Spirals in Time: The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells

With a light narrative style, Scales's book on seashells and their inhabitants draws on earlier scientific research, recent examinations, and her own investigations. The marine biologist, diver, broadcaster, and author of Poseidon's Steed covers the shell and the mollusk inside at the macro and microscopic levels, discussing evolution, behavior, predators and prey, legends, and ecology. She also emphasizes ocean changes, offers commentary on the future of mollusks, and features a brief call to action. Entertaining, thought provoking, and at times frustrating, this welcome tome brings to light some lesser-known shell specialists, such as Jeanne Power and Hugh Cuming. Illustrations would have made some discussions easier to follow, as not everyone is familiar with the geologic time scale or has a mental image of an Argonaut or a Noble Pen Shell. This title is broader in scope than both Geerat Vermeij's Natural History of Shells (which is stronger on the science) and Hans Meinhardt's Algorithmic Beauty of Seashells (which covers the shape and mathematical design of shells). Compared to Scales's previous work, it is simultaneously less personal and not as formal, lacking an overall bibliography and index but equipped with chapter references.