Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson
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- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Rachel Carson
- ISBN：1786898926
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Summary
Edited and with an Introduction by Linda Lear
This trove of previously uncollected writings by the author of Silent Spring is a priceless addition to our knowledge of the great environmentalist and her life。
"[Carson's] writing still sparkles。 。 。 。 This book should be required reading。"
-Bill Sharp， The New York Times Book Review
This trove of previously uncollected writings by the author of Silent Spring is a priceless addition to our knowledge of the great environmentalist and her life。
"[Carson's] writing still sparkles。 。 。 。 This book should be required reading。"
-Bill Sharp， The New York Times Book Review
Reviews
Maria Gabarda
，
"Existe una belleza tan simbólica como real en la migración de las aves; en el flujo y reflujo de las mareas; en el brote incipiente listo para la primavera。 Hay algo infinitamente sanador en estos estribillos de la naturaleza que no dejan de repetirse: la certeza de que el amanecer viene después de la noche， y la primavera después del invierno。" "Existe una belleza tan simbólica como real en la migración de las aves; en el flujo y reflujo de las mareas; en el brote incipiente listo para la primavera。 Hay algo infinitamente sanador en estos estribillos de la naturaleza que no dejan de repetirse: la certeza de que el amanecer viene después de la noche， y la primavera después del invierno。" 。。。more
Kennedy
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Rachel Carson was such an incredible woman
Ray Zimmerman
，
A afbulous collection of works by Rachel Carson。 The editor discovered these papers， letters， articles， ec。 while working on a biography。
Jennifer
，
This was a wonderful read。 This collection of articles， speeches， and letters by Rachel Carson gives insight into the person she was outside of her books。
BJ
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Outstanding job on how her personal life experiences made her whi she us。 Personal letters by Rachel Carson really peels the onion of what drove her to be the beacon for ecology and the harm pesticide companies can do for profit。
T。D。 Whittle
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This is a rather random collection of leftover pieces， so if you are a Carson completist， it might be worth your time。 I am not especially interested in reading every speech or letter a writer makes， and found much of this a bit boring and repetitive since I'm already familiar with Carson and her work。 Brilliant woman， brilliant writer， but a posthumous collection of odd bits that may or may not be of interest to the general reader。 This is a rather random collection of leftover pieces， so if you are a Carson completist， it might be worth your time。 I am not especially interested in reading every speech or letter a writer makes， and found much of this a bit boring and repetitive since I'm already familiar with Carson and her work。 Brilliant woman， brilliant writer， but a posthumous collection of odd bits that may or may not be of interest to the general reader。 。。。more
Julia
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Rachel Carson is known primarily for Silent Spring， and she is being celebrated in 2020 as we mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day。 A 45 minute documentary about SILENT SPRING can be watched on youtube: https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=cbLAC。。。 I've always admired her， but Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson has given me a glimpse into her life that I had not known。 Publishers Weekly says:"If fleeting sketches can sometimes say more than the fully realized work， this collection Rachel Carson is known primarily for Silent Spring， and she is being celebrated in 2020 as we mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day。 A 45 minute documentary about SILENT SPRING can be watched on youtube: https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=cbLAC。。。 I've always admired her， but Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson has given me a glimpse into her life that I had not known。 Publishers Weekly says:"If fleeting sketches can sometimes say more than the fully realized work， this collection of journal entries， a TV script， speeches and articles by one of the pioneers of the modern environmental movement gracefully delivers。 Pieces on the destruction of unique island eco-systems， the connection of music to nature and environmental ""managed care"" of waterfowl refuges offer sad testament to Carson's range， never to be further explored due to her early death from breast cancer， in 1964。 Written with mesmeric intensity， Carson's first piece of published adult work， "Undersea，" was accepted by the Atlantic in 1935。 Reprinted here， it reveals her lasting obsession not only with the sea but with the antiquity and majestic continuity of life on earth。 Her other famous passion， exposing the ravaging effects of pesticides， which was devastatingly depicted in her 1962 classic， Silent Spring， is defended here in a speech that marks the maturity of her voice。 