Download or read book The Book of Shells written by M.G. Harasewych and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2014-12-10 with total page 658 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who among us hasn’t marveled at the diversity and beauty of shells? Or picked one up, held it to our ear, and then gazed in wonder at its shape and hue? Many a lifelong shell collector has cut teeth (and toes) on the beaches of the Jersey Shore, the Outer Banks, or the coasts of Sanibel Island. Some have even dived to the depths of the ocean. But most of us are not familiar with the biological origin of shells, their role in explaining evolutionary history, and the incredible variety of forms in which they come. Shells are the external skeletons of mollusks, an ancient and diverse phylum of invertebrates that are in the earliest fossil record of multicellular life over 500 million years ago. There are over 100,000 kinds of recorded mollusks, and some estimate that there are over amillion more that have yet to be discovered. Some breathe air, others live in fresh water, but most live in the ocean. They range in size from a grain of sand to a beach ball and in weight from a few grams to several hundred pounds. And in this lavishly illustrated volume, they finally get their full due. The Book of Shells offers a visually stunning and scientifically engaging guide to six hundred of the most intriguing mollusk shells, each chosen to convey the range of shapes and sizes that occur across a range of species. Each shell is reproduced here at its actual size, in full color, and is accompanied by an explanation of the shell’s range, distribution, abundance, habitat, and operculum—the piece that protects the mollusk when it’s in the shell. Brief scientific and historical accounts of each shell and related species include fun-filled facts and anecdotes that broaden its portrait. The Matchless Cone, for instance, or Conus cedonulli, was one of the rarest shells collected during the eighteenth century. So much so, in fact, that a specimen in 1796 was sold for more than six times as much as a painting by Vermeer at the same auction. But since the advent of scuba diving, this shell has become far more accessible to collectors—though not without certain risks. Some species of Conus produce venom that has caused more than thirty known human deaths. The Zebra Nerite, the Heart Cockle, the Indian Babylon, the Junonia, the Atlantic Thorny Oyster—shells from habitats spanning the poles and the tropics, from the highest mountains to the ocean’s deepest recesses, are all on display in this definitive work.

Download or read book The Sound of the Sea Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans written by Cynthia Barnett and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2021-07-06 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Science Friday Best Science Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Year A Library Journal Best Science and Technology Book of the Year A Tampa Bay Times Best Book of the Year A stunning history of seashells and the animals that make them that "will have you marveling at nature…Barnett’s account remarkably spirals out, appropriately, to become a much larger story about the sea, about global history and about environmental crises and preservation" (John Williams, New York Times Book Review). Seashells have been the most coveted and collected of nature’s creations since the dawn of humanity. They were money before coins, jewelry before gems, art before canvas. In The Sound of the Sea, acclaimed environmental author Cynthia Barnett blends cultural history and science to trace our long love affair with seashells and the hidden lives of the mollusks that make them. Spiraling out from the great cities of shell that once rose in North America to the warming waters of the Maldives and the slave castles of Ghana, Barnett has created an unforgettable history of our world through an examination of the unassuming seashell. She begins with their childhood wonder, unwinds surprising histories like the origin of Shell Oil as a family business importing exotic shells, and charts what shells and the soft animals that build them are telling scientists about our warming, acidifying seas. From the eerie calls of early shell trumpets to the evolutionary miracle of spines and spires and the modern science of carbon capture inspired by shell, Barnett circles to her central point of listening to nature’s wisdom—and acting on what seashells have to say about taking care of each other and our world.

Download or read book A History of Shell Collecting written by Dance and published by BRILL. This book was released on 1986 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Shell Collector written by Anthony Doerr and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-01-04 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this astonishingly assured, exquisitely crafted debut collection, Anthony Doerr takes readers from the African coast to the suburbs of Ohio, from sideshow pageantry to harsh wilderness survival, charting a vast and varied emotional landscape. Like the best storytellers, Doerr explores the human condition in all its manifestations: metamorphosis, grief, fractured relationships, and slowly mending hearts. Most dazzling is Doerr's gift for conjuring nature in both its beautiful abundance and crushing power. Some of his characters contend with tremendous hardship; some discover unique gifts; all are united by their ultimate deference to the mysteries of their respective landscapes.

