The book was widely read and drew public attention to this problem. It was part of the impetus for the banning of the pesticide DDT in the United States. As described in detail in the article on its author, the book was controversial at the time of its publication. It attracted hostile attention from commentators associated with the chemical industry.

The criticism of the book most commonly cited today is that its suggestion that the increase in the proportion of deaths in childhood caused by cancer (as a consequence of an increase in the background level of carcinogens) was culpably misleading in ignoring the contribution to the absolute reduction of the childhood death rate of immunization and antibiotics.