Synopses & Reviews
andldquo;Inand#160;Rachel Carson and Her Sisters, Musil fills the gap by placing Carsonand#39;s achievements in a wider context, weaving connections from the past through the present. Readers will find new insight into Carson and contemporary figures she influenced...who have historically received less attention. Musilandrsquo;s respect and enthusiasm for these women is evident throughout the book, making it a deeply engaging and enjoyable read. A valuable addition to scholarship on Rachel Carson, female environmentalists, and the American environmental movement in general. Highly recommended. All academic and general readers.andrdquo; andmdash;Choice
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andldquo;This is a long overdue book, giving great credit to the long line of women who have done so much to shape our cultureandrsquo;s view of the world around us and of our prospects in it. We desperately need that culture to heed their words!andrdquo; andmdash;Bill McKibben, author Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist
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andldquo;A vibrant, engaging account of the women who preceded and followed Rachel Carsonandrsquo;s efforts to promote environmental and human health. In exquisite detail, Musil narrates the brilliant careers and efforts of pioneering women from the 1850s onward to preserve nature and maintain a healthy environment. Anyone interested in women naturalists, activists, and feminist environmental history will welcome this compelling, beautifully-written book.andrdquo; andmdash;Carolyn Merchant, author of The Death of Nature and professor of environmental history, philosophy, and ethics, University of California, Berkeley.
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andldquo;Bob Musil brilliantly documents the rich trajectory of womenandrsquo;s intellectual and political influence, not just on environmentalism but on public policy and activism. Musil offers fascinating details of Rachel Carsonandrsquo;s struggles to be taken seriously as a scientist and unearths the stories of the womenandmdash;unsung heroes allandmdash;who influenced her. A must read for anyone interested in American history, science and environmental politics.andrdquo; andmdash;Heather White, Executive Director, the Environmental Working Group
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andldquo;Musil uses the life and writings of Rachel Carson as an exemplar of womenandrsquo;s participation in the American environmental movement. He places Carsonandrsquo;s achievements in contexts by illuminating...the lives of trailblazing female scientists who inspired her and for whom she, in turn, paved the way. Extremely well-researched.andrdquo; andmdash;Foreword Reviews
Review
andquot;This is a long overdue book, giving great credit to the long line of women who have done so much to shape our culture's view of the world around us and of our prospects in it. We desperately need that culture to heed their words!andquot;
Review
andquot;A treasure! A welcome discovery of the linkages among profoundly caring, ecologically-aware women across time, and the truths of our ecological crisis. Musil shows clear-eyed science and heartfelt story-telling are not mutually exclusive.andquot;
Review
"This book is one-of-a-kind. Musil provides a remarkable new perspecti Rebecca Wodder - former President and CEO of American Rivers
Review
andquot;With deep grounding in women's history, environmentalism, and public healthandmdash;and, just as importantly, with great reverenceandmdash;Musil introduces us to a pantheon of remarkable women, true heroines every one. This book offers a new perspective, countless wonderful stories, and inspiration. A great read!andquot;
Review
andquot;An eloquent and moving tribute to the women at the heart and soul of the environmental movement. It is a story of brilliant science, courage, stamina, and a passion for life. We are in debt beyond counting to them and to Robert Musil for telling their stories so well.andquot;
Review
andquot;A vibrant, engaging account of the women who preceded and followed Rachel Carsonandrsquo;s efforts to promote environmental and human health. In exquisite detail, Musil narrates the brilliant careers and efforts of pioneering women from the 1850s onward to preserve nature and maintain a healthy environment. Anyone interested in women naturalists, activists, and feminist environmental history will welcome this compelling, beautifully-written book.andquot;
Review
andquot;Bob Musil brilliantly documents the rich trajectory of womenandrsquo;s intellectual and political influence, not just on environmentalism but on public policy and activism. Musil offers fascinating details of Rachel Carsonandrsquo;s struggles to be taken seriously as a scientist and unearths the stories of the womenandmdash;unsung heroes allandmdash;who influenced her. A must read for anyone interested in American history, science and environmental politics.andquot;
Review
andquot;Bob Musil provides an important contribution to the history of the environmental movement. He paints a compelling portrait of Rachel Carson and the remarkable women who preceded her and who continue her legacy. He reminds us of the struggles and achievements of Ms. Carson and, just as significantly, the pivotal and courageous role that women have played in fighting for a safer and healthier world.andquot;
