Customer Reviews

Seashells of North America: A Guide to Field Identification

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yes it's way out of date. Yes the super rare shells listed in the book are often no longer even mildly rare. Yes it is drawings only. Sigh. But this is the book that got me and all too many others hooked into this area. 30 years later I still love the hobby. Give it to a child and watch him/her grow.

Whether for a valuable collection at home, or a sight while swimming or scuba diving, this will prove very reliable in the field. A MUCH more advanced field guide than the Golden First Guides, this lists over 600 shells in all and will quickly identify any strange seashell you happen to find beachcombing. This guide contains: Augor shells, chitons, whelks, limpets, and many other valuable collectibles. Each shell species entry has a description added to the side, explaining: abundance, range, and habitat. After the first Golden Guide to Seashells intrigues you, try your luck out with this field reference.
There are several editions made of this guide, from cheap paperback to hardcore turtleback. The paperback and hardback are the best to buy, as they are both great deals and cost less than the turtleback, which is also durable. Any edition will serve you very well in shell collection ID or snorkeling discoveries.

This was exactly the book on shells that I was looking for for my grandson. I remember the "Little Golden Guides" when I was a child and was so happy to see that they still exist. Good illustrations and compact easy to carry size.

If you like to collect seashells, then this handy key to the typical shells found on a beach may be of interest. It comes in a handy soft cover and is pocket sized, so it will easily fit in one's bathing suit's waist. It is slender, although several of the easy to find shells are listed, photos are reasonable and of good quality. It is similar to other such books, although not quite a book and not quite a pamphlet. It's in a league of its own!

My family goes to the beach every year and we always collect a ton of shells. I wanted a book that wouldn't take up much room in the luggage and would be easy to carry on the beach. This book was a great price (especially compared to others!) and had pictures and information of every shell we could find! It was great, I definitely recommend!

I have always loved seashells and this book helped me to identify them. Because of this book I have a HUGE collection of all kinds of seashells!

I got this book along with the Golden Guide on Birds of North America (to replace my parents well-worn 1966 edition that literally fell apart from use.) I was looking for a book to help me identify my many seashells collected in Hawaii, Florida, & the Northeast. The book is great for teaching the beginner about shell structure & formation, as well as how to start cataloging your shells, & where to look for new ones. It's a great overall book but I find now with the many various guides I purchase, I am finding it easier to deal with books that contain photographs instead of drawings so I take off one star for that but this is a great little comprehensive guide for the beginner shell enthusiast.

This is a little out of date for some of the info, BUT generally a great overall guide. Drawings are accurate and well done - actually quite beautiful! Inspires further exploration and study.

This is a great guide for shells of the North American coasts! A lot of descriptions, full with pictures everywhere. The pictures are not photos, but are wonderfully ilustrated by full color drawings, perfect and beautiful. "How to Use This Book" is a very helpful section, and then all there is to know about molusks is explained, topic by topic. Following, is an extensive and descriptive list of the different shells to be found in North American Coast, ordered in groups. You will find the explanation of each group, as an introduction to each.

This book is a must-have!

I gave this to my resident shell collector who loves it! The drawings are very realistic and detailed, which will make it much easier to identify shells. I like the compact size which will be great for the beach. It is a more advanced Golden Field Guide- something a bit more adult like in scope, but very usable for a child too. This was a great investment and I expect we will enjoy it for years to come.