Highly informed and occasionally withering， this refutation of her big-business critics reveals the nasty arena she felt forced to enter。 In other speeches， Carson， a trained biologist， laments the perceived distance between science and a language that can touch nonscientific people。 For a TV script on the subject of clouds， she states， in a delicate synthesis of fact and poetry， "They are the writing of the wind on the sky。" The careful gathering of fragments by Lear （author of the 1997 biography Rachel Carson） gives rare glimpses of Carson's personal vulnerability and of her strange fusion of restraint and fervor， offering a frequent sense of being in Carson's company。"I was captivated by Carson's fascination with eels and their mysterious pilgrimage to the Sargasso Sea， where both the American and European eel come to spawn。 This is but one example of Carson's intense scientific attention to detail combined with a writing style that shows her love for many different parts of the natural world。 She shows the same passion for the chimney swift， and she took me along with her on the story of this bird that never touches the ground。 "Not only does it eat in the air， the chimney swift drinks and bathes on the wing， dipping to the surface of a pond for a momentary contact with the water; its courtship is aerial; it sometimes even dies in the sky。 Probably it is less aware of the earth and its creatures than any other bird in the world。"Her chapter on islands， "Lost Worlds"， shows Carson's constant and fiery condemnation of human encroachment on the natural world。 She speaks of how tame island birds could be， coming to perch on your shoulder--and then says: "But man， unhappily， has written one of his blackest records as a destroyer on the oceanic islands。 He has seldom set foot on an island that he has not brought about disastrous changes。 He has destroyed environments by cutting ， clearing， and burning; he has brought with him as a chance associate the nefarious rat; and almost invariably he has turned loose upon the islands a whole Noah's Ark of goats， hogs， cattle， dogs， cats， and other non-native animals and plants。 Upon species after species of island life， the night of extinctions has fallen。"Later Carson expands her denunciation of humans: "Mankind has gone very far into an artificial world of his own creation。 He has sought to insulate himself， in his cities of steel and concrete， from the realities of earth and water and the growing seed。 Intoxicated with a sense of his own power， he seems to be going farther and farther into more experiments for the destruction of himself and his world。"Chapter 23， "Clouds"， is a television script Carson wrote for Omnibus--and the whole chapter is a delight。 Carson didn't have a television， so she watched the program with her brother's family on March 11， 1957。 A few days later， she bought her own TV set。 This one small tidbit from a letter she wrote a friend will stay with me as a perfect example of Rachel Carson's love of the natural world and all its creatures。 One night she was at the beach with a friend， watching waves filled with phosphorescence hitting the beach。 Then she saw a firefly， who was mistaking the lights in the water with another of its kind。 Carson waded in and saved the wee creature， taking him home to dry out。 Carson took care of her mother and adopted her niece's son， Roger， when he was only 5， after his mother died。 Her life as well as her books reveal a person of great integrity and compassion， combined with a fierce sense of justice。 。。。more
Kulbhushan Suryawanshi
，
This is a biography of Rachel Carson through her public writing， speeches and some personal letters。 It has some of the finest examples of non-fiction writing about the environment。 Each chapter starts with a context about the period in Rachel Carson's life when it was written。 Each chapter impresses something new upon the reader。 The early chapters inspire a wonder about the sea and the creatures that live in it。 Later chapters stir a concern for the environment and the need to us to act。 Undou This is a biography of Rachel Carson through her public writing， speeches and some personal letters。 It has some of the finest examples of non-fiction writing about the environment。 Each chapter starts with a context about the period in Rachel Carson's life when it was written。 Each chapter impresses something new upon the reader。 The early chapters inspire a wonder about the sea and the creatures that live in it。 Later chapters stir a concern for the environment and the need to us to act。 Undoubtedly， Rachel Carson is one of the all time best writers on the sea and the environment。 。。。more
Diane Moser