Review
andquot;Musil uses the life and writings of Rachel Carson as an exemplar of womenand#39;s participation in the American environmental movement. He places Carsonand#39;s achievements in contexts by illuminating...the lives of trailblazing female scientists who inspired her and for whom she, in turn, paved the way. Extremely well-researched.andquot;
Review
andquot;This book is one-of-a-kind. Musil provides a remarkable new perspecti
Review
andquot;An absolutely wonderful book! Bob Musil shows Rachel Carson not as a lone voice, but an eloquent one who drew inspiration from female predecessors and those around her. He argues persuasively that we can understand Carson better if we see her in relation to other women, to the broader environmental movement, and to working in community. Should be required reading for anyone interested in where we have been, and where we need to go.andquot;
Review
andquot;Rachel Carson is only the best-known example amidst an inspiring cast of pioneering and modern women environmental leaders that Musil brings to life. Readable, reliable, and rousingandmdash;a book for anyone who cares about Americaandrsquo;s past and future.andquot;
Review
andquot;In Rachel Carson and Her Sisters,Musil fills the gap by placing Carsonand#39;s achievements in a wider context, weaving connections from the past through the present. Readers will find new insight into Carson and contemporary figures she influenced...who have historically received less attention. Musiland#39;s respect and enthusiasm for these women is evident throughout the book, making it a deeply engaging and enjoyable read. A valuable addition to scholarship on Rachel Carson, female environmentalists, and the American environmental movement in general.Highly recommended. All academic and general readers.andquot;
Review
andquot;Rachel Carson and Her Sisters makes a number of important contributions to both environmental history and womenandrsquo;s history. Musilandrsquo;s genius is weaving his intriguing, thoroughly researched mini-biographies of individualand#160;women into a cohesive larger story of overlapping and mutually reinforcing actions and ideas.andquot;
Review
andquot;In celebrating Rachel Carsonand#39;s work, Musil takes on the important task of contextualizing this environmental luminary within a tradition of womenand#39;s research, activism, and authorship.andquot;
Review
andquot;An engaging, well-crafted addition to the literature on the sociology of disasters in the face of climate change, Superstorm Sandy provides an impressively clear exploration of the events surrounding the hurricane. Readers can feel themselves walking down the boardwalk alongside the author and worrying alongside the residents.andquot;
Review
andldquo;Musil concludes that andlsquo;those who pollute and plunder have huge resources at their command. They challenge serious science, real reform, and . . . block every reasonable effort to build a better, healthier environment for our children and generations yet to come.andrsquo; Nevertheless, andlsquo;their sway is slowly, steadily, being reduced over time by the determination of ordinary citizens. . . . We can draw inspiration and leadership from the long line of American women who somehow defied the cinched circumstances and enervated expectations for their gender to become extraordinary leaders of many kinds. They have brought us thus far,andrsquo; and andlsquo;we can start now down the path that they have set before us.andrsquo; People who want to learn more about this path can turn to
Rachel Carson and Her Sisters for a richly detailed, documented, and eloquent historyandmdash;a ground-breaking account of undaunted American women, determined to prevent environmental catastrophe.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Musil...contextualize[s]and#160;Silent Springand#160;as the culmination of decades of work by other women in science, who were consistently overlooked, under-appreciated and dismissed by their male peers and institutions. These ladies ranged from Victorian garden observers to die-hard chemists and marine biologists. andlsquo;They are tied together by a fierce sense of activismandrsquo; and beautiful writing.... Their writing is what drew Musil in.and#160; He too wants andlsquo;people to connect with science in an approachable way.andrsquo;andrdquo; and#160;
Review
andldquo;A great read for anybody who is interested in learning about Rachel Carsonandrsquo;s role in a delicate web of connections that makes up the environmental movement. Also, if anybody is interested in the human aspect, the personal lives, and the trials of each of these women, this book certainly will deliver. [andhellip;] Musil has stitched together a wonderful collection of true stories about the amazing women who have changed, and are continuing to change, the way we see the world.andrdquo;and#160;
Review
andldquo;Superstorm Sandy and#160;provides a vivid description and wide-rangingand#160;explanation of that huge stormandrsquo;s impact on Americans.and#160; It is a andlsquo;must readandrsquo; as we prepareand#160;for future storms in coastal America.andrdquo;and#160;
Synopsis
and#160;Inand#160;
Rachel Carson and Her Sisters, Robert K. Musil redefines the achievements and legacy of environmental pioneer and scientist Rachel Carson, linking her work to a wide network of American women activists and writers and introducing her to a new, contemporary audience.
