Silent Spring

Silent Springoffers the first shattering look at widespread ecological degradation and touched off an environmental awareness that still exists. Rachel Carson's book focuses on the poisons from insecticides, weed killers, and other common products as well as the use of sprays in agriculture, a practice that leads to dangerous chemicals to the food source. Carson argues that those chemicals are more dangerous than radiation and that for the first time in history, humans were exposed to chemicals that stayed in their systems from birth to death. Presented with thorough documentation, the book opened more than a few eyes about the dangers of the modern world and stands today as a landmark work.