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Dinosaurs fascinate and captivate us, yet we really know relatively little about them--and thatonly from a fragmentary fossil record painstakingly reconstructed by paleontologists. DinosaurLives offers a colorful first-person account of one paleontologist as he uncovers fossilized bones, eggs,and more from the wastelands of Montana. John R. Horner and Edwin Dobb explain the process ofprospecting for paleontological clues and what the fossil record tells us about dinosaur anatomy and theirbehavior. Much of the news is surprising: dinosaurs probably weren't reptiles at all but more closely relatedto birds, and many were social animals that lived in herds. Especially fascinating is trivia such as the factthat the ostensibly fearsome T. Rex was probably a scavenger akin to a vulture. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Dinosaur Lives: Unearthing an Evolutionary Saga
Dinosaur Lives: Unearthing an Evolutionary Saga written by John R. Horner is a well-written account of paleontological fieldwork told in an engaging style. This book is the continuation of the book Digging Dinosaurs one of the author's previous books.

Horner is a thinker as has helped out on numerous motion pictures to make the dinosaurs seem real and alive. In this book we get to read (speculation) about dinosaur eggs, their young and their nests as found from the fossil record.

Horner has an infectous style when he write and you can't help but getting into lock-step with him as he writes a telling-tale, making the read feel as if you are there right along side. Our understanding of how dinosaurs grew up, raised their young, and socialized with other dinosaurs are brought out in this book.

There is still a lot of information yet to be discovered, but Horner has been making long strides in elucidating information and answering some of the nagging questions involving dinosaurs. Some of the new evidence and arguments regarding the major dinosaur controversies of the day, being that of warm-blooded verses cold-blooded are tackled in this book.

This book is a quick read and should be on your bookshelf as the author's discoveries regarding the dinosaur are ground-breaking and unparalleled. Paleontologist Robert Bakker is another forward thinker when it comes to dinosaurs.

This book gives some credence to Bakker's theory about the inland sea retreats and the dinosaurs from the eastern part of the North American continent mixed with those of the West, exchanging bacteria and other pathogens for which the recieving group had no inherent resistance. This could be a slow death or a prolonged one depending upon the pathogen involved. Also, climate was changing substantially at that time as well, becoming cooler, and more arid, this could slowly add to the demise of the dinosaurs.

This book was an enjoyable, engaging read.

Excellent, if sometimes wordy sequel to "Digging Dinosaurs"
Dinosaur Lives introduces the lay reader (that would be you and me) to a number of exciting ideas. The book provides us with an update to Horner's field work since he wrote "Digging Dinosaurs," but it also delves deeper into some of the bigger ideas concerning dinosaurs. A large portion of the book is devoted to speculation about the behavior of dinosaurs, especially the raising of young and herd/pack associations. What interested me most, however, is Horner's deconstruction of Linnean taxonomy, and the description of cladistics as a more powerful tool to look at relationships between living and extinct creatures. For those of us raised on the idea of speciation, this is powerful stuff. You may find, as I did, that light bulbs start popping in your head as you realize that the very way you think about a subject can severely limit your ability to perceive new ideas.

If all this sounds a bit airy-fairy, Horner does a much better job than I can here explaining some pretty complex stuff in a very simple way. My only complaints about the book are that Horner sometimes can be a bit wordy while telling us what he is about to tell us. I could have used a bit more technical detail in some of his descriptions, and certainly the illustrations should have been more complete. These are minor complaints, however. This is a fascinating book for anyone who likes thinking about dinosaurs, and the endless cycles of life. You don't need to have any prior knowledge to thoroughly enjoy this book.

Extremely informative while remaining captivating...
Mr. Horner has made an extraordinary accomplishment with 'Diggin Dinosaurs,' as it is able to present relative information regarding the topic at hand in a manner to be easily read by the masses and hold the reader's attention. His ability to stimulate the imagination with his illustrative speach and diction is quite amazing, as is his ability to distill the necessary information from the vast amounts of data that is available for analysis. An amazing breakthrough to be certain.

