Before there was money, jewelry, or art, seashells served mankind as all three. Traveling the world, Cynthia Barnett blends cultural history and science to trace our love affair with seashells and the mollusks that make them. From the eerie calls of early shell trumpets to the evolutionary miracle of spines and spires, Barnett profiles 12 different shells and conveys what they have to say about taking care of our world.

"One of those rare, knockout books that has you gasping in surprise on every page."—Sy Montgomery