Road to Survival
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Road to Survival is a 1948 book by William Vogt. It was a major inspiration for the modern environmentalist movement.
Summary
Road to Survival is a summary of the ecological status of the world. Vogt attacks capitalism, and describes United States history as a "march of destruction".
The book is filled with scientific data, and its world-wide scope was unusual at the time. Ultimately, the book advocates population control as the only way to prevent environmental disaster. Human population could not exceed the planet's carrying capacity without disaster.
Reception
The book was commercially successful. A condensed version was published in Reader's Digest, and many universities used the book as a textbook. However, his message was attacked by ideologues of all varieties, by conservatives for opposing capitalism and supporting birth control, and by liberals as proof of "science's bankruptcy in the face of pressing modern problems".
Later on, the book would inspire the modern environmental movement, with both Rachel Carson and Paul Ehrlich being inspired by it.
See also