Please create audio abridged version
To the publisher I would appreciate it if the publisher could produce an audio adaptation of this book. I would love to listen to this while I drive to work and to let my 16 month old son listen to it as a bedtime story. My goal is to expose him to some of my favorite passions, maths, sciences, physics, geophysics, paleontology, astronomy, electronics, photonics, new science and discoveries etc. The more audio books you can produce of the above genre the more I will support you. Arnold D Veness

Best intro to dinosaurs for the general reader
Touches on lots of topics: various dinosaurs, bone sites, evolution, extinction, digs, past and present bone hunters, the science of the Jurassic Park movie, etc. Very easy to read. ... Read more

Book Description

When human beings first arrived in North America at the end of the last Ice Age, they encountered a teeming variety of animals, from ground sloths and mastodons to zebras and camels. This spectacularly illustrated book takes us on a captivating journey back to that time, showing us the entire continent and its incredible wildlife as it looked 13,000 years ago.

The book travels the ancient continent region by region, from the icy Arctic vastness to the steamy tropical swamps of Florida. We are introduced to bizarre beasts, now extinct (including glyptodonts, scimitar-toothed cats, and mammoths); animals that have long since disappeared from their North American habitats (lions, cheetahs); and species still seen today (grizzlies, condors, alligators). A wealth of fossil evidence informs the stunning computer-generated panoramas that fill the pages of this extraordinary book. The bones of the ancient beasts again have flesh and fur, unfamiliar animals again roam the landscapes, and the world of prehistoric North America comes startlingly to life. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A very excellent text about the Ice Age and its animals
This book joins "Ice Age Mammals of North America" as one of the exceptionally fine recent texts about the vanished large animals living on the North American continent during the Ice Age. Many of these marvelous creatures vanished less than 10,000 years ago, a heartbeat in geological time. You will be particularly struck by the superb, in-full-color computer graphics and photography in the book. The two arts are combined to give astonishing looks at what these animals looked like in their native habitats. If the book contained little more, it would be worth it on this basis alone. But there is much more to recommend the book

After a good introduction, this book examines life during the recent glaciation, and into today, by region. Six regions are encompassed. The first is never-glaciated Beringia, consisting of Alaska and the Bering Sea land bridge. Then, in turn, come the northwestern United States coast, the Great Plains, the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin, Florida, and the Eastern forest. The differences, and similairties, between the Ice Age climates and fauna are carefully explored for each area. Certain key animals in each region are analyzed by in-chapter profiles.

These descriptions are completely up-to-date, and are accompanied by the excellent graphics previously discussed. Animals reviewed in this manner include two varieties of mammoth, the mastodon, the saber-toothed and scimitar cats, the giant. armadillo-like glyptodont, the giant short-faced bear, which was bigger than a Kodiak bear, and several varieties of ground sloth. You will also learn that quite a few animals survived the extinctions, including the moose, musk ox, grizzly bear, bison, elk, as well as many animals that lived on in Eurasia, but not here, such as the horse, the saiga antelope, cheetah, lion, camel, zebra, and the wisent, or European bison.

In the closing chepter, the authors examine the possible reasons for the sudden extinctions of so many large, dominant animals within the span of a few thousand years. These include overkill by man, climatic change, and several other reason. The discussion is timely, thorough and apt.

This book will provide many days of enjoyable, provocative reading. Given ongoing changes in weather, loss of wildlife habitat, and the like, are we continuing, and even accelerating these extinctions? This book offers excellent food for thought on such matters, but I will leave the ultimate decision to the reader, upon reflection.

Very, very highly recommended to anyone with a high school or greater background, including graduate students and academics. Enjoy, and ponder. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Dinosaurs of the Air: The Evolution and Loss of Flight in Dinosaurs and Birds presents the most recent work of renowned evolutionary scientist and dinosaur illustrator Gregory Paul. Dinosaurs of the Air synthesizes the growing body of evidence which suggests that modern-day birds have evolved from theropod dinosaurs of prehistoric times. Paul argues provocatively for the idea that the ancestor-descendant relationship between the dinosaurs and birds can on occasion be reversed, and that many dinosaurs were secondarily flightless descendants of creatures we would regard as birds. Controversial and comprehensive, Dinosaurs of the Air also offers new, firsthand interpretations of major fossils; a balanced, rewarding discussion ofthe ways we think flight may have evolved (comparing "ground up" and "trees down" scenarios);a close look at the famous urvogel Archaeopteryx, discussing what it can and cannot tell us about bird origins; and in-depth analyses of bird and theropod phylogenetics. Full of rich detail for the specialist but accessible to the intelligent lay reader, the book includes the author's own stunning illustrations anda technical appendix which provides information, for example, on body mass/wing dimension relationships and avian/dinosaurian metabolics. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Dinosaurs of the Air
Dinosaurs of the Air: The Evolution and Loss of Flight in Dinosaurs and Birds written by Gregory S. Paul is a well detailed book on comparetive anatomy between bird and dinosaurs.

