Kindle
$9.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$23.49
Paperback
$16.95
Buy new:
$23.49
FREE delivery Thursday, May 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
List Price: $27.95 Details

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Save: $4.46 (16%)
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Thursday, May 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, May 1. Order within 14 hrs 47 mins
Only 17 left in stock (more on the way).
$$23.49 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$23.49
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE delivery Thursday, May 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, May 1. Order within 14 hrs 47 mins
Used: Good | Details
Sold by saveherenow
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Good

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Cynthia Barnett
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans Hardcover – July 6, 2021

by Cynthia Barnett (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 223 ratings
See all formats and editions
Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
iphone with kindle app
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.

Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.

View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.

Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.

Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Get the free Kindle app: Link to the kindle app page Link to the kindle app page
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
View Kindle Edition
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$23.49","priceAmount":23.49,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"23","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"49","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"5oiHNDAFo4s2FddHb9m8g9wPbv2NzkSK8cy1b3JSHl16eUBKNiWfPmPJSUOIKq%2BFen%2Fi4zMenia2o74XQBMiZxQOkldzQpkPRWD7WhJEi%2Bu77S2wxAN3%2FLUKGvwsSBjz0duiZ02TO5AJRnLPxq7PRw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$11.46","priceAmount":11.46,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"46","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"5oiHNDAFo4s2FddHb9m8g9wPbv2NzkSKMFLrtT7g3lPW4qbvIQoi7Ct5b5PfWq0g%2FHw5eHHK%2FigkgjX291Kj3jGnU0rhvoFHlT46mnPUFHpJE1qq%2Bl6pm6R%2FEUnoJy%2FzYgN%2F2FENBW6HM5rzkAmht03%2BGMVhBV%2FsFw4plKfsSgMRWVVHpYXyEWmls2uqtvBs","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

A Science Friday Best Science Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Year
A Library Journal Best Science and Technology Book of the Year
A Tampa Bay Times Best Book of the Year

A compelling history of seashells and the animals that make them, revealing what they have to tell us about nature, our changing oceans, and ourselves.

Seashells have been the most coveted and collected of nature’s creations since the dawn of humanity. They were money before coins, jewelry before gems, art before canvas.

In The Sound of the Sea, acclaimed environmental author Cynthia Barnett blends cultural history and science to trace our long love affair with seashells and the hidden lives of the mollusks that make them. Spiraling out from the great cities of shell that once rose in North America to the warming waters of the Maldives and the slave castles of Ghana, Barnett has created an unforgettable account of the world’s most iconic seashells. She begins with their childhood wonder, unwinds surprising histories like the origin of Shell Oil as a family business importing exotic shells, and charts what shells and the soft animals that build them are telling scientists about our warming, acidifying seas.

From the eerie calls of early shell trumpets to the evolutionary miracle of spines and spires and the modern science of carbon capture inspired by shell, Barnett circles to her central point of listening to nature’s wisdom―and acting on what seashells have to say about taking care of each other and our world.

16 black-and-white illustrations
Previous page
  1. Print length
    432 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    July 6, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.4 x 9.6 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0393651444
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0393651447
  8. See all details
Next page
Books with Buzz
Books with Buzz
Discover the latest buzz-worthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and nonfiction. Explore more

Frequently bought together

The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans
$23.49
Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2
Only 17 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Florida's Seashells: A Beachcomber's Guide
$9.85
Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Seashells of Georgia and the Carolinas
$12.22
Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

From the Publisher

Praise from Jack E. Davis for Cynthia Barnett's The Sound of the Sea

Praise from Douglas Brinkley for Cynthia Barnett's The Sound of the Sea

Cover image of Cynthia Barnett's The Sound of the Sea

Praise from Sy Montgomery for Cynthia Barnett's The Sound of the Sea

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Sound of the Sea is a glorious history of shells and of those who have loved shells. It is a history of fascination and of shame. It stretches our capacity to absorb new knowledge. It is as complex, multichambered and beautiful as its subject, and if Barnett can awaken our sense of wonder, then perhaps there is hope for jump-starting our collective sense of responsibility toward the oceans and one another."
― Katharine Norbury, Washington Post

"Will have you marveling at nature…Barnett’s account remarkably spirals out, appropriately, to become a much larger story about the sea, about global history and about environmental crises and preservation."
― John Williams, New York Times Book Review

"For anyone who's ever admired the ocean's most beautiful objects, this is a literal 'beach read' to treasure."
― Ron Charles, CBS Sunday Morning

"Fascinating…[The Sound of the Sea] explores topics ranging from colonialism to ocean acidification in connection to seashells."
― Jonathon Keats, Forbes

