Who among us who has visited the seashore has resisted the urge to collect shells to take home? Very few, I am sure. Shells are beautiful, varied in form and colour, and speak to us of a realm hidden from our view, a world of mystery, a kingdom of wonder, and a link to the very early days of life on Earth. What else fills all these niches? And shells are free, and available equally to everyone, no matter their status in life. A pauper can amass a collection equal to that of a millionaire.
There is a bit of an addiction to shell collecting that only kicks in when collecting is possible. In the Bahamas in February I could not resist searching for conch shells and bringing them home. In a house where space is at a premium I need more shells like the proverbial hole in the head, but I can gaze at them now as I compose this review. And they make me happy!
This fabulous book, covering a staggering five thousand species, will enable you to go beyond the purely aesthetic appeal of shells, to an understanding of their origins, their geographic distribution, and their ecosystem functions. You will become acquainted with molluscs from the shallow waters of tropical seas, to coral reefs, to frigid polar shores, and shells cast up from the deepest parts of the ocean.
For the serious shell collector or conchologist a great deal of useful information is provided on collecting and storage techniques, with up-to-date taxonomy and systematics.
There is general agreement that the most satisfying way to build a collection is to visit beaches where you can find your own specimens. An alarming, yet all too familiar caveat from the book: "Nowadays, many beaches are sadly adorned with mounds of trash, and a good pair of gloves has become a necessary part of a beachcomber's outfit."
We do know how to ruin a good thing, don't we?
There is an excellent glossary of the terms used in the book, and a guide to the families that I found exceptionally useful.
The pages that comprise most of the book are nothing short of phenomenal.
Not only are they a feast for eyes, essential information is encapsulated in so scant a space. There is a picture of the external and internal views where applicable, the measurement to the nearest millimetre, the original taxonomic authority and the location. This will often be enough, but if you are serious about knowing more, here is the starting point.
Thank you Paul Callomon and Gary Rosenberg for a job very well done.
Seashells: A Compendium of Five Thousand of the World's Species - Princeton University Press
Paul Callomon and Gary Rosenberg
Hardcover - US$49.95 - ISBN 9780691265285
336 pages - 9 x 12.5 inches (22.5 x 31.25 cm)
5,400 + colour photographs
Publications date: 22 September, 2026
Sea shells have so much variety!
ReplyDeleteI like to look at shells also, especially unique ones. This sounds like a fantastic book, especially for the shell collector that travels the world. have a great week ahead. hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteI used to collect sea shells as my parents' house is 5 mins away from the beach :-)
ReplyDeleteMy sister had an enormous shell collection. She had some large beautiful specimens that I guess she bought, surely didn't pick them up on the beach in Galveston, but besides that she had container after container of the shells she picked up on the beach. When she died I put them all in a big box and when we dug a trench on the beach and buried her ashes we threw all those little shells back in the gulf to be washed ashore again for someone else to find.
ReplyDeleteIt’s great that they will bring joy to others.
DeleteThis looks like a very interesting book to me, David.
ReplyDeleteBack when I was a child, we would go to the beach every now and then, I used to look for seashells and take a few home, which I kept safe.
All the best, Irma
I remember bringing seashells home as a child. This book sounds amazing. Thank you for the review.
ReplyDeleteMy inner child never left me, I suppose, because I still bring them home!
DeleteMe gusta el libro David. Tengo algunas conchas y caracoles de los viajes y de vez en cuando los miro y me traen buenos recuerdos.
ReplyDeleteBlogger sigue fantidiando sin actualizar, esperemos que no se fastidie del todo.
Buena semana.
Un abrazo.
I am starting to wonder whether they will fix it, Laura.
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