Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature

This biography does Rachel Carson justice--she has been proven right about environmental toxins. In her life cut short by cancer, she wrote scientific works in understandable and pleasurable language for non-scientists. It was a talent many envied and many appreciated. Linda Lear did the same for her with this biography. It makes us feel the tremendous burden she carried as she told the world the truth about pesticides. I was moved almost to tears by her bravery.

Linda Lear has done a great service in this beautifully written book about Rachel Carson. Exhaustively researched, Lear is a great storyteller and keeps you interested in every part of Carson’s life. This book deals more with Carson’s family background and personal life than Souder’s excellent subsequent bio of Carson, and the two are very complimentary.

I have found this tedious. The author has written it almost like she is making a chronology of every detail of her life. If she met someone their name is in the book. Her relationship with and responsibility for her mother could have been handled in a paragraph or two summing up much. It is very dry. When she meets someone new or makes a friend you expect it to flesh out but it doesn't. Not done yet - time for improvement perhaps.

I needed this for an essay in college. I have to say that I was rather impressed with the author and content in the book. I found that I really enjoyed learning about Rachel in this format and used this book for a lot of my references.

This is an extremely well-researched book. The wealth of anecdotal information makes Rachel Carson come to life. She was an amazing woman, ahead of her time, and this book lovingly tells her story.

Terrific biography and a must read for anyone interested in Rachel Carson and her full if tragically short life. I found a number of her favorite books by reading this and got a real appreciation for the times in which she lived and the difficulty she faced as a woman, writer and scientist.

Carefully researched and well-written, only increased my respect for Rachel and the work she did while so very ill. An inspiration to us all

Excellent study of Rachel Carson.

Very insightful bio which helped no end with a uni paper I was writing on Rachel Carson. I think this is by far the most comprehensive and detailed bio out there on her work and life. Bear in mind that the book is HUGE - you'll need lots of shelf space! Written in a compelling and very readable style. Really recommend

This is one of the best books that I have read in a long time - could not put it down and finished it within a week and it is a big book!Linda Lear has worked meticulously to acquire lots of information about Rachel Carson - in her personal and professional life and I really felt that by the end of the book - I had really got ot know the real Carson. Rachel was a very intelligent woman who made huge strides in a male dominated world of science, despite lots of issues in her family life which could have easily held her back. I loved reading about her friendship with Dorothy Freeman so much that I am patiently waiting for their book of letters to each other to arrive from the USA so I can read more.This book demonstrates the contribution that Carson made to essentially kicking off the environmental concerns of the world with the publication of her famous book Silent Spring which exposed the disastrous effects on wildlife and humans caused by the widespread insecticide programmes in the USA in the early 20th century.I highly recommend this book and am going to buy a few more copies to give to friends for presents.

Excellent read. Good service from book company.

It was my partner who read this book and he enjoyed it very much

Detailed and inspiring life of Rachel Carson who should be one of everyone's environmental heroes. She gave so much of herself for us.