Includes bibliographical references and index.

In 1957, more than six thousand products made with the chemical pesticide DDT were available. Farmers used DDT for pest control on their food crops. Consumers used wallpaper laced with the pesticide to keep bugs at bay. Scientists and the government all considered DDT safe, until a thoughtful and brave woman dared to question the indiscriminate and excess use of the synthetic chemical. Rachel Carson was a writer and marine biologist. The publication of Carson's Silent Spring sounded an alarm that initiated the modern environmental movement. Carson's biography of civic courage will inspire and motivate socially conscious readers.