"Enthralling…[A] fascinating history of the shellmakers and of the multitude of ways they have interacted with and shaped human beings."
― Colette Bancroft, Tampa Bay Times

"Magnificent…[Barnett] starts with wonder, imbues that with knowledge, and then alchemizes it all into awe, leaving the reader struck with a blow of revelation…If you're looking for a late-summer beach read, you couldn't possibly do any better than The Sound of the Sea."
― Jason Mark, Sierra

"[An] arresting meditation on shells and ocean history."
― Andrew Robinson, Nature

"A lustrous meditation…Barnett’s richly detailed narrative is a celebration of how much we have valued mollusks in the past, how fascinating they are in the present, and how vital it is to insure their survival into the future."
― Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History

"This is not a scolding book; it's an awestruck travelogue and appreciation of something beautiful…With each page, Barnett's meticulous insights soon had me marveling with new appreciation."
― Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon

"A superbly researched and thoroughly documented book, covering a complex subject from many different aspects…[I]t reads like a fascinating adventure story…[B]oth enjoyable and informative."
― Tom Eichhorst, American Conchologist

"Well-researched, consistently illuminating…An absolutely captivating nature book."
― Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"A delightful, informative, and momentous read for both enthusiasts and readers who’ve never picked up a shell."
― Library Journal (starred)

"Riveting…[A]n entertaining, colorful tour of a surprisingly dynamic part of nature."
― Publishers Weekly

"Full of fascinating and important stories, vividly evoked. I was captivated by both the wonders of molluscan life and by the many unexpected ways that shells live at the center of human cultures. A must-read for anyone interested in the riches of the living Earth."
― David George Haskell, author of The Forest Unseen

"In the deeply researched tradition of Rachel Carson’s sea trilogy, Cynthia Barnett enchantingly weaves poetic musings with deep-seated conservation wisdom and ocean science. An instant classic of nature history―a science-driven work of literature full of seaside grandeur."
― Douglas Brinkley, best-selling author of The Wilderness Warrior

"Writing with clarity and heart, turning science into prose and history into useful knowledge, Cynthia Barnett has given us a book for the ages. The Sound of the Sea is timely and mind-opening, echoing voices from the wondrous world of shell-harbored creatures of the sea. She urges us to give them our ear in ways we never have before, for in this transitional age, their truth is our fate, their wisdom our answer, and their future our hope."
― Jack E. Davis, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Gulf

"The Sound of the Sea is as exquisite, many-chambered, and luminous as the shells Cynthia Barnett describes in her wild and hybrid book. It is a travelogue, a finely argued indictment of colonization and capitalism, a reanimation of scientists lost to the official narrative, and, most ringingly, the story of the way shells and the soft and vulnerable animals within them reflect back both the greatness of human ingenuity and the equally immense and rippling effect of human harm to the natural world. This song of mingled praise and warning left me shell-shocked, wonder-struck, utterly delighted."
― Lauren Groff, best-selling author of Florida

"The Sound of the Sea is one of those rare, knockout books that has you gasping in surprise on every page. From the prehistoric to the present, seashells have suffused human life, from giving voice to ancient gods to spurring climate solutions today. Thank you, Cynthia Barnett, for honoring the gifts the mollusks have left us, and―like the conch shells that once called the faithful to worship―for giving them the voice to speak for the imperiled ocean."
― Sy Montgomery, best-selling author of The Soul of an Octopus

About the Author

Cynthia Barnett is the author of three previous books, including Rain, which was longlisted for the National Book Award and named a finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Award for Literary Science Writing. She lives with her family in Gainesville, Florida, where she is also Environmental Journalist in Residence at the University of Florida.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company (July 6, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393651444
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393651447
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.4 x 9.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 223 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Cynthia Barnett

Cynthia Barnett

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Cynthia Barnett is an award-winning journalist who has reported on water and climate worldwide. Her new book, The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans, is due out in July from W.W. Norton. She is the author of three previous books including Rain: A Natural and Cultural History, a finalist for the National Book Award and PEN/E.O. Wilson Award for Literary Science Writing and named a best book of 2015 by NPR’s Science Friday, the Boston Globe, the Miami Herald and others.

Cynthia's work has appeared in National Geographic, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Salon, Politico, Discover, and other publications. Her first book, Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S. (2007) won the gold medal for best nonfiction in the Florida Book Awards and was named one of the top 10 books that every Floridian should read. Her second, Blue Revolution, which calls for a water ethic for America, was named by The Boston Globe as one of the top 10 U.S. science books of 2011.

