Shells: A Natural and Cultural History

This cursory survey by zoologist Moretzsohn (The Book of Shells), who died in 2020, compiles trivia on “shells secreted by snails, clams and other molluscs.” Though Moretzsohn touches on how mollusks eat and navigate, the focus is on how shells have featured in human cultures. He notes that the protohuman Homo erectus “created the first known doodle on a freshwater mussel shell about 540,000 years ago” and that evidence of shells being used in jewelry stretches back tens of thousands of years. Examining contemporary uses, Moretzsohn discusses how Mixtec people in western Mexico “milk” Plicopurpura columellaris snails over thread to dye fibers purple, and how Indigenous peoples in Papua New Guinea use snail shells as currency. Though such insights intermittently intrigue, they read like a collection of facts rather than a cohesive overview, and the sometimes obvious commentary (“With the advent of the Internet, small companies and individual artists can today easily sell their creations to the whole world”) contributes to the book’s listless feel. A few pearls of wisdom aren’t enough to save this disappointing outing. Photos. (Aug.)