Amazon.com description: Product Description: The World's Most Beautiful Seashells won the Coffee Table Book Award of the National Association of Independent Publishers for 1996. It contains 305 large format, full color photographs of rare and lovely seashells. The photographer is James H. (Pete) Carmichael, whose nature photography has appeared widely in magazines such as Audobon, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, etc. Pete is especially well-known for his work with shells, butterflies, and rainforests. The text is by Leonard Hill, a lifetime shell enthusiast, and a biologist employed by the US government who monitors the health of the oceans. At $32.95 in hardcover, the book has been considered an excellent value, and makes a great acquisition to the library of shell and nature enthusiasts.