The Globe describes her author persona as “part journalist, part mom, part historian, and part optimist.” The Los Angeles Times writes that she “takes us back to the origins of our water in much the same way, with much the same vividness and compassion as Michael Pollan led us from our kitchens to potato fields and feed lots of modern agribusiness.”

Cynthia earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in environmental history and spent a year studying water science and history as a Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan. She lives in Gainesville, Florida, where she is also Environmental Journalist in Residence at the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications.

For her articles, speaking schedule and other information, please visit www.cynthiabarnett.net.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
223 global ratings
A new perspective on the shells of the sea
5 Stars
A new perspective on the shells of the sea
I have always liked looking at the shells that I would find along the beach, probably more so as a child than today as an adult. And I am part of the 10% of the population that already knew that shells come from a living organism.Cynthia Barnett's book gave me a well-informed insight to the history of Earth's seashells, more than I ever knew before. I am already aware of how the acidification of the oceans affect the shell's thinning structure. But learning about their journey through Earth's history, (over)harvesting, obvious food source, use as currency (for good and bad), souvenir hoarding, religious icon and burial use, and the shell animal's realistic concept as a source for disease cures and alternative energy resources is quite astonishing.There is much information that Cynthia researched over the past several years, and she did a great job organizing it into the chapters of the book. I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about seashells, the oceans, human culture's attachment to both, and where we need to move forward in fighting climate change as well as providing for people's well-being. She is a great advocate for all facets of saving the environment. Bravo Cynthia! Great job! Whatever it is about, I look forward to your next book in the future.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Erica H Gies
5.0 out of 5 stars A poignant tale for our time, rooted in our cherished memories of the sea
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
Collecting seashells is a seemingly universal joy. Barnett taps into this elemental experience to show us how we are connected to people through time and around the world. She uses this engagement to teach us about the animals who live in the shells and their challenges, and those issues are a gateway to learning about how human activities -- such as over-harvesting and climate change -- are altering and challenging the oceans. Barnett is a beautiful writer and this tale is full of intriguing characters and amazing locales. One detail I found particularly compelling was the early 20th century hobby of building art from seashells; I did this myself as a child without even knowing it was a thing. The Sound of the Sea is from a leading science writer at the top of her game: a joy to read, while simultaneously raising troubling questions about our relationship with marine mollusks, oceans, and the planet.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Tim
5.0 out of 5 stars A new perspective on the shells of the sea
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2022
Verified Purchase
I have always liked looking at the shells that I would find along the beach, probably more so as a child than today as an adult. And I am part of the 10% of the population that already knew that shells come from a living organism.

Cynthia Barnett's book gave me a well-informed insight to the history of Earth's seashells, more than I ever knew before. I am already aware of how the acidification of the oceans affect the shell's thinning structure. But learning about their journey through Earth's history, (over)harvesting, obvious food source, use as currency (for good and bad), souvenir hoarding, religious icon and burial use, and the shell animal's realistic concept as a source for disease cures and alternative energy resources is quite astonishing.

There is much information that Cynthia researched over the past several years, and she did a great job organizing it into the chapters of the book. I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about seashells, the oceans, human culture's attachment to both, and where we need to move forward in fighting climate change as well as providing for people's well-being. She is a great advocate for all facets of saving the environment. Bravo Cynthia! Great job! Whatever it is about, I look forward to your next book in the future.
Customer image
Tim
5.0 out of 5 stars A new perspective on the shells of the sea
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2022
I have always liked looking at the shells that I would find along the beach, probably more so as a child than today as an adult. And I am part of the 10% of the population that already knew that shells come from a living organism.

Cynthia Barnett's book gave me a well-informed insight to the history of Earth's seashells, more than I ever knew before. I am already aware of how the acidification of the oceans affect the shell's thinning structure. But learning about their journey through Earth's history, (over)harvesting, obvious food source, use as currency (for good and bad), souvenir hoarding, religious icon and burial use, and the shell animal's realistic concept as a source for disease cures and alternative energy resources is quite astonishing.