The author is a well known evolutionary scientist and dinosaur illustrator and he has some interesting things to tell about in this book. For instance, the ancestor-descendant relationship of to birds and dinosaurs, most of the conventional thinking is that dinosaurs evolved into birds, but the author believes that on occasion the rolls could be reversed. That there may be many dinosaurs that were the secondarily flightless descendants of creatures we would think as birds.

This is contraversial, but the author makes his point with in-depth analyses of bird and theropod phylogenetics. There are many line-drawings that do a comparetive analysis, wing dimensions, avian/dinosaurian metabolics... this book has very detailed information. But, the book is written so that the layperson with a little scientific knowledge will unterstand the author intent.

This book has stunning illustrations throughout and well detailed bibliography making the information found in this book believable. There is a detail appendix toward the back of the book that covers in detail things of import for the book.

If you are one of the people who has an interest in avian/dinosaurian link this is a must purchase. This is an excellent book as it combines a large amount of technical data with drawings and related bird origins, including the energetics of the origin of avian flight. But, even with this detail, it is highly readable.

The link between dinosaurs and birds...
"Dinosaurs of the Air: The Evolution and Loss of Flight in Dinosaurs and Birds presents the most recent work of renowned evolutionary scientist and dinosaur illustrator Gregory Paul. Dinosaurs of the Air synthesizes the growing body of evidence which suggests that modern-day birds have evolved from theropod dinosaurs of prehistoric times. Paul argues provocatively for the idea that the ancestor-descendant relationship between the dinosaurs and birds can on occasion be reversed, and that many dinosaurs were secondarily flightless descendants of creatures we would regard as birds."

This book is actually longer than Amazon claims
First of all this book is 436 pages. The cover is a painting of Sinornithosaurus I believe. The only reason I took off a perfect five star rating is the lack of pictures. Let's face it, who doesn't check out Greg's pictures first? There are illustrations (all line drawings, no color) but they do not cover enough pterosaurs. The only Pteranodons are skeletal drawings, and there are no Quetzalcoatlus life drawings. There are life restorations of Anhanguera and Pterodaustro. There are pictures of lots of fossil birds and a new skeletal drawing of Bambiraptor and of Deinonychus with the re-evaluated skull that is more like what Ostrom described in 1969. Disappointed to see no new life restoration of it. There are some of the old drawings (Oviraptor, Archaeopteryx, Elaphrosaurus, etc). Don;t expect this textbook to show up on ebay or even at your local stores. Get it if you're a completist or a dino technician or not convinced that birds are related to dinos. ... Read more

Book Description

Located at the southwest corner of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, Lothagam represents one of the most important intervals in African prehistory. Early human remains are restricted in distribution to Africa and the acquisition of an upright bipedal striding gait, the hallmark of humanity, appears to be at least circumstantially linked to the reduction of equatorial forests and the spread of grasslands on that continent. The diverse Lothagam fauna documents the end-Miocene transition from forested to more open habitats that were exploited by grazing horses and antelopes, hippos, giant pigs, and true elephants. It also includes spectacularly complete fossil carnivore skeletons and some of the oldest human remains.

Reviews (3)

Welcome to the Ice Age!
North America, more than 10,000 years ago, was a very interesting place. Gaint ground sloths, dwarf wolly mommoths, Nebrasks camels (weighing about a ton) and saber-toothed cats are just some of the bizarre animals you will find within the covers of this book. Ice Age Mammals of North America tries to give you a very balanced look at not just the big and hairy, but the more common creatures. Lions, wolves, bears, seals, porcupines, goats, beavers and deer to name just a few.
The book begins with what North America was like, why we think ice ages are triggered, goes into detail about the many different animals (which takes up much of the book) and then tells us about the extinction of the megamammals (plus the debates about WHY extinctions happen at all).
There are lots of photos and colorful illustrations, sidebars full of fact, lots of humor, a list of museums, fossil sites and websites you can visit. It also has a detailed glossary, bibliography and index. Great for adults and kids.
Ian M. Lange really enjoyed doing this work, you can tell, and Dorothy S. Norton's work really helped bring many of the animals to life.

