American Pests
Environmental Hazards in Daily Life and the Science of Epidemiology
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Narrated by:
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David Zinn
About this listen
Inspired by the still-revolutionary theories of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, James E. McWilliams argues for a more harmonious and rational approach to our relationship with insects, one that does not harm our environment and, consequently, ourselves along the way.
Beginning with the early techniques of colonial farmers and ending with the modern use of chemical insecticides, McWilliams deftly shows how America's war on insects mirrors its continual struggle with nature, economic development, technology, and federal regulation. He reveals a very American paradox: the men and women who settled and developed this country sought to control the environment and achieve certain economic goals; yet their methods of agricultural expansion undermined their efforts and linked them even closer to the inexorable realities of the insect world.
©2008 Columbia University Press (P)2009 Columbia University PressCritic reviews
"[McWilliams'] book should resonate in these times of GM temptations and global food shortages." (Times Literary Supplement)
"[McWilliams] knows how to address unusual historical topics in rich detail... Poignant... Thorough... Recommended." (Library Journal)