The most recommended books on pesticide

Like Rachel Carson in Silent Spring,1962, Goulson warns of the catastrophic declines in insects and the resulting threat to all life on Earth. He quotes biologist E O Wilson: "If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos."

Even if we're incapable of valuing wild creatures for themselves and not merely for how they serve us as pollinators or ecosystem managers, we're taking huge risks with our careless approach to herbicides and pesticides; our drive for endless crops and increased meat production leads to devastation for the natural world.

Yes, it's grim, but Goulson, an engaging writer, intersperses the text with descriptions of particularly unusual and endearing insects to lighten the tone - and he also outlines how we can do better. An important and timely book.

Foraging is my favorite survival skill. Discovering food in the wild provides the perfect dopamine rush, and it’s exactly what we evolved to do as humans.

Nicole’s comprehensive guide covers so many edible plants and also gives fun, inventive recipes, so that even if it’s not the apocalypse, you might want to experiment with things like pickled magnolia leaves or elderberry pancakes.

When I find wild plants I intend to eat, I always like to double check with another field guide or the online citizen science database iNaturalist to make sure I did the ID correctly – nobody wants to end up like Into the Wild’s Christopher McCandless in that bus in the Alaska wilderness!

Carson’s Silent Spring is full of unsettling environmental details, including the poisoning of species of birds by insecticides and politicians' proposals to use a nuclear bomb to form a dam. Although it was published in 1962, the book is even more relevant today, and I love that it is easy to read and gives environmentalists the facts they need to counter those who would poison and destroy wildlife and, ultimately, the environment.

Dandelions are the misunderstood underdogs of the flower world, and boy, do they ever need some advocacy! That’s exactly what this book does, and I love it!

Most people and organizations are more concerned about having perfectly green lawns than avoiding the dangers of pesticides like Roundup or harvesting edible goodies like dandelions. Grass cannot be digested by humans, but every part of a dandelion can be used to make something useful, like wines, teas, vitamin tinctures, meals, and more!

Dandelions are also one of the earliest blooming springtime flowers, which makes them very important for feeding bees. This book contains dozens of stunning photographs and recipes for all things Dandelion.

It makes me see beauty where I least expect it - and it’s been fun trying the recipes! This is one conspiracy theory I can get behind! 

Poisoning is a complicated business. Your character needs to know what poisons are available, along with their toxicity, method of administration, reaction time, symptoms, and treatment.

This book offers all that information and more in language that you don’t need a chemistry degree to understand. From classic poisons to common household substances, natural venoms to street drugs, and pesticides to medical compounds, this book offers detailed information on all facets of the art of chemical assassination.   

While I knew that Rachel Carson was involved in starting the environmental movement with her revolutionary book Silent Spring, I had no idea that she was also a best-selling popular science author who wrote lyrical books about the ocean. It was fascinating to learn about her life and the challenges that she faced in while standing up to big chemical companies, whose profits were threatened by her writing. 

This little book, part of a series put out by the Garden, will show you the best ways to offset climate change in your gardening and landscaping. It includes tips on materials, energy efficiency, and increasing carbon sequestration. A chapter by Amanda Knaul and Susan K. Pell covers the climate footprint of homegrown food.