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  RC SILENT SPRING. by Rachel Carson, with drawings by Lois and Louis Darling. 1962 first printing of first editon of monumental work on environmental concern, backed by citations of sources listed from page 301 to 355, Carson also authored Under the Sea-wind, The Sea Around Us, and The Edge of the Sea. She is one of the most important environmental writers of our time, and she and her Silent Spring are given much of the credit for initiating the environmental movement (Paul Brooks in Audubon, January 1987). Thus it is now also an important historical work. The book was attacked by the chemical industry, to the point where President Kennedy set up a panel of his Science Advisory Committee, with  ts report completely vindicating her thesis (Brooks again).

Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company of Boston, Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 60-5148. Includes index. Cover is dark green cloth with gilt letters for title on front and on spine. Two corners are slightly bumped and there is a tiny bit of rubbing on the bottom of the spine. There is no dust jacket. There is an owner's name on a front page and an owner's name and address (in Yosemite National Park) on another front page (owner is the seller, a former chief park naturalist at the park). Bookseller's stamp is on the inside back cover, showing an acorn design from Best's Studio (now Ansel Adams Gallery), Yosemite Valley. It seems prophetic that the book has an association with a spot where an earlier environmental movement began with the 1864 setting aside of Yosemite, even before Yellowstone in 1872. There are 368 pages, plus front matter. The book is 6 inches by 8 1/2 inches. Binding is tight. All pages are intact. Slight scuffing is shown on some edges of the covers. Based on the standards provided by eBay for antiquarian and collectible books, its condition is judged as between Like New and Very Good. The book has had a single owner to date. See sample pages, illustrations.

Following is information that supports the first edition designation. There is no dust jacket so that factor cannot be compared with those that do have one:

The Biblio book search site reports the following:
The first edition of Silent Spring was published in 1962 by Houghton Mifflin Co. This book has a green dust jacket with a $5.00 price stamp, green boards, and 'First Printing' on the copyright page. A Book of the Month Club issued in 1962 looks similar but does not have printings on the copyright page, and the dust jacket bears Book of the Month Club instead of price point." [This copy has "First printing" on the copyright page.] Thus this copy is not a Book of the Month Club issuance. It is also not ex-library. 
Further information is that Riverside Press is printed on the copyright page, and again from Biblio: "First editions from Riverside have the words 'First Published (year)' on the copyright page with no additional printings listed" [This copy has "First Printing", differing slightly]. The owner of the book is the seller. The book bears the sticker on the inside back cover of Best's Studio (now Ansel Adams Gallery) a Yosemite Valley book seller, where the owner was living as a national park naturalist as shown by his address stamp from that time on the first title page. Both probability from these marks and recollection from the owner/seller are that it was purchased early and retained as a one-owner item. 

Please also consider the following information from the internet and the pictures there that show aspects identifying first editions. [Copy the following and post it into a browser from the site First Edition Points (eBay does not allow links): "First Edition Criteria and Points to identify Silent Spring by Rachel Carson".]  This copy of Silent Spring in the present eBay listing shows all the aspects listed by that source; these can be seen in the inclded images. Potential buyers are invited to view comparable listings of stated first editions on sites such as vialibri and biblio. Alternate valuations should include analyses.   
ISBN: None. Order #: VINT3647 cloth$490.00. RC Also available on eBay and vialibri.net.

Sample pages, illustrations:

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