William Souder's 2004 biography of John James Audobon, Under a
Wild Sky, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His newest
book, On a Farther Shore, chronicles the life and times of
Rachel Carson, author of the controversial book Silent Spring --
a tome that many consider to be the Bible of the environmental
movement. Souder discuses why Carson is such an inspiration, how
Silent Spring might be received if it were to be released today
and why it's important to read biographies of notable figures in
science. Q: What inspired you to write Rachel Carson’s
biography? William Souder: My interests are diverse, but I write
mainly about science, history, and the environment. A really
vexing question is why we have this divisive, intensely partisan
disagreement over environmental issues. Why should the left and
the right feel differently about the environment we all share? I
knew Rachel Carson had been at the forefront of the modern
environmental movement—it can be argued she was its founder—and
so I thought there mig