United States
£ GBP
For more than 250 million years, the primaeval oceans of the Paleozoic teemed with trilobites. These hardy invertebrates evolved into an astonishing array of separate species – more than 25,000 at last count – and much remains unknown about these once-ubiquitous creatures. Fossil enthusiasts have become captivated by trilobites' diversity and adaptability, enthralled by the possibility of catching a glimpse of a seemingly alien past.
Andy Secher – one of the most prolific trilobite collectors in the world – takes readers on an entertaining and enlightening journey to the distant epoch when these ancient arthropods swarmed through the seas. The Trilobite Collector's Guide presents a series of "Top Ten" lists covering everything from celebrated Cambrian localities and world-class fossil shows to invaluable collecting tips and ways to spot a fake trilobite. These brisk and often witty chapters enumerate trilobites in all their beauty and strangeness, from the most common to the ridiculously rare, the outrageously old to the last in line. The Trilobite Collector's Guide showcases more than 350 full-colour photographs, mostly of stunning specimens from Secher's personal collection, that put trilobites' staggering variety and complexity on full display. Engaging and informative, this book lets readers see the world of trilobites as it's never been seen before.
Foreword: Beetles of the Paleozoic, by Richard Fortey
Foreword: Ten Reasons to Read This Book, by Melanie J. Hopkins
Introduction: The Trilobite Collector
1. 10 Celebrated Cambrian Trilobite Localities
2. 10 World-Class Fossil Shows
3. 10 Outstanding Ordovician Trilobite Localities
4. 10 Essential Figures in Trilobite History
5. 10 Significant Silurian Trilobite Localities
6. 10 Key Elements of Trilobite Morphology
7. 10 Dramatic Devonian Trilobite Localities
8. 10 Trilobite Collecting Tips
9. 10 Renowned Carboniferous-Permian Trilobite Localities
10. 10 Key Curation Details
11. 10 Obscure (But Still Significant) Trilobite Localities
12. 10 Creatures That Came Before Trilobites
13. 10 Eminently Elegant Trilobites
14. 10 Time and Trilobite-Related Theories
15. 10 Most Common Trilobites
16. 10 Ridiculously Rare Trilobites
17. 10 Beautiful Bohemian Trilobites
18. 10 Outrageously Old Trilobites
19. 10 Last-in-Line Trilobites
20. 10 Intriguing Trilobite Questions
21. 10 Verifiably Ventral Trilobites
22. 10 Rock 'n' Roller Trilobites
23. 10 Pertinent Preparation Steps
24. 10 Cleverly Colored Trilobites
25. 10 Engagingly Eyed Trilobites
26. 10 Ways to Spot a Fake Trilobite
27. 10 Mass Mortality Trilobites
28. 10 Precariously Predated Trilobites
29. 10 Magnificent Moroccan Trilobites
30. 10 Planet-Spanning Paradoxides
31. 10 Distinctly Disarticulated Trilobites
32. 10 Beyond Big Trilobites
33. 10 Dramatically Dolomitic Trilobites
34. 10 Extravagantly Expensive Trilobites
35. 10 Spectacularly Spined Trilobites
36. 10 Tales Told by Trilobites
37. 10 Ways to Value Your Trilobites
38. 10 Doppelganger Trilobites
39. 10 Legendary Trilobites
40. 10 Must-Read Trilobite Books
41. 10 Strikingly Strange Trilobites
42. 10 Top Trilobite Websites
43. 10 Unbelievable Utah Trilobites
44. 10 Trilobite Orders
45. 10 Significant Soft-Tissue Trilobites
46. 10 Top Trilobite Museums
47. 10 Top Trilobite Pretenders
48. 10 Wonderful Walcott/Rust Trilobites
49. 10 Deserving-of-Mention Trilobites
50. 10 Revealing Rochester Shale Trilobites
51. 10 Tantalizing Trilobite Teasers
52. 10 Distinguished Dudley Trilobites
Final Thought
Glossary: Trilobite Terminology
Index
Andy Secher has been a field associate in palaeontology at the American Museum of Natural History for more than two decades. He curates one of the world's largest private trilobite collections. Secher is the author of Travels with Trilobites: Adventures in the Paleozoic (Columbia, 2022) and was the long-time editor of the rock music magazine Hit Parader.
Richard Fortey is the former head of fossil arthropod research at the Natural History Museum, London.
Melanie J. Hopkins is chair of the Division of Paleontology and curator in charge of fossil invertebrates at the American Museum of Natural History.
"WOW! I've never before seen so many amazing trilobites between the covers of a single book as I have in Andy Secher's new extravaganza The Trilobite Collector's Guide. Trilobites have strong appeal because they actually look like an animal: they have heads with eyes, a mid-body with 2-40+ segments, and a tail bringing up the rear. Secher is one of the premier trilobite collectors of the world, and he can tell you everything about what it takes to find, collect, "prepare" and study trilobites. His photos are amazing. Trilobites are amazing. Be prepared to be dazzled and amazed!"
– Niles Eldredge, Curator Emeritus, Division of Paleontology, The American Museum of Natural History
"Andy Secher's passion for trilobites comes through on every page of this beautifully illustrated book. He combines up-to-date scientific knowledge with practical information on how to collect trilobites, how to prepare them, where to find them, and much more. His passion is contagious, and after reading a few pages of this book, you will find yourself organizing your next vacation around trilobites. Bravo, Andy Secher!"
– Neil H. Landman, curator emeritus, American Museum of Natural History
"The Trilobite Collector's Guide provides a popular "hit parade" of trilobite facts, figures, and phenomena for the non-academic reader and nascent – or even accomplished – collector. Secher explores and beautifully illustrates an eclectic array of relevant topics in an entertaining, concise, and easily digestible form."
– David Rudkin, assistant curator emeritus of paleobiology, Royal Ontario Museum
"Andy Secher's The Trilobite Collector's Guide, along with last year's encyclopedic Travels with Trilobites, establishes Andy as a true rockstar of the trilobite universe. A gifted writer, collector, world traveler, and music business pro, Secher entertainingly walks you through 52 Top 10 lists, each illuminating trilobites from a radically different perspective, all using photos drawn from his world-class collection. If you are not already a card-carrying citizen of the trilobite community, you soon will be."
– Sam Stubbs, trilobite collector, Houston, TX
"Secher, a famous collector of trilobites, provides 350 color photographs of fully preserved specimens. Written in a very accessible style that engages and informs. With the author's light-hearted style and trilobite fossils, facts, and features, this work will appeal to readers with a solid interest in ancient Arthropods."
– Booklist, the American Library Association (ALA)
"This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in trilobites!"
– The Birdbooker Report