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This book is a collection of writings from Rachel Carson， edited by Linda Lear from 1937-1963。 Some of the writings were published in various magazine， some are speeches that she gave and a few are letters。 All of them are astounding！ I happen to be a big fan of Rachel Carson， not only for her activism， but she is one incredible writer。 I highly recommend reading this。 It's not a long book， but I took time reading it， taking lots of notes for my Waterbirds Project。 I think most folks would read This book is a collection of writings from Rachel Carson， edited by Linda Lear from 1937-1963。 Some of the writings were published in various magazine， some are speeches that she gave and a few are letters。 All of them are astounding！ I happen to be a big fan of Rachel Carson， not only for her activism， but she is one incredible writer。 I highly recommend reading this。 It's not a long book， but I took time reading it， taking lots of notes for my Waterbirds Project。 I think most folks would read this in 2 weeks at the most， it's 247 pages。 。。。more
Kathryn
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Beautifully written。 Very accessible。 I understand why she is hailed as the founder of environmentalism。 I found it relaxing to read right before bed。
Maureen Caupp
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"It is one of the ironies of our that， while concentrating on the defense of our country against enemies from without， we should be so heedless of those who would destroy it from within。" Rachel Carson 1953 "It is one of the ironies of our that， while concentrating on the defense of our country against enemies from without， we should be so heedless of those who would destroy it from within。" Rachel Carson 1953 。。。more
Billie Hinton
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A collection of shorter writings， speeches， book reviews， and letters of Rachel Carson， author of Silent Spring。 Wonderful and inspiring。
Dave Schaafsma
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Making America Great AgainFrom “Mr。 Day’s Dismissal”: A Letter to the Editor of the Washington Post， April 22， 1953。In 1952 Republicans won the White House and immediately began dismantling environmental protections in favor of big business concerns。 Day was fired as Secretary of the Interior and replaced by a political appointee with no experience in environmental work。 I know this is shocking to read， because no current administration would do something this stupid with the natural world curre Making America Great AgainFrom “Mr。 Day’s Dismissal”: A Letter to the Editor of the Washington Post， April 22， 1953。In 1952 Republicans won the White House and immediately began dismantling environmental protections in favor of big business concerns。 Day was fired as Secretary of the Interior and replaced by a political appointee with no experience in environmental work。 I know this is shocking to read， because no current administration would do something this stupid with the natural world currently in even greater peril， but see excerpts from what Rachel Carson wrote then。 It feels like a sibling to Orwell’s 1984:。 。 。 the way is being cleared for a raid upon our natural resources that is without parallel within the present century。 The real wealth of the Nation lies in the resources of the earth — soil， water， forests， minerals， and wildlife。 To utilize them for present needs while insuring their preservation for future generations requires a delicately balanced and continuing program， based on the most extensive research。 Their administration is not properly， and cannot be， a matter of politics。 By long tradition， the agencies responsible for these resources have been directed by men of professional stature and experience， who have understood， respected， and been guided by the findings of their scientists。 。 。 。These actions within the Interior Department fall into place beside the proposed giveaway of our offshore oil reserves and the threatened invasion of national parks， forests and other public lands。 For many years public-spirited citizens throughout the country have been working for the conservation of the natural resources， realizing their vital importance to the Nation。 Apparently their hard-won progress is to be wiped out， as a politically minded Administration returns us to the dark ages of unrestrained exploitation and destruction。 It is one of the ironies of our times that， while concentrating on the defense of our country against enemies from without， we should be so heedless of those who would destroy it from within。 。。。more
David Melbie
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Enjoyed this little book。
Kathy
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Quotable:About sundown the island， that had lain so silent all day long， began to come to life。 Then the forms of large， dark birds could be seen moving among its trees， and hoarse cries that brought to mind thoughts of ancient， reptilian monsters came across the water。 Sometimes one of the birds would emerge from the shadows and fly across our shore， then revealing itself as a great blue heron out for an evening’s fishing。It was during those early evening hours that the sense of mystery that in Quotable:About sundown the island， that had lain so silent all day long， began to come to life。 Then the forms of large， dark birds could be seen moving among its trees， and hoarse cries that brought to mind thoughts of ancient， reptilian monsters came across the water。 Sometimes one of the birds would emerge from the shadows and fly across our shore， then revealing itself as a great blue heron out for an evening’s fishing。