LEADER 04306nam 2200649 a 450 001 9910813203903321 005 20200520144314.0 010 $a0-231-51136-1 024 7 $a10.7312/mcwi13942 035 $a(CKB)2670000000233724 035 $a(EBL)908232 035 $a(OCoLC)809761554 035 $a(SSID)ssj0000719936 035 $a(PQKBManifestationID)12296630 035 $a(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000719936 035 $a(PQKBWorkID)10660363 035 $a(PQKB)10042911 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC908232 035 $a(DE-B1597)459124 035 $a(OCoLC)809667271 035 $a(OCoLC)979739513 035 $a(DE-B1597)9780231511360 035 $a(Au-PeEL)EBL908232 035 $a(CaPaEBR)ebr10587537 035 $a(CaONFJC)MIL853895 035 $a(EXLCZ)992670000000233724 100 $a20080122d2008 uy 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aur|n|---||||| 181 $ctxt 182 $cc 183 $acr 200 10$aAmerican pests$b[electronic resource] $ethe losing war on insects from colonial times to DDT /$fJames E. McWilliams 210 $aNew York $cColumbia University Press$dc2008 215 $a1 online resource (309 p.) 300 $aDescription based upon print version of record. 311 $a0-231-13942-X 320 $aIncludes bibliographical references (p. [257]-284) and index. 327 $a"The insect tribes still maintain their ground" : insects and early Americans -- "There is no royal road to the destruction of bugs" : the rise of the professionals -- "Let us conquer space" : breaking the plains and fighting the insects -- "A great schemer" : Charles V. Riley and the broken promises of early insecticides -- "Let us spray" : mosquitoes, war, and chemicals -- "Vot iss de effidence?" : residues, regulations, and the politics of protecting insecticides -- "Complaints are coming in" : a year in the life of an insecticide nation, 1938 -- "Let's put our heads together and start a new country up" : silent springs and loud protests. 330 $aThe world of insects is one we only dimly understand. Yet from using arsenic, cobalt, and quicksilver to kill household infiltrators to employing the sophisticated tools of the Orkin Man, Americans have fought to eradicate the "bugs" they have learned to hate. Inspired by the still-revolutionary theories of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, James E. McWilliams argues for a more harmonious and rational approach to our relationship with insects, one that does not harm our environment and, consequently, ourselves along the way. Beginning with the early techniques of colonial farmers and ending with the modern use of chemical insecticides, McWilliams deftly shows how America's war on insects mirrors its continual struggle with nature, economic development, technology, and federal regulation. He reveals a very American paradox: the men and women who settled and developed this country sought to control the environment and achieve certain economic goals; yet their methods of agricultural expansion undermined their efforts and linked them even closer to the inexorable realities of the insect world. As told from the perspective of the often flamboyant actors in the battle against insects, American Pests is a fascinating investigation into the attitudes, policies, and practices that continue to influence our behavior toward insects. Asking us to question, if not abandon, our reckless (and sometimes futile) attempts at insect control, McWilliams convincingly argues that insects, like people, have an inherent right to exist and that in our attempt to rid ourselves of insects, we compromise the balance of nature. 606 $aInsect pests$xControl$zUnited States$xHistory 606 $aPesticides$xEnvironmental aspects$zUnited States 606 $aPesticides$xPolitical aspects$zUnited States 606 $aEthnoentomology$zUnited States 615 0$aInsect pests$xControl$xHistory. 615 0$aPesticides$xEnvironmental aspects 615 0$aPesticides$xPolitical aspects 615 0$aEthnoentomology 676 $a632/.70973 700 $aMcWilliams$b James E$01709556 801 0$bMiAaPQ 801 1$bMiAaPQ 801 2$bMiAaPQ 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910813203903321 996 $aAmerican pests$94099385 997 $aUNINA