A World In A Shell

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.

The most complete, beautifully illustrated volume ever published on the fascinating world of the shell and its uses in design and decoration. Shells have captivated humans through the ages and been put to a wide range of uses—sharpened into tools, ground to make medicines, blown to make music. Shells were used as currency from the Americas through Africa to Asia, and worn as amulets to bring fertility, good fortune, or protection from the evil eye. Above all, the beauty of shells has fired the imaginations of artists and craftsmen, and their work forms the heart of this book. • Shells and mother-of-pearl have been carved to make buttons, jewelry, and delicate inlay work. • Shells are a universal element of human adornment, from the simplest string of beads to shell designs in gold and precious stones. • Mythological, symbolic, decorative, botanical, or fantastical: shells are a recurring theme in visual art. • Shells have featured in architectural ornament since ancient times, and in the twentieth century inspired the forms of landmark buildings. • Shells have inspired centuries of exquisite invention in silverware, ceramics, glass, textiles, furniture, and fashion. Shells were among the exotic treasures brought back from the voyages of discovery. By 1796 the mania for shells was such that a single shell raised six times the sum paid for a Vermeer painting at an estate auction in The Hague. Conchology and shell collecting remain hugely popular today, and the author explains how they can be pursued responsibly, without harming our precious marine environments. 500+ color photographs and illustrations.

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.

Read and find out about what lives in a shell in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book. A house is a home for you, a nest is a home for a bird, and a cave is a home for a bear. But for some animals a shell is a home. Snails and turtles and crabs and clams all have shells that act as their homes and protect them from harm. This clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom, is a fascinating exploration of the many creatures that make a home in a shell. This picture book features beautifully accurate illustrations of the many types of shells—inside and out! Young readers will love exploring the fascinating homes of creatures like hermit crabs, scallops, and turtles. This is a Level 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores introductory concepts perfect for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series are: hands-on and visual acclaimed and trusted great for classrooms Top 10 reasons to love LRFOs: Entertain and educate at the same time Have appealing, child-centered topics Developmentally appropriate for emerging readers Focused; answering questions instead of using survey approach Employ engaging picture book quality illustrations Use simple charts and graphics to improve visual literacy skills Feature hands-on activities to engage young scientists Meet national science education standards Written/illustrated by award-winning authors/illustrators & vetted by an expert in the field Over 130 titles in print, meeting a wide range of kids' scientific interests Books in this series support the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

Trundling along in essentially the same form for some 220 million years, turtles have seen dinosaurs come and go, mammals emerge, and humankind expand its dominion. Is it any wonder the persistent reptile bested the hare? In this engaging book physiologist Donald Jackson shares a lifetime of observation of this curious creature, allowing us a look under the shell of an animal at once so familiar and so strange. Here we discover how the turtle’s proverbial slowness helps it survive a long, cold winter under ice. How the shell not only serves as a protective home but also influences such essential functions as buoyancy control, breathing, and surviving remarkably long periods without oxygen, and how many other physiological features help define this unique animal. Jackson offers insight into what exactly it’s like to live inside a shell—to carry the heavy carapace on land and in water, to breathe without an expandable ribcage, to have sex with all that body armor intervening. Along the way we also learn something about the process of scientific discovery—how the answer to one question leads to new questions, how a chance observation can change the direction of study, and above all how new research always builds on the previous work of others. A clear and informative exposition of physiological concepts using the turtle as a model organism, the book is as interesting for what it tells us about scientific investigation as it is for its deep and detailed understanding of how the enduring turtle “works.”

From “one of the master naturalists of our time” (American Scientist), a fascinating exploration of what seashells reveal about biology, evolution, and the history of life Geerat Vermeij wrote this “celebration of shells” to share his enthusiasm for these supremely elegant creations and what they can teach us about nature. Most popular books on shells emphasize the identification of species, but Vermeij uses shells as a way to explore major ideas in biology. How are shells built? How do they work? And how did they evolve? With lucidity and charm, the MacArthur-winning evolutionary biologist reveals how shells give us insights into the lives of animals today and in the distant geological past.

Unravel the meaning, origin, and usage of over 6,000 phrases from book and film titles, idioms and cliches, to nicknames, slogans and quotations with this modern and entertaining guide to wonderful phrases by one of the world’s best-known wordsmiths.

When we comb the beach for shells, we very rarely consider the creatures that once lived inside them. This dazzling collection of specially commissioned photographs opens our eyes to the variety, complexity, and beauty of shells and their inhabitants. This fascinating book reveals the variety of subjects that can be called "shells," and looks in detail at the unusual animals that live within them from limpets to sea urchins, and from crabs to terrapins. It examines the habitats where shells can be found, and shows us shell fossils from millions of years ago. Several of the specimens featured were photographed alive; others come from specialized museum collections and are seen here for the first time. All are reproduced with such clarity of detail that they give us new insight into the strange and wonderful world of shells. Shell is an exceptionally clear and informative visual guide. It presents an intimate view of these mysterious creatures, their past and present, and their everlasting appeal. Discover the amazing world of shelled animals their evolution, variety, and habitats