Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1972. A literary biography of Carson by Brooks, who was editor-in-chief at Houghton Mifflin during the publication of Carson's The Edge of the Sea and Silent Spring, and who became the guardian of Carson's adopted son after her death. The book also includes selections from Carson's own writing, both published and unpublished. Brooks himself was an important writer of natural history: his first book, Roadless Area, won the John Burroughs Medal. This copy is inscribed by Brooks: "For Lois/ with love from Paul." What follows is speculation: "Lois" could be a close personal friend, unknown to us, or someone connected to Carson and her work. There are three Lois's named in this biography: Lois Crisler, who died the year prior to publication; Lois Schaefer, wife of Vincent Schaefer; and Lois Darling, who, with her husband Louis, illustrated Silent Spring, at the strong and sustained suggestion of Brooks (a process that gets more attention in Linda Lear's biography of Carson than in this one). We are entertaining the possibility that this copy could be inscribed to Lois Darling (and not to both Lois and Louis as Louis Darling passed away in 1970). In any event: scarce signed. Slight shelf wear, else a fine copy in a very good dust jacket with wear to the spine ends and a long, closed, internally tape-mended edge tear to the front panel. [#035868] $750