'Carson's book has changed the world' The TimesImpassioned, poetic and brilliantly written, Silent Spring is now recognized as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century. In it, Rachel Carson exposed the destruction of wildlife through the widespread and indiscriminate use of pesticides. She described the nests full of eggs that would never hatch, the rivers bloated with poisoned fish and the children killed by the very chemicals which had previously been lauded as miracle potions, and sprayed without reservation across the country. Despite condemnation in the press and heavy-handed attempts by the chemical industry to ban the book, Rachel Carson's book directly lead to changes in government policy and inspired the modern ecological movement.