The latest understanding modern-day science has
Ice Age Mammals Of North America by Ian M. Lange informatively presents the latest understanding modern-day science has of the North American mammals that thrived during the Ice Age. Diagrams, color illustrations by Dorothy S. Norton, and a wealth of knowledge of species both extinct and enduring fill the pages of this educational resource, written for young adults, and very highly recommended as a fascinating introduction to wildlife of thousands of years gone by for readers of all ages.

Absolutely Excellent, even if title is misleading
This book is the premier introduction to the Ice Age, and its now-extinct animals, for the uninitiated reader. It is also an excellent work for the serious student or teacher. The art work is superb, the photographs and diagrams are well chosen, and have the additional bonus of actually following the well-written, easily readable text. This saves the reader the burden of having to leaf back and forth as the book is studied. In short, whether you want to read about the Ice Age for serious study or just have pleasure learning about fascinating animals and times, this your book.

Now to content: Although the book's title and cover seem to indicate it is about animals only, the first half of the book covers, in a lively, interesting fashion, the various ways the Ice Age may have started, what the glaciers did and how they form, move, and melt, what the climate was like, and a hundred other things that are necessary to truly understand what occurred during this significant period of geological time. Well-chosen inserts explain particular matters.

The second half of the book covers the mammals of the Ice Age, with particular emphasis on those living in North America. In addition to the inevitable mammoths and saber-toothed cats, such relatively unknown creatures as the giant short-faced bear, scimitar cat, American lion, Florida cave bear, shrub ox, giant camel, and stag-moose, among many others, are each afforded extensive treatment. The section on toothless animals such as the giant armadillo, the various kinds of enormous ground sloth, etc., is simply one of a kind. You will be amazed and thrilled as you read about each creature in turn, especially as to its size, its diet, where it lived, and its appearance.

The book closes, somewhat sadly, with a broad, yet concise examination on why many of these creatures went extinct so suddenly, and man appears to be a primary culprit. Other potential causes are addressed as well.

A particularly fine feature is a comprehensive list of museums, parks, and sites across the United States where you may go to see the remains of these animals or learn more about them. An excellent bibliography is supplied at the end.

I have read about, and been fascinated by, Ice Age animals for many years, and I can assure you this is the most enjoyable book I have ever seen on the matters I have discussed. The information presented incorporates the latest studies, and is painstakingly accurate. Authors Lange and Norton are to be highly commended on a great book. I recommend it highly. ... Read more

Book Description

This new text provides an integrated view of the forces that influence the patterns and rates of vertebrate evolution from the level of living populations and species to those that resulted in the origin of the major vertebrate groups. The evolutionary roles of behavior, development, continental drift, and mass extinctions are compared with the importance of variation and natural selection that were emphasized by Darwin. It is extensively illustrated, showing major transitions between fish and amphibians, dinosaurs and birds, and land mammals to whales. No book since Simpson's Major Features of Evolution has attempted such a broad study of the patterns and forces of evolutionary change. Undergraduate students taking a general or advanced course on evolution, and graduate students and professionals in evolutionary biology and paleontology will find the book of great interest. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Major Work on Evolution refutes Gould
This is a very extensive treatment of evolution, mostly focused on vertebrate evolution. It is a very detailed and up-to-date discussion of all the effects that influence evolution, not just natural selection. Recent finds illustrate the major transitions from fish to amphibian, from dinosaur to bird, from land mammal to whale. It also is a polemic book, aimed at debunking the theories of S. J. Gould.

While the constraints of development and mass extinctions are taken into account, the book still shows the importance of Darwinian selection, even with respect to speciation, a fact denied by Gould and his followers.

This is an advanced book, aimed at advanced undergraduate students, graduate students and professionals. It is not a coffee-table book on vertebrate evolution, like Carroll's previous "Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution", but it is well illustrated and clear enough to be of interest to non-specialists.

