallout a public health menace, but entire ecosystems were contaminated with radioactive materials. During the 1950s, an unprecedented postwar economic boom took hold, with America becoming the world’s leading hyperindustrial and military giant. But with this historic prosperity came a heavy cost: oceans began to die, wilderness vanished, the insecticide DDT poisoned ecosystems, wildlife perished, and chronic smog blighted major cities.

In Silent Spring Revolution, Douglas Brinkley pays tribute to those who combated the mauling of the natural world in the Long Sixties: Rachel Carson (a marine biologist and author), David Brower (director of the Sierra Club), Barry Commoner (an environmental justice advocate), Coretta Scott King (an antinuclear activist), Stewart Udall (the secretary of the interior), William O. Douglas (Supreme Court justice), Cesar Chavez (a labor organizer), and other crusaders are profiled with verve and insight.

Carson’s book Silent Spring, published in 1962, depicted how detrimental DDT was to living creatures. The exposé launched an ecological revolution that inspired such landmark legislation as the Wilderness Act (1964), the Clean Air Acts (1963 and 1970), and the Endangered Species Acts (1966, 1969, and 1973). In intimate detail, Brinkley extrapolates on such epic events as the Donora (Pennsylvania) smog incident, JFK’s Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Great Lakes preservation, the Santa Barbara oil spill, and the first Earth Day.

With the United States grappling with climate change and resource exhaustion, Douglas Brinkley’s meticulously researched and deftly written Silent Spring Revolution reminds us that a new generation of twenty-first-century environmentalists can save the planet from ruin.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Important history

Love this book as it shows the importance of the environmental movement in the sixties

Poetically Informative

While the information presented in this book is informative and insightful, the excessive use of poetry can be off-putting for some readers. The author has a penchant for using flowery language and metaphors, which can make it difficult to follow along with the main points. I found myself looping back 30 seconds to refresh on the original topic. I understand that the environmental movement was propelled by poets and artists, but I was selfishly looking for the facts without the fluff.

Despite this, the book is still worth reading, especially for those who enjoy poetry. The author's unique writing style adds a certain charm to the book, and it is evident that they put a lot of effort into their work. Overall, "Silent Spring Revolution" is a valuable resource for those looking to expand their knowledge in the environmental movement (especially during the Kennedy, LBJ, Nixon years), but readers should be prepared for a healthy dose of poetry along the way.

Powerful

Sweeping in its voice of progress and how the legal framework sustains the responsibility we all share

Opponents (industries/companies) could be expanded

Excellent in depth academic description for future historians. The political forces at work down to individuals (road blocks/ funding) would help fill in the canvas ie less dancing around the fundamental motivations.

Important history

This very well researched book was eye opening, and thought provoking. Solid narration as well.