Reviewed by Thomas A. Hegna (SUNY Fredonia)

Secher, A. 2024. The Trilobite Collector’s Guide. Forewords by R. Fortey and M.J. Hopkins. Columbia University Press, New York. 453 pp. ($47.96 cloth, $47.19 e-book with 20% PS discount.)

Some academic readers may be surprised at the paleontological productivity of Andy Secher. He has published not one, but two massive trilobite books (replete with beautiful photos) for general audiences in the last two years. Where did he come from?

Andy Secher is not a paleontologist by training, but instead is one through sheer passion. His career in the music industry positioned him well to pursue his passion outside of academia. His first book, Travels with Trilobites (2022, Columbia University Press), described his travels around the world in search of trilobites. His latest effort, The Trilobite Collector’s Guide, is a take on a familiar paleontological genre—the specimen catalog—but reinvented for public consumption.

Instead of lists of specimens and localities, Secher organizes the catalog into over fifty top-10 lists. Most of these top-10 lists are for trilobites alone (10 Mass Mortality Trilobites, 10 Outrageously Old Trilobites, etc.) but other top 10 lists deal with figures in trilobite history, ways to spot fake trilobites, and classic localities. 

Secher is a true trilobite connoisseur. The trilobites he shows are not the typical fare you see for sale at a fossil and gem show. They are truly mind-blowing—in terms of beauty, rarity, and scientific significance. Secher is not afraid to illustrate partial or disarticulated specimens to make a point (the beautiful cephalic fringe of Bowmania americana? <chef’s kiss>). Many of the specimens in this book are novel to science in one way or another—either as “best examples,” or due to their size or rarity. As a result, I see this book becoming a photographic reference for taxonomy and paleoecology. As noted in the introduction, over 90% of the photos in the book have never been published (or seen by paleontologists) before. Nearly all the specimens in the book come from Secher’s legendary personal trilobite collection. 

The Trilobite Collector’s Guide is a beautiful book that I recommend for all who have a passion for trilobites. It might even make a good surreptitious gift to help infect friends or family with the trilobite bug.