A short review cannot do this book justice. The amount of information presented is enormous. This is the first attempt of a grand synthesis since Simpson's "Major Features of Evolution". Simpson's book was also a polemic work, aimed at the German paleontologist Schindewolf (even if this is not clear from the text, since Schindewolf was not explicitly quoted and his works had not been published in English at the time.) Not surprisingly, Gould was somehow influenced by Schindewolf and introduced a translation of his work. The fight for the correct understanding of evolution has to be fought again every generation!

It is unfortunate that Gould became the official writer on evolution for the educated non-specialists (at least in the USA). This book is a good antidote, but is much harder to read that the Conway Morris book (The Crucible of Creation). If you can get through it, though, it is very rewarding.

Evolution - the big picture
This reference starts off by noting problems in evolutionary theory, particularly that while short-term microevolution shows Darwinian characteristics, long-term macroevolution based on the fossil record does not, with species suddenly appearing and then persisting for long periods with few changes. Vertebrates are proposed as a model for studying evolution, noting that they are a monophyletic group, have sexual reproduction, share a similar body plan, and most importantly have an excellent fossil record. While the knowledgeable reader will find this reference interesting in its integration of the forces affecting vertebrate evolution, the more general reader will find a variety of topics from fundamentals of population genetics to evolutionary development to the origins of major vertebrate groups, useful reading. ... Read more

Book Description

Traces the geological changes in the Northeast since North America perched on the equator and dinosaurs were young. Includes Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachussetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Can't put it down
I was assigned this book to read by Raymo himself for his Earth Science college course. After buying all my books for the semester, I was looking through the pile. As an English major, I found it strange to be so drawn to a science book. I ended up reading the whole book that night, before the class even started. The beauty of Raymo is that he writes science like poetry.

Excellent read
I bought this book to learn more about the geologic history of New England. I was really surprised at how well written and informative this book ended up being. The first chapter alone nicely explains the Continental Drift Theory and Plate Tectonics. Later chapters tackled more complicated concepts but again did a nice job of summarizing the major aspects of how New England has changed and developed over time. This is a handy reference guide for graduate students or a great supplemental text for a high school Earth Science Honors class. A must read for anyone interested in geology. ... Read more

Book Description

As the Victorians excavated the earth to create canals and railways in the early part of the nineteenth century, geological discoveries brought to light new narratives of the prehistoric, ideas that resounded in British society, art, and literature of the period. This engaging and generously illustrated book explores the Victorian fascination with all things prehistoric.

Michael Freeman shows how men and women were both energized and unsettled by the realization that the formation of the earth over hundreds of millions of years and Darwin’s theories about the origins of life contradicted what they had read in the Bible. He describes the rock and fossil collecting craze that emerged, the sources of inspiration and imagery discovered by writers and artists, and the new importance of geologists and paleontologists. He also discusses the cathedral-like museums that sprang up in cities and towns, shrines to all that was progressive in the age but still clothed in the trappings of traditional ideas.

Michael Freeman, supernumerary fellow and lecturer in human geography at Mansfield College, Oxford, is also the author of Railways and the Victorian Imagination, published by Yale University Press.
... Read more

Reviews (5)

Buyer Rejoice!!!
The reviewer who wrote under the title of "Buyer Beware" is badly informed if he/she thinks that people who study fossils are "archaeologists." In fact, archaeologists study the remains of past people, while paleontologists study fossils.

Dr. Robin Brown is indeed a retired medical doctor, but as an accomplished avocational paleontologist, he is one of the most respected experts on Florida's fossils in the state. He works regularly with paleontologists of the Florida Museum of Natural History (Florida's official natural history museum), and he has contributed numerous important fossil specimens to that institution.

If you are interested in an authoritative, easy-to-read, and beautifully illustrated guide to Florida's fossils, Robin Brown's book is for you.

Great Field Guide!
This great book sorts out the confusing and often contradictory jumble of fossils one finds when hunting in Florida. It is the only trade book available that does this. PLUS it has a fabulous section of photographs for help in identification. Whatever else he is, the author is a man of science!

Buyer Beware!!!
After reading this book, I am compelled to warn other would-be buyers to save their money. This is a book that does not live up to its title and seems to be riddled with factual and syntactical errors. Moreover, when I researched the author, I was intrigued to find out he is not an archaeologist or scholar at all but rather an M.D.(ENT) masquerading as an expert in archaeology. And, to top it off, it appears that the book is published by a press that specializes in travel books and cook books, not in serious subjects like archaeology. For those interested in the archaeology of Florida, I recommend the numerious well-written and well-researched books by the experts at the University of Florida or Florida State. Dr. Brown, the ear, nose and throat specialist, is simply out of his element in this book.

