- Home
- NON-FICTION
- Popular Science
- Spirals in Time
Spirals in Time
The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells
Spirals in Time
The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells
- Delivery and returns info
-
Free US delivery on orders $35 or over
You must sign in to add this item to your wishlist. Please sign in or create an account
Description
A biological and cultural biography of the ubiquitous yet mystical seashell.
Seashells, stretching from the deep past into the present day, are touchstones leading into fascinating realms of the natural world and cutting-edge science. In Spirals in Time: The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells, marine biologist Helen Scales shows how seashells have been sculpted by the fundamental rules of mathematics and evolution; how they gave us color, gems, food, and new medicines.
The science and natural history of shells are woven into a compelling narrative, revealing their cultural importance and the ways they have been used by humans over the millennia, even as a source of mind-bending drugs. After surviving multiple mass extinctions millions of years ago, mollusks and their shells still face an onslaught of anthropocentric challenges, including climate change and corrosive oceans. But rather than dwelling on all that is lost, Scales emphasizes that seashells offer an accessible way to reconnect people with nature, helping to bridge the gap between ourselves and the living world. Spirals in Time shows why nature matters, and reveals the hidden wonders that you can hold in the palm of your hand.
Product details
| Published | Jul 26 2016 |
|---|---|
| Format | Paperback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 320 |
| ISBN | 9781472911384 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Sigma |
| Illustrations | Black and white images in text, plus 8-page colour section |
| Dimensions | 8 x 5 inches |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
-
A rewarding glimpse of another world, filled with strange and reclusive creatures ... There is rich detail in all directions. One does not know what will come next. Often the descriptions made me see shafts of sunlight underwater, irradiating extraordinary places and creatures. That is just what the book does itself.
The Guardian
-
Splendid ... Scales clearly loves snails - she has done an elegant, excellent job of explaining her passion ... she is a most able modern champion of molluscs.
New Scientist
-
Helen Scales ... punctures assumptions with the power of a cone snail dart.
The Spectator
-
The stories in Spirals in Time – which range from slaves being bought for bags of shells in west Africa in the 1770s to ground-breaking medical uses of cone-snail venom – are gripping and unimaginable.
The Telegraph
-
A zoological and anthropological tour-de-force.
Melissa Harrison, The Times
-
Helen Scales ... takes us on a fascinating journey into the strange and captivating world of mollusks. Carefully researched and entertaining throughout ... Scales's book is relentlessly interesting.
Science
ONLINE RESOURCES
Bloomsbury Collections
This book is available on Bloomsbury Collections where your library has access.






















