WIB@L August Book of the Month Reviews: Forged In Crisis by Nancy Koehn

Rachel Carson

Author: Ingrid Guo '21

A leader should not be stereotyped as only outspoken or loud as numerous leaders work towards their respective goals privately and leave behind an impactful legacy, just like environmentalist Rachel Carson did. I realized through Carson’s words and actions displayed in Nancy Koehn’s Forged In Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times, the harder you work on yourself first, the more effective you can become as a leader who leads others. Simply put, I myself cannot lead others if I don’t know what my true identity, values, and priorities really are. I believe the term “leader” these days is so overused it has become cliche. So, what truly defines a leader? Well, leaders are simply individuals who “can help us overcome the limitations of our own individual laziness and selfishness and weakness and fear and get us to do better, harder things than we can get ourselves to do on our own” (Koehn).

In her lasting legacy, Carson most notably persevered alone when writing her book, Silent Spring, warning about the lasting danger of pesticides. Her extensive research, from her research for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries to interviewing scientists and environmentalists worldwide, allowed her to confidently back her claims. She translated the information into usable knowledge so readers could easily develop a deeper understanding of the context and in turn, learn a few lessons. Throughout her journey of writing Silent Spring, her health took a turn for the worse when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Some days, she woke up partially blind or so fatigued that she could not even get up from her bed. But still, Carson persisted, reading parts aloud for her helper to inscribe for her. Her choice inherently was hers as she learned from her painful journey to be aware of the precious time left and to live more affirmatively, making the most of opportunities offered, and not putting them off another day. However, Koehn notes that to be able to lead, individuals need to take good care of themselves first. I learned that as a leader if you are fatigued, it is hard to motivate others to do difficult things if one is not healthy and strong in both mind and body. Individuals who aspire to make a real difference have to feed and water themselves, too.

When she was writing Silent Spring, Carson took a stance of forceful questioning of the paradigm of scientific progress of postwar America. She advocates for an evocation of responsibilities and leadership, questioning, “Have we lost the will or vision to demand that which is good?” Her call of active leadership is still relevant today. Through lobbying and protests, individual men and women have the power and the voice to create a positive change by challenging authorities. Her other point is unabashedly moral: Americans and the future children of America do not have a right not to be poisoned in their own homes without permission and we have the right for our children to have a safe sustainable environment. When Silent Spring was released in September 1962, it immediately gained widespread acclaim, flying off shelves immediately after release. In two weeks, it was a New York Times Bestseller and would hold the number one spot for most of Autumn. Supreme Court Douglas declared the book “the most revolutionary book since Uncle Tom’s Cabin” while President Kennedy said that as a result of her advocacy, “the US Public Health Service will take a closer look at pesticides.” There were also some major counterattacks as well from chemical corporations. Louis McLean, general counsel for Velsicol Chemical company, claimed Carson was a front for communist influences and aimed to “restrict agricultural chemicals in this country... reduced to iron curtain parity.” Many called her book propaganda and called her a number of names: bird lover, hysterical woman, and even a spinster. However, she quietly persisted and did not allow critics to deter her from her environmental goals.

Her book brought enormous impact, providing the foundation of the Environmental movement as citizen concern over the environment continued to expand. Citizens and policymakers called for increased regulation of pesticides and synthetic chemicals and within the following months, 40 states passed legislation tightening restrictions on the use and dist of these compounds In January 1963, she testified before the President’s Advisory Committee and presented her research on pesticides, which proved critical to deliberations of the government body. Due to her actions, the federal and state government now assume a much larger role in regulating the manufacturing and use of pesticides and toxic substances. In December 1970, the EPA was established, while in 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act and banned the use of DDT. Our understanding of collective responsibility to balance public and private interests and to ensure that citizens have access to fairly sourced information about the environment is rooted in Carson’s work and it’s call to thoughtful action. Though she was a private person and lived quietly, Carson’s voice as a leader can still be heard today as her legacy has brought a lasting change in the increased environmental awareness of people all over the world and environmental legislation which has immensely helped protect our planet.

