Even though both these books are rather dated, I find both of them extremely helpful.  If you are going to collect Panamic shells, the Keen book is simply indispensable, in spite of the fact that the pictures are small, black & white, and the detail is often only fair.  If there was a better Panamic book, I'd buy it, but since there isn't, this is the one!  The Kira and Habe set are even more outdated, and you'll find non-current names even on some of the cones, cowries, and murexes.  And of course you'll find a lot of species missing, simply because they have been described since the book was published (about 40 years ago, I believe?).  For such popular families as those mentioned above, there are certainly a number of better books covering the Western Pacific area.  But, what I like about this set is the broad treatmnent of the less popular families, which many popular books ignore completely.  When you have some wierd specimen of Planaxidae or Triphoridae or Fossaridae or Eulimidae, that's when this pair of books often comes in handy.  Even if the name listed isn't current, at least you can find out what sort of shell you are dealing with.  The pictures are quite good, and all in full color.  Both prices are great too.  The few times I have seen the Kira and Habe set offered, it has been over a hundred dollars.

Paul M.