Best Florida Fossil Guide
A timeless gem! This informative guide from Robin C. Brown will make Florida's past come to life, whether you're an amateur or professional paleontologist. The photos are large, clear and ideal for comparing your finds, and the text is concise and easy to understand. You might need two copies: one for the field and one for your home or office.

A classic book that should be a part of your library
Excellent discussion of Florida's paleo past and photographs of typical Florida fossils make this book an indispensable tool for the Florida fossil enthusiast. I've worn my copy out by going back to it so often! ... Read more

Book Description

In 1801, the first complete mastodon skeleton was excavated in the Hudson River Valley, marking the climax of a century-long debate in America and Europe over the identity of a mysterious creature known as the American Incognitum. Long before the dinosaurs were discovered and the notion of geological time acquired currency, many citizens of the new republic believed this mythical beast to be a ferocious carnivore, capable of crushing deer and elk in its "monstrous grinders." During the American Revolution, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson avidly collected its bones; for the founding fathers, its massive jaws symbolized the violence of the natural world and the emerging nation's own dreams of conquest.

Paul Semonin's lively history of this icon of American nationalism focuses on the link between patriotism and prehistoric nature. From the first fist-sized tooth found in 1705, which Puritan clergyman claimed was evidence of human giants, to the scientific racialism associated with the discovery of extinct species, Semonin traces the evangelical beliefs, Enlightenment thought, and Indian myths which led the founding fathers to view this prehistoric monster as a symbol of nationhood.

Semonin also sees the mystery of the mastodon in early America as a cautionary tale about the first flowering of our narcissistic fascination with a prehistoric nature ruled by ferocious carnivores. As such, American Monster offers fresh insights into the genesis of the ongoing fascination with dinosaurs. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Dig it
I bought and read this book because I recognized the name of the author as initiator extraordinaire in the '60s and '70s of two art forms, unnamed, unfunded, and unreviewed then, whose practitioners today reap the rewards of what foundations and critics deem "hot:"performance art and appropriation art. Both forms blur the lines between everything and make you see the world with which you know you are quite familiar in ways that would never have occurred to you before and as a result of which you see everything differently thereafter.Semonin started both trends under several other names which he doesn't refer to on his book jacket and his publisher doesn't either.So I will leave that mystery to readers curious enough to dig it out for themselves.What Semonin, the artist, gave artists who "got" it,
Semonin, the scholar, gives scholars who "get" the American Monster. Read it as a scholarly work of art, as artful scholarship, savor the surprises of accompanying our American forebears' digging their mystery, the root of our popular culture.

A Wonderful Blend of Science and History
This book was a delight! The author recreated in a wonderful style the amazing story of the earliest finds of large American fossils along the Hudson River and the Kentucky frontier, the scientist-naturalists of the time, how they worked and thought, and how it all fits into our early United States history. This book bridges several disciplines.As an environmental geologist I loved learning how a niche of my science fits into the historical scene.I recommend this book to scientists, university science classes, and the interested reader to add social and historic breadth to science understanding. How many scientists know of Thomas Jefferson's role in these early fossil debates?And, this book weaves together hundreds of details and several stories that tie religion, exploration, and social science theories to science.To top it off, there are 50 stunning illustrations. One of my favorites is the 1756 drawing of a "giant grinder" by the French mineralogist Jean Etienne Guettard. In this Internet age of instant communication it amazed me to realize that it sometimes took a year or more for scientists to share their data and theories on the "American Monster".

American Monster
In his preface, the author quotes his wife as saying, "Don't ramble-get to the point."Semonin never takes her advice and thus this is a book that should have been no more than half as long as this disjointed collection of digressions.There are really several stories in this book.I wish the author had decided which one he wanted to tell.Semonin can be an engaging storyteller and the discovery of fossil mastodon bones in North America came at a formative stage in American history.Too badthe author didn't find an editor who was willing to make him take his wife's advice.

