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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 The book also includes selections from Carson's own writing, both published and unpublished.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

Boston, Houghton Mifflin/Environmental Defense Fund, (1987). A limited edition: the Environmental Defense Fund's Commemorative (25th) Anniversary edition of Carson's classic 1962 work, which single-handedly brought about the banning of the pesticide DDT, saving songbirds and giving wing to the environmental movement. With a new foreword by Paul Brooks, who was editor-in-chief at Houghton Mifflin during the publication of both The Edge of the Sea and Silent Spring, and who became the guardian of Carson's adopted son after her death; he also wrote the Carson biography, The House of Life, in 1972. This is Copy No. 277 of 1000 copies. Fine in a near fine dust jacket, with light wear to the spine ends. A little-known, uncommon limited edition of this classic work (note: printed from sheets of a 16th printing). Laid in is an Environmental Defense Fund pamphlet entitled Reflections on Silent Spring, written by Michael J. Bean and Dr. Ellen K. Silbergeld, discussing the legacy of Carson's book, 25 years on. The pamphlet is fine in stapled wrappers. [#035673] $250

NY, Thomas Y. Crowell, (1970). Apparently the first of many biographies of Carson, preceding even Paul Brooks' The House of Life (1972). This volume was published in Crowell's "Women of America" series. Mild splaying to boards; near fine in a very good, price-clipped dust jacket with light rubbing and wear to the edges and folds. Uncommon in the first printing, with many copies having gone to libraries. [#035988] $225

NY, Thomas Y. Crowell, (1970). Apparently the first of many biographies of Carson, preceding even Paul Brooks' The House of Life (1972). This volume was published in Crowell's "Women of America" series. Mild splaying to boards; near fine in a very good dust jacket with rubbing and wear to the edges and folds. Uncommon in the first printing, with many copies having gone to libraries. [#035674] $200

Chicago, Science Research Associates, (1962). A volume in the SRA Pilot Library series published by Science Research Associates for reading comprehension programs in elementary schools. Mountains in the Sea is an excerpt from the 1958 Golden Press Young Readers Edition of The Sea Around Us, which was itself adapted by Anne Terry White from Carson's 1951 bestseller. This volume was published the same year as Silent Spring. Rubbing along the spine, with three small ink stamps in text; very good in stapled wrappers. OCLC shows 3 copies. [#035023] $125

London, Staples Press, (1951). The uncommon first British edition of her second book, a bestseller that won both the National Book Award and the John Burroughs Medal, as well as serving as the basis for the Oscar-winning documentary of the same name: this title alone would have served as more than adequate legacy had she not exponentially expanded her impact by writing Silent Spring. This is a good copy, with minor foxing to the endpages, bowing to the boards, and dampstaining surrounding the front joint; lacking the dust jacket. [#035082] $35