Many a book has seeded, incubated and hatched great change in the world. In fact, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, which exposed the hazards of pesticides, gave birth to the modern environmental era. From Thoreau's Walden, that staple of English classes, to Dr. Seuss's The Lorax, which inspired many of us as children, the environmental movement has gathered momentum from a slew of informative, visionary and literary works.

Our staff compiled a list of favorites, so this summer, check these out for your next good read.

Here's the list. Vote for the most influential, and tell us what's missing.

Nonfiction

Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water
Marc Reisner

Collapse
Jared Diamond

The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth
E.O. Wilson

Desert Solitaire
Edward Abbey

Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit
Al Gore

The Omnivore's Dilemma
Michael Pollan

A Sand County Almanac
Aldo Leopold

Silent Spring
Rachel Carson

Song for a Blue Ocean
Carl Safina

Walden
Henry David Thoreau

Wilderness and the American Mind
Roderick Nash

Fiction

Animal Dreams
Barbara Kingsolver

The Lorax
Dr. Seuss

Again, get more details on the books, vote for your favorite and tell us what's missing.