Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, published in 1962, did more than any other single publication or event to alert the world to the hazards of environmental poisoning and to shape a powerful social movement that would alter the course of American history. This definitive biography, based on personal documents and reminiscences unavailable to others, shows how Carson, already a famous nature writer, became a reluctant reformer, confronting a government and industry that were widely misusing extremely dangerous chemicals, unquestioned by the public. This book illuminates and evaluates for the first time her personal courage in setting forth an ecological vision of humankind's place in the natural world and her contribution to the contemporary environmental movement. It is also the first to describe her personal life, showing the spirited, lonely, and determined woman behind the publicly shy but brilliant scientist and writer. Illustrated with photographs, many never before published, this is a compelling and masterful portrait of a heroic woman who was not afraid to question the political direction of her time.