On the fiftieth anniversary of her death,
Rachel Carson and Her Sisters helps underscore Carsonandrsquo;s enduring environmental legacy and brings to life the achievements of women writers and advocates who influenced and were influenced by her and
Silent Spring.
Synopsis
Inand#160;Rachel Carson and Her Sisters, Robert K. Musil redefines the achievements and legacy of environmental pioneer and scientist Rachel Carson, linking her work to a wide network of American women activists and writers and introducing her to a new, contemporary audience. Rachel Carson was the first American to combine two longstanding, but separate strands of American environmentalismandmdash;the love of nature and a concern for human health. Widely known for her 1962 best-seller,and#160;Silent Spring, Carson is today often perceived as a solitary andldquo;great woman,andrdquo; whose work single-handedly launched a modern environmental movement. But as Musil demonstrates, Carsonandrsquo;s lifeandrsquo;s work drew upon and was supported by already existing movements, many led by women, in conservation and public health.
On the fiftieth anniversary of her death, this book helps underscore Carsonandrsquo;s enduring environmental legacy and brings to life the achievements of women writers and advocates, such as Ellen Swallow Richards, Dr. Alice Hamilton, Terry Tempest Williams, Sandra Steingraber, Devra Davis, and Theo Colborn, all of whom overcame obstacles to build and lead the modern American environmental movement.
Synopsis
Why do people build in areas open to repeated natural disasters? Drawing on a variety of insights from environmental sociology,
Superstorm Sandy offers a wide-ranging look at the Jersey Shore both before and after this disaster, examining the many factorsandmdash;such as cultural attachment, tourism revenues, and governmental regulationandmdash;that combined to create a highly vulnerable coastal region and that fueled the demand to rebuild.
Synopsis
Sandy was the costliest hurricane in U.S. history after Katrina, but the waters had barely receded from the Jersey coast when massive efforts began to andldquo;Restore the Shore.andrdquo;and#160; Why do people build in areas open to repeated natural disasters?and#160; And why do they return to these areas in the wake of major devastation?and#160; Drawing on a variety of insights from environmental sociology,
Superstorm Sandy answers these questions as it looks at both the unique character of the Jersey Shore and the more universal ways that humans relate to their environment.and#160;
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Diane C. Bates offers a wide-ranging look at the Jersey Shore both before and after Sandy, examining the many factorsandmdash;such as cultural attachment, tourism revenues, and governmental regulationandmdash;that combined to create a highly vulnerable coastal region. She explains why the Shore is so important to New Jerseyans, acting as a key cultural touchstone in a state that lacks a central city or even a sports team to build a shared identity among the stateandrsquo;s residents. She analyzes post-Sandy narratives about the Jersey Shore that trumpeted the dominance of human ingenuity over nature (such as the stateandrsquo;s andldquo;Stronger than the Stormandrdquo; advertising campaign) or proclaimed a therapeutic community (andldquo;Jersey Strongandrdquo;)andmdash;narratives rooted in emotion and iconography, waylaying any thought of the near-certainty of future storms. The book also examines local business owners, politicians, real estate developers, and residents who have vested interests in the region, explaining why the Shore was developed intensively prior to Sandy, and why restoration became an imperative in the post-storm period.
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Engagingly written and insightful, Superstorm Sandy highlights the elements that compounded the disaster on the Shore, providing a framework for understanding such catastrophes and preventing them in the future.and#160;
About the Author
ROBERT K. MUSIL is President and CEOand#160;of The Rachel Carson Council, Inc., senior fellow at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, American University inand#160;Washington, D.C., and author ofand#160;Hope for a Heated Planet. He is the former CEO of the Nobel Peace Prizeandndash;winning Physicians for Social Responsibility and an award-winning journalist.and#160;