There is much information that Cynthia researched over the past several years, and she did a great job organizing it into the chapters of the book. I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about seashells, the oceans, human culture's attachment to both, and where we need to move forward in fighting climate change as well as providing for people's well-being. She is a great advocate for all facets of saving the environment. Bravo Cynthia! Great job! Whatever it is about, I look forward to your next book in the future.
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image
Customer imageCustomer image
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Sandra E. Poucher
5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive series of fascinating anecdotes
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is a wonderful collection of anecdotes about seashells, their history intertwined with cultures across the globe, their fascinating biology. Informative, well-written and so interesting! I couldn't help but look up the shells, people and places mentioned in the chapters as I read - I learned so much. I feel as if I've traveled the world, holding varieties of shells, meeting personalities, and hearing subtle differences in the rushing shush of the shells. I highly recommend this book.
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
OKay
4.0 out of 5 stars Stories That Make the Shells Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2024
Verified Purchase
“Some mollusks have two eyes mounted on the tips of tenacles. Others have a hundred electric blue eyes set in rows. Some have rapacious tongues or rows of teeth. Some burrow into the sand for life: others dive, leap, climb rocks, and flip somersaults. Propelled by graceful wings or clapping shells they ascend and descend in water columns.” -- extract p19
The spectacularly diverse Mollusca phylum has over 85,000 extant species and 600 million years of evolution. It gives us one of nature’s most beautiful evolutionary miracles, the seashell. Today any book on shells must address overfishing and climate change. Barnett does this without letting it drive the narrative. Bleaching incidents, shells, and soft animals are telling scientists about warming, acidifying seas and the challenges of restoration. Shells also provide insight into carbon capture, bioluminescence and medicine.
The theme shifts continually: historical, literary, scientific, gastronomical, travelogue, natural, economics, medicinal, archeological, anthropological, environmental… Shells’ great diversity is overwhelming: where to start, how to distinguish them, how to explain in an interesting way. Here are the stories!
Many stories are familiar: The lovely murex was source to royal purple dye desired by the Romans. The small cowrie of the Maldives bought and sold a third of slaves who were forced to the Americas. Shell-craft souvenirs decorated the Sailors’ Valentines sold by a London family whose shipping business evolved into the familiar yellow scallop of Shell Oil. Henry Hudson sailed the Half Moon into New York Harbor in 1609 and encountered over 350 miles of oyster reefs, scallops, and clams. The giant clams of Palau are money in the (sand) bank. The chambered nautilus inspired DaVinci's famous spiral French staircase inside the Château de Chambord.

The grand pink Queen Conch has ocean sounds inside and makes the eerie call of a trumpet. The Lucayan Tainos people of the Bahamas harvested the Queen Conch giving us the word barbeque (also canoe, hammock, and hurricane). The Spanish wiped them out in 20 years. Queen Victoria commissioned conch shell cameos as wedding commemoratives setting off a national craze. By the 1940s, the conch was suffering from over harvesting. In 2018, scientists determined that there were too few left in the Bahamas to reproduce. Today conch farming is tenuous with the heating oceans of climate change.
Horns, whistles, and trumpets from shells are found on every continent, often far from the ocean. The temple complex of Chavin de Huantar in the high Andes of Peru predates the Incas. It temples and underground galleries have running water and reflective walls created for religious awe and wonder. They had no written language, but the art depicts the use of shells in ritual, especially the conch.
Early scientists and historians often saw shell mounds as the leftovers from the meals of early nomadic people. Today we know they were places of ceremony and often burial grounds. The Ohlone people of California were buried in the mounds as all of nature possessed spiritual powers. The locations of both the Mississippian and the Bay Area mounds have long since been “developed” losing the archeological opportunities. Pueblo peoples far from oceans used shells extensively for jewelry and ceremonial decorations. Naturalists in the 18th and 19th centuries collected shells after disposing of the mollusk remains: that DNA would be so informative if it existed today. Malacology is the study of mollusks: conchology is the study of shells.
WWII in the Pacific fed America’s shell obsession, the center of which was Sanibel Island with its wide beaches and abundance of shells. From Edna St. Vincent Millay to Anne Lindbergh, it was a short path to the quest for Junonia, “boiling stations” and finally a ban on “live shelling” in 1995. In Michigan along I75 Sea Shell City bragged of its Man Eating Clam that grasped the hands and feet of divers. WWII Navy manuals advised how to free oneself from the clam! (In another time and place, giant clam shells were used for baptismal fonts.)
The author believes that every child needs the experience of finding and cherishing a seashell. Actually, it should be TWO seashells --one gastropod and one bivalve. Let them start early to learn the science of it all!
Helpful
 Report
bettyjh
5.0 out of 5 stars Most interesting topic - book starts out "not a sleeper but exciting" which is a good thing
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
Saw a zoom presentation of the book and the author. She was amazing in her store telling and how she relates to nature. It's very interesting. The book starts out as a good read, not a sleeper. Very happy I made the purchase - hard cover and kindle version. I definitely will look into this author's 3 prior books - AND her new upcoming book not yet revealed.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Michael Molloy
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Shell Lovers
Reviewed in Singapore on May 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
Well written and highly readable - combines academic insights with relatable stories and anecdotes. Enjoyable through and through with chapters laid out upon topics ranging from explorers to shell composition to “shell mania” and others.

Loved it !
Report