If you have any serious interest in shells or mollusks, get this book. The second edition, published in 1974, is much better than the first. It is chock-full of excellent identifying information, as well as micro-environmental preferences of each animal. Kudos, Dr. Abbott!

Yes it's way out of date.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.