Download or read book Florida s Living Beaches written by Blair Witherington and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2017-05-01 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first edition of Florida's Living Beaches (2007) was widely praised. Now, the second edition of this supremely comprehensive guide has even more to satisfy the curious beachcomber, including expanded content and additional accounts with more than 1800 full-color photographs, maps, and illustrations. It heralds the living things and metaphorical life along the state's 700 miles of sandy beaches. The expanded second edition now identifies and explains over 1400 curiosities, with lavishly illustrated accounts organized into Beach Features, Beach Animals, Beach Plants, Beach Minerals, and Hand of Man.

Download or read book A World in a Shell written by Thom van Dooren and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2023-10-17 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the trails of Hawai‘i’s snails to explore the simultaneously biological and cultural significance of extinction. In this time of extinctions, the humble snail rarely gets a mention. And yet snails are disappearing faster than any other species. In A World in a Shell, Thom van Dooren offers a collection of snail stories from Hawai‘i—once home to more than 750 species of land snails, almost two-thirds of which are now gone. Following snail trails through forests, laboratories, museums, and even a military training facility, and meeting with scientists and Native Hawaiians, van Dooren explores ongoing processes of ecological and cultural loss as they are woven through with possibilities for hope, care, mourning, and resilience. Van Dooren recounts the fascinating history of snail decline in the Hawaiian Islands: from deforestation for agriculture, timber, and more, through the nineteenth century shell collecting mania of missionary settlers, and on to the contemporary impacts of introduced predators. Along the way he asks how both snail loss and conservation efforts have been tangled up with larger processes of colonization, militarization, and globalization. These snail stories provide a potent window into ongoing global process of environmental and cultural change, including the largely unnoticed disappearance of countless snails, insects, and other less charismatic species. Ultimately, van Dooren seeks to cultivate a sense of wonder and appreciation for our damaged planet, revealing the world of possibilities and relationships that lies coiled within a snail’s shell.

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Texas Seashells Identification Ecology Distribution and History written by John Wesley Tunnell and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide to seashells found in Texas that discusses the historical uses of mollusks and seashells, the history of conchology and malacology in the state, habitats, and other related topics, and provides information for identifying nine hundred species.

Download or read book The Universal Conchologist written by Thomas Martyn and published by . This book was released on 2017-11-24 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Universal Conchologist - exhibiting the figure of every known shell accurately drawn and painted after nature is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1789. Hansebooks is editor of the literature on different topic areas such as research and science, travel and expeditions, cooking and nutrition, medicine, and other genres. As a publisher we focus on the preservation of historical literature. Many works of historical writers and scientists are available today as antiques only. Hansebooks newly publishes these books and contributes to the preservation of literature which has become rare and historical knowledge for the future.

Download or read book Conchophilia written by Marisa Anne Bass and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-08-17 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A history of shells in early modern Europe, and their rich cultural and artistic significance"--

Download or read book Seashells of North Carolina written by Hugh J. Porter and published by North Carolina Sea Grant. This book was released on 1998-05 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For many people, seashells are just part of the beach scenery--thousands of pretty but nameless objects strewn along the shore. Other people know the names of shells but often wonder how they were formed and what type of animal lived inside. Such incidental knowledge may not seem important, but it can encourage people to observe their environment more closely and to gain a better understanding of it. As a result, they may become better fishers, more informed teachers or more conscientious stewards of our coast. To this end, the seashell guide was produced. Many collectors get started when they find an intriguing shell, perhaps after a storm, and search for it in a guide. Others, by chance, meet an experienced sheller on the beach. Talking with a collector passionate about shells is likely to spark an interest in anyone who has spent time at the coast. A walk down the beach is never the same once you begin to recognize a few shells. Gradually, you learn to use certain marks to solve the puzzle of shell identification. The walk becomes more satisfying as you recognize familiar shells like old friends, and it becomes more exciting as you look for new ones.

Download or read book Shell Chic written by Marlene Hurley Marshall and published by Storey Kids. This book was released on 2002 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides projects and decorating ideas using shells, along with practical advice on crafting with these gifts of nature.

