10万种已有记载的贝壳及预计超过一百万种还未被发现的物种。他们几乎占据了地球上所有的栖息地，从高山到深海海沟，从极地到热带。它们的大小从一粒沙子到一米长，重量达数百公斤。

这本书是由世界上最杰出的学者之一提出的，其中有600个重要的例子。每一个贝壳都与实务大小一样，这本书是由壳牌家族安排的，每一个家庭都有大小，给人即时的视觉识别和比较。每个样本附带的文本有图表形式、一般的“传记”、相关物种的摘要，以及提供详细的视觉描述的扩展说明。放大的细节揭示了图案的多样性，而微型线条图则揭示了结构的变化。作者的这个成果是很适合收藏，是爱好者和学者来的重要资源，也是对你想要找到的贝壳的最具视觉刺激的指南。

Over 100,000 kinds of mollusk have been recorded and some estimates of yet to be discovered species exceed a million. They have colonized nearly every habitat on the planet, ranging from high mountains to the depths of ocean trenches, and from the poles to the tropics. They range in size from that of a grain of sand to a meter in length and many hundreds of kilograms in weight.
The Book of Shells curates a lifesize collection of 600 of the most significant examples, presented by one of the world’s preeminent scholars. Each shell is reproduced lifesize, and   the book is arranged by shell family, and by size within each family, providing instant visual identification and comparison. Accompanying text for every example is divided into charted specifications, a general “biography,“ a summary of related species, and an extended caption that provides a detailed visual description. Magnified details reveal the diversity of pattern, while miniature line drawings reveal the variation in structure. The result is a collector’s piece that is both a significant resource for enthusiasts and scholars, and the most visually stimulating guide to shells you could wish to find.