“Presto! No More Pests!” proclaimed a 1955 article introducing two new pesticides, “miracle-workers for the housewife and back-yard farmer.” Easy to use, effective, and safe: who wouldn’t love synthetic pesticides? Apparently most Americans did—and apparently still do. Why—in the face of dire warnings, rising expense, and declining effectiveness—do we cling to our chemicals? Michelle Mart ’82 wondered. Her book, Pesticides, A Love Story: America’s Enduring Embrace of Dangerous Chemicals presents a cultural history of pesticide use in postwar America and offers an answer.”
To learn more about the book click here.