American Monster
For anyone interested in how today's myths of the prehuman past came to be, this book is essential.There ar more than 30 pages of footnotes, as well as a lengthy bibliography, but American Monster is written for general readers as well as specialists.Semonin's style is fluid, well-paced, and rich in detail yet precise, and would be the envy of a novelist. ... Read more

Book Description

As one of the world's most popular cultural activities, wild animal collections have been attracting visitors for 5,000 years. Under the direction of Vernon N. Kisling, an expert in zoo history, an international team of authors has compiled the first comprehensive, global history of animal collections, menageries, zoos, and aquariums. Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Zoological Gardens documents the continuum of efforts in maintaining wild animal collections from ancient civilizations through today.Although historical research on zoos and aquariums is still at a rudimentary stage, this book pulls together regional information along with the cultural aspects of each region to provide a foundation upon which further research can be based. It presents a chronological listing of the world's zoos and aquariums and features many never-before published photographs. Sidebars present supplementary information on pertinent personalities, events, and wildlife conservation issues. As an overview of the current state of our knowledge, Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections to Zoological Gardens provides an extensive, chronological introduction to the subject and highlights the published and archival resources for those who want to know more. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Zoo can get Hot! "Archives of Natural History"
Congratulations on a fine book that really does fill a long-standing gap in the historical literature! Needless to say, I hope it sells well, and gets rave reviews! It deserves them.

The Ultimate Guide to Zoo and Aquarium History
As a zoo and aquarium history enthusiast, I have yet to find a book that covers the broad history of zoos and aquariums worldwide. This book fills that niche. Many U.S. zoos are issuing history books celebrating their centennials and Hoage's book covers the transition from menagerie to zoo in the 19th century. Neither the centennial books nor Hoage's book cover zoos and aquariums from ancient times to the present continent by continent. The chapters cover ancient Chinese "Intelligence Gardens" and early zoos as places where rulers could showcase animals captured from newly conquored lands. We learn about the development of the travelling menageries, 18th and 19th century zoos as living museums for scholars, and the political and social climates that transformed them into institutions of public education, recreation, research, and, mostly in the late 1900s, as centers for conservation. This is the first time I have seen anything in print about the history of African zoos and many of the Asian ones. The chapters are well-researched and well-referenced. Many of the references are hard to find or in foreign languages. Mixed in with brief histories of the individual institutions are little-known stories such as the arrival of the first Giant panda to the U.S., the first female zoo director, and how war affected zoos and aquariums all over the world. The photos selected by the authors clearly illustrate points made in the text.

The authors are well-qualified to tell these tales. Vernon Kisling, the editor and an author, spearheaded the History Task Force for the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums and represents North America to the Bartlett Society (an international zoo history group).

In summary, zoos and aquariums have played and continue to play a vital role in how man interacts with other species. They can foster an attitude of empathy or domination. Their histories are rich and varied. This book is a valuable resource to anyone interested in zoos and aquariums, the history of the natural sciences, or anthrozoology (human-animal relationship studies).

A gap well filled
"Zoo and aquarium history" is the most comprehensive book in probably any language on the history of wild animals in captivity since publication of Gustave Loisel's three-volume "Histoire des ménageries" back in 1912. In this one volume, zoo historians from five continents and eight countries offer a region-by-region account of the development of menageries, zoological gardens and (to a lesser extent) aquaria since the Renaissance. Ancient and mediaeval collections worldwide are covered well by the book's editor Vernon Kisling in the first chapter. The various authors approach their task along different paths, for the most part more narrative than reflective, and not all chapters, unfortunately, are equally good.

Zoos in Europe have been best chronicled in the past, although obviously not always in English, and the three European chapters may not offer anything really new to the well-read zoo nerd. The book's division of Europe into Great Britain (including Ireland, which may not be well appreciated by proud Irishmen and -women), Western Europe, and East-central and eastern Europe appears to be somewhat arbitrary, although it may have made sense from an American viewpoint looking at Europe during the Cold War. Nevertheless, as an introduction to European zoo history for the uninitiated, all three chapters carry their weight.

The excellent chapters by Ken Kawata on the history of zoos in Japan and Sally Walker on that of India offer genuinely new literature (at least in English); together they're worth the price of the book alone. Australia too is well covered. The chapter on South America has a decidedly Brazilian bias to it, and the one on Africa concentrates on Egypt and South Africa (Cape and Cairo, so to speak), so although neither is really comprehensive, interesting material certainly is in there. The development of zoos and aquaria in the United States is nicely reviewed by Kisling. The book