Rachel Carson, who was a nature and science writer, has been credited with founding the modern environmental movement. 'Silent Spring', published in 1962, provoked a public outcry against the dangers of indiscriminate pesticide use and chemical toxins in the environment. Exposing her enthusiasm for the natural world and the depth of her writings, the contributors to this book examine her books, speeches, essays, and the letters she wrote as she prepared to die from breastcancer. Themes in the book are: a legacy of activism and advocacy: ethics on land and sea: reflections on gender and science: an ongoing toxic discourse: and a legacy of wonder.