This is a very quick read, but quite illuminating and entertaining. I don’t think I will ever be able to look at a snail again without thinking about this book.

The author was stricken with an undiagnosed condition and became bedridden. In her weakened state, a friend gave her a potted violet with a snail inside enjoying the confined habitat afforded by its organic matter. Although one might believe a snail would offer no companionship whatsoever, Bailey was entertained by her daily observations and its outings from the pot. Eventually a friend relocated the creature to a terrarium she could keep at her bedside. Bailey’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge of this simple organism led to her writing this small witty volume. Her appreciation for this simple being is refreshing and unique.