It was during those early evening hours that the sense of mystery that invested the island drew somehow closer about it， so that I wished even more to know what lay beyond the wall of dark spruces。 Was there somewhere within it an open glade that held the sunlight？ Or was there only solid forest from shore to shore？ Perhaps it was all forest， for the island voice that came to us most clearly and beautifully each evening was the voice of a forest spirit， the hermit thrush。 At the hour of the evening’s beginning its broken， silvery cadences drifted with infinite deliberation across the water。 Its phrases were filled with a beauty and a meaning that were not wholly of the present， as though the thrush were singing of other sunsets， extending far back beyond his personal memory， through eons of time when his forebears had known this place， and from spruce trees long since returned to earth had sung the beauty of the evening。People often seem to be surprised that a woman should have written a book about the sea。 This is especially true， I find， of men。 Perhaps they have been accustomed to thinking of the more exciting fields of scientific knowledge as exclusively masculine domains。 In fact， one of my correspondents not long ago addressed me as “Dear Sir” – explaining that although he knew perfectly well that I was a woman， he simply could not bring himself to acknowledge that fact。For many years public-spirited citizens throughout the country have been working for the conservation of the natural resources， realizing their vital importance to the Nation。 Apparently their hard-won progress is to be wiped out， as a politically minded Administration returns us to the dark ages of unrestrained exploitation and destruction。 It is one of the ironies of our time that， while concentrating on the defense of our country against enemies from without， we should be so heedless of those who would destroy it from within。 （1952）Lamenting the remoteness of science from the average citizen， Carson characteristically recommended that students explore their subjects first in nature and in the writings of the great naturalists before venturing into the laboratory。Knowledge of the facts of science is not the prerogative of a small number of men， isolated in their laboratories， but belongs to all men， for the realities of science are the realities of life itself。 We cannot understand the problems that concern us in this， our particular moment in time， unless we first understand our environment and the forces that have made us what we are， physically and mentally。I would like to say that in Silent Spring I have never asked the reader to take my word。 I have given him a very clear indication of my sources。 I make it possible for him – indeed I invite him – to go beyond what I report and get the full picture。 This is the reason for the 55 pages of references。 You cannot do this if you are trying to conceal or distort or to present half truths。As I look back through history I find a parallel。 I ask you to recall the uproar that followed Charles Darwin’s announcement of his theories of evolution。 The concept of man’s origin from pre-existing forms was hotly and emotionally denied， and the denials came not only from the lay public but from Darwin’s peers in science。 Only after many years did the concepts set forth in The Origin of Species become firmly established。 Today， it would be hard to find any person of education who would deny the facts of evolution。 Yet so many of us deny the obvious corollary: that man is affected by the same environmental influences that control the lives of all the many thousands of other species to which he is related by evolutionary ties。 。。。more
Elspeth
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A good introduction to the the writings of Rachel Carson。 Short readings covering the range of her thought as well as more her life。 I now plan to read Silent Spring。
Grady
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A well-chosen collection of writings of Rachel Carson， spanning her career and offering insight into her development as an ecologist， writer， and advocate。 The selections include articles， personal letters， book prefaces， public speeches， and excerpts from Carson's field notebooks。 Many of the pieces themselves are slightly formal in style - the descriptions of natural habitats are lyric; virtually all offer incisive observations about the natural world。 Editor Linda Lear， who has published a bi A well-chosen collection of writings of Rachel Carson， spanning her career and offering insight into her development as an ecologist， writer， and advocate。 The selections include articles， personal letters， book prefaces， public speeches， and excerpts from Carson's field notebooks。 Many of the pieces themselves are slightly formal in style - the descriptions of natural habitats are lyric; virtually all offer incisive observations about the natural world。 Editor Linda Lear， who has published a biography of Carson （Witness for Nature）， prefaces each selection with an explanatory note; these are thoughtful and nuanced， and place the collected passages in their historic and biographical contexts。 It's amazing and somewhat distressing to realize how many of the warnings Carson offered （about the destruction of habitats， the indiscriminate release of man-made chemicals into the environment， and the danger of relying on industries to fund or disclose research into the impacts of their products） remain as sharply relevant now as when she wrote or said them 50+ years ago。 。。。more
