Description
Book SynopsisArgues for a more harmonious and rational approach to our relationship with insects, one that does not harm our environment. Beginning with the early techniques of colonial farmers and ending with the modern use of chemical insecticides, this book shows how America's war on insects mirrors its continual struggle with nature and technology.
Trade Review[A] colorful chronicle of pest management in the United States... As well written as it is thorough. Publishers Weekly [McWilliams] knows how to address unusual historical topics in rich detail... Poignant... Thorough... Recommended. Library Journal "[An] articulate, well-organized... excellent primer. -- Irene Wanner Seattle Times [McWilliams'] book should resonate in these times of GM temptations and global food shortages. Times Literary Supplement Highly recommended. Choice a solid contribution to U.S. environmental history, one that is refreshingly ambitious in its chronological scope. -- Sarah T. Phillips American Historical Review An engaging and important book. -- David Kinkela Technology and Culture ...a rewarding read... -- Joshua B. Buhs Journal of Southern History
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction. "The Dunghill of Men's Passions": The Insect Paradox 1. "The Insect Tribes Still Maintain Their Ground": Insects and Early Americans 2. "There Is No Royal Road to the Destruction of Bugs": The Rise of the Professionals 3. "Let Us Conquer Space": Breaking the Plains and Fighting the Insects 4. "A Great Schemer": Charles V. Riley and the Broken Promises of Early Insecticides 5. "Let Us Spray": Mosquitoes, War, and Chemicals 6. "Vot Iss de Effidence?": Residues, Regulations, and the Politics of Protecting Insecticides 7. "Complaints Are Coming In": A Year in the Life of an Insecticide Nation, 1938 8. "Let's Put Our Heads Together and Start a New Country Up": Silent Springs and Loud Protests Epilogue. "Some Very Learned Men Are the Greatest Fools in the World": In Praise of Localism Notes Bibliography Index