Download or read book Spirals in Time written by Helen Scales and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-05-07 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The beautifully written story of shells and their makers, and our relationships with them. Seashells are the sculpted homes of a remarkable group of animals: the molluscs. These are some of the most ancient and successful animals on the planet. But watch out. Some molluscs can kill you if you eat them. Some will kill you if you stand too close. That hasn't stopped people using shells in many ways over thousands of years. They became the first jewelry and oldest currencies; they've been used as potent symbols of sex and death, prestige and war, not to mention a nutritious (and tasty) source of food. Spirals in Time is an exuberant aquatic romp, revealing amazing tales of these undersea marvels. Helen Scales leads us on a journey into their realm, as she goes in search of everything from snails that 'fly' underwater on tiny wings to octopuses accused of stealing shells and giant mussels with golden beards that were supposedly the source of Jason's golden fleece, and learns how shells have been exchanged for human lives, tapped for mind-bending drugs and inspired advances in medical technology. Weaving through these stories are the remarkable animals that build them, creatures with fascinating tales to tell, a myriad of spiralling shells following just a few simple rules of mathematics and evolution. Shells are also bellwethers of our impact on the natural world. Some species have been overfished, others poisoned by polluted seas; perhaps most worryingly of all, molluscs are expected to fall victim to ocean acidification, a side-effect of climate change that may soon cause shells to simply melt away. But rather than dwelling on what we risk losing, Spirals in Time urges you to ponder how seashells can reconnect us with nature, and heal the rift between ourselves and the living world.

Download or read book The Big Oyster written by Mark Kurlansky and published by Random House. This book was released on 2007-01-09 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before New York City was the Big Apple, it could have been called the Big Oyster. Now award-winning author Mark Kurlansky tells the remarkable story of New York by following the trajectory of one of its most fascinating inhabitants–the oyster, whose influence on the great metropolis remains unparalleled. For centuries New York was famous for its oysters, which until the early 1900s played such a dominant a role in the city’s economy, gastronomy, and ecology that the abundant bivalves were Gotham’s most celebrated export, a staple food for the wealthy, the poor, and tourists alike, and the primary natural defense against pollution for the city’s congested waterways. Filled with cultural, historical, and culinary insight–along with historic recipes, maps, drawings, and photos–this dynamic narrative sweeps readers from the island hunting ground of the Lenape Indians to the death of the oyster beds and the rise of America’s environmentalist movement, from the oyster cellars of the rough-and-tumble Five Points slums to Manhattan’s Gilded Age dining chambers. Kurlansky brings characters vividly to life while recounting dramatic incidents that changed the course of New York history. Here are the stories behind Peter Stuyvesant’s peg leg and Robert Fulton’s “Folly”; the oyster merchant and pioneering African American leader Thomas Downing; the birth of the business lunch at Delmonico’s; early feminist Fanny Fern, one of the highest-paid newspaper writers in the city; even “Diamond” Jim Brady, who we discover was not the gourmand of popular legend. With The Big Oyster, Mark Kurlansky serves up history at its most engrossing, entertaining, and delicious.

Download or read book The Beachcomber s Companion written by Anna Marlis Burgard and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A field guide to shells, sand dollars, sea glass, and more that “inspires a new appreciation for the wonders of the shore” (Providence Journal). The Beachcomber’s Companion is a charming illustrated guide to collecting and identifying shells and other coastal treasures. Each of the entries includes fascinating descriptions, fun tidbits, and detailed artwork that makes it easy to identify your own beach discoveries. A handy resource section offers tips on how to prepare before setting out on a shoreline adventure, from the beachcomber’s commandments to must-have items for every beachcombing toolkit and advice on preserving shells. Awash with information and gorgeous watercolor illustrations, this is an essential companion for all who love the ocean’s shore, asbreezy, inviting, and delightful as a day at the beach. “Loaded with interesting information, charming anecdotes, and useful hints.” —Dr. David L. Pawson, Emeritus Senior Scientist, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Download or read book Rare Shells written by S. Peter Dance and published by . This book was released on 1969 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Shells written by DK and published by Dorling Kindersley Ltd. This book was released on 2022-03-03 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The clearest and sharpest recognition guide to over 500 species of seashell from around the world Authoritative text, crystal-clear photography, and a systematic approach make this the most comprehensive and concise e-guide to seashells of the world. Includes more than 600 full-colour photographs of over 500 species of seashells, this handy reference ebook is designed to cut through the complex process of identification and make it accessible to the average reader. Expertly written and thoroughly vetted, each species entry combines a precise description with annotated photographs to highlight each shell's characteristics and distinguishing features. The entry always includes a distribution map, showing the geographical range of the species, as well as at-a-glance key facts. Includes detailed information on the shape of each genus, differences between the major classes, and more, this is the clearest identification e-guide to seashells for beginners and established enthusiasts alike.

Download or read book Seashells by the Seashore written by Marianne Berkes and published by Dawn Publications (CA). This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A child and her companions collect a number of seashells from one to twelve.