Sara Takacs
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Get acquainted or re-acquainted with Rachel Carson。 Her prose is beautiful and her plea to take care of our planet， well， more relevant than ever！
Sara
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Only got halfway through before it was due back at the library -- need to check it back out and finish it。
Rift Vegan
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What a wonderful book！ My favorite parts were。。。 Her field notes: haha funny story about a little dog！ "The Real World Around Us": just wow。 "Clouds": something totally different。 And I was happily surprised by "Preface to Animal Machines": factory farming was just beginning in Europe， and Rachel Carson was concerned about animal welfare。 What a wonderful book！ My favorite parts were。。。 Her field notes: haha funny story about a little dog！ "The Real World Around Us": just wow。 "Clouds": something totally different。 And I was happily surprised by "Preface to Animal Machines": factory farming was just beginning in Europe， and Rachel Carson was concerned about animal welfare。 。。。more
C。A。 Chicoine
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This is a great book to introduce readers to Rachael Carson and her work。
Louis
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Sometimes under a halogen with luck you'll meet the greatest writing in the world for yourself。 More sensitive than Tolstoy， more informative wiki。 At every time feeling disconnected I open it with my thumb and reguardless of the place I sink in and it is possible to read Rachel Carson's dedication for Claude DeBussy's newest work titled "La Mer"， she had been called above all others because she thinks and responds to The Ocean as if it had the personality of a walking talking human being， a mos Sometimes under a halogen with luck you'll meet the greatest writing in the world for yourself。 More sensitive than Tolstoy， more informative wiki。 At every time feeling disconnected I open it with my thumb and reguardless of the place I sink in and it is possible to read Rachel Carson's dedication for Claude DeBussy's newest work titled "La Mer"， she had been called above all others because she thinks and responds to The Ocean as if it had the personality of a walking talking human being， a most wonderful style in this day and age。It truly is the most important person in her life。 And then I can arise in touch with my existence again， It is a awakening to the splendor of all the living being done every day by even the smallest creatures at my feet amongst the wet leaves， it's a symphony， each sound related in true respect， as the rabbit for the lion。 。。。more
Louis Profeta
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I remember reading Rachel Carson in school， The Silent Spring， this book is full of her speeches， essays， and responses to environmental questions that seem very current， with it's content and her excellent style of speaking and writing as a poet would。There are very beautiful thoughts when she speaks of the ocean and tells of the living ocean being similar to human life and the caring it gives us。 I remember reading Rachel Carson in school， The Silent Spring， this book is full of her speeches， essays， and responses to environmental questions that seem very current， with it's content and her excellent style of speaking and writing as a poet would。There are very beautiful thoughts when she speaks of the ocean and tells of the living ocean being similar to human life and the caring it gives us。 。。。more
Skylinebal
，
Wonderfully informative about a deep thinker and compassionate leader。
Sherrida Woodley
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Another book on Rachel Carson that looks closely at her ethic and her vision。 With the upcoming 50th anniversary of her book "Silent Spring" beginning to bring her name back to a new generation （or 2） of readers， I want to address her influence in my life。 This book， I've heard， will help me hone in on some other facets of her life， lesser known but just as fascinating。 Another book on Rachel Carson that looks closely at her ethic and her vision。 With the upcoming 50th anniversary of her book "Silent Spring" beginning to bring her name back to a new generation （or 2） of readers， I want to address her influence in my life。 This book， I've heard， will help me hone in on some other facets of her life， lesser known but just as fascinating。 。。。more
Jennifer Chin
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Fascinating look at the forces that shaped Carson's life before she wrote Silent Spring， and a great portrait into some of her deeper passions and ambitions。 Fascinating look at the forces that shaped Carson's life before she wrote Silent Spring， and a great portrait into some of her deeper passions and ambitions。 。。。more
Jen
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