In this episode, we speak with Barnett about what she describes as our “world of shell,” what shells can tell us about our past, how they have shaped our present, and how the future of shells and their animal makers is tied to our own. Barnett’s deep research ranges from the awe-inspiring “great cities of shell” of the Calusa people in Florida, to the use of cowrie shells as currency in the Atlantic slave trade, to the decimation of mollusk populations due to climate change and over-harvesting. This book is about seeing what has gone unseen, she writes. These stories of how we have treasured, traded, plundered, and coveted shells reveal much about who we are and who we’ve been, both good and bad. In her magnificent new book, The Sound of the Sea, journalist Cynthia Barnett explores the epic and often overlooked history of humanity’s relationship with seashells and the marine mollusks who make them. This week Cynthia Barnett joins Adam to talk about the surprising history of seashells and her new book The Sound of The Sea. But when we look into them deeply, we find that they reveal startling truths about our oceans, our planet, and ourselves. In her magnificent new book, The Sound of the Sea, journalist Cynthia Barnett tells the epic history of humanity’s interactions with shells and the soft-bodied animals who make them. ‘ The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans ,’ by Cynthia Barnett Barnett begins this paean to the seashell with a description of how they are made. Seashells may seem like a small topic for a book, or a podcast.

From tiny cowries to giant clams, seashells have gripped human imaginations since time immemorial. The Sound of the Sea Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans By: Cynthia Barnett Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley Length: 14 hrs and 8 mins 4.2 (25 ratings) Try for 0.

The Sound of the Sea by Cynthia Barnett