The World's Shells: A Guide for Collectors

by S. Peter Dance

With this book, S. Peter Dance fills a major gap in the general literature on conchology. . . . As a 'how-to book' on shell collecting it will be the one essential background work for anyone who is starting to collect, but it will also interest and inform more advanced collectors throughout the world.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just read S. Peter Dance's quirky Out Of My Shell, I decided to revisit my probably-too-extensive shell library, beginning with a few of Dance's other books.

Far from the most attractive or user-friendly shell guide - text is small, photos are clear but boring, and the arrangement is confusing unless you are really up on your molluscan taxonomy - this is certainly one of the most…well, encyclopedic (hence the name).



So if you do have a shell that you're trying to identify, this would be the preferred first place to go. But if you just want to browse a pretty book, there are a number of better choices.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Collector's Encyclopedia of Shells by S. Peter Dance (McGraw-Hill 1974)(594.1477) is a beautiful compendium of shells from around the world. My rating: 7/10, finished 2001.