Ernest Shackleton

Author: Yee Xin Cher '22

In Nancy Koehn’s book Forged in Crisis, one of the five leaders she writes about is Ernest Shackleton: an Irish explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic in the early 1900s. Koehn writes mainly on his last expedition, famously known as the Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-1917; it was his attempt at making the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent. However, the unpredictable conditions of the South Pole were not going to make this an easy feat, and he would end up not succeeding as the ice broke into his ship and sunk it. Despite the major setback, his leadership qualities made it possible for all of his men still survive the crisis and get back home safe. 

Though Shackleton was under extreme conditions, the leadership tactics he emulated throughout his expedition can be applied to our more mundane ventures. One of the most memorable lessons I took from Shackleton’s expedition was the powerful influence of how a leader carries themself. In times of crisis, people often look to the leader for guidance on how to act: if a leader looks worried and helpless, his or her team will also become helpless and likely give up; but if the leader emulates confidence and optimism, the team will become more hopeful and eager to help accomplish the goal. The leader sets the tone, so he or she should always strive to create a positive environment in order to produce better results and a happier team. Other things Koehn wrote about was the importance of addressing details, forging strong relationships, and separating emotion from judgment. Such leadership skills are hard to teach in a formal classroom, but reading about them through Shackleton’s story made their significance easier to comprehend and relate to our everyday lives.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Author: Malin Phelan '23

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor from Germany, did not lead a life of extravagance. He dedicated himself whole-heartedly to his work, which began in the Lutheran church and eventually led him to become a great resister of Nazi forces in Germany in the 1930s and into the 1940s. Bonhoeffer was a founding member of the Confessing Church, an organization that believed that the government did not have the right to interfere within the church. When Hitler came into power in 1933, the church was one of many things that were uprooted by Hitler. Bonhoeffer fiercely believed that the mission of Hitler and his National Socialists was contradictory to the teachings of Christ, especially pertaining to Hitler’s horrible and sickening treatment of Jewish people and other minority groups. Within the church, theologian Heinz Eduard Tödt said Bonhoeffer was one of the only people who “considered solidarity with the Jews” during a time when this could have ruined his own image, and brought harm onto himself and his family.

Bonhoeffer initially was told to leave Germany and go teach at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City as Hitler continued to gain power in the early 1930s, in order to avoid being brought under attack by the Nazis. However, Bonhoeffer felt it was his duty to stay in Germany and aid his people during the horrible times of the Nazis. In 1940 he was banned from public speaking due to “subversive activity”, or going against the Nazi regime. During this time, Bonhoeffer also began work as a double agent, working to bring Hitler down. Arrested in April of 1943 for conspiracy against Hitler, Bonhoeffer found himself imprisoned for nearly two years, during which time he continued to write books and letters, many of which are referred to today. One of Bonhoeffer’s key ideas was “the view from below”, or the ability to see injustice from the perspective of those whom it directly impacts, enhancing empathy. Although Bonhoeffer was killed in a concentration camp just weeks before Hitler’s death and did not see his work come full circle, his ideas have persisted through time and he has continued to have a great impact on the world.

I found Bonhoeffer particularly inspiring because he never sacrificed his moral code, even when it put his own life in danger. He knew that the Nazi treatment of others was harsh and completely wrong, and he never gave up this view. Even while in prison, subjected to long questionings and poor conditions where he could have given into pressure, he kept conspiracies to kill Hitler a secret and maintained his own sanity (although he questioned it himself at times). He was a model leader, inspiring his students through his teaching and influencing others even after his death through writing. Bonhoeffer never submitted to the pressure of Nazi Germany, maintaining his dignity until the very end. This, to me, is a sign of a great leader, and one Bonhoeffer exhibited during horrific times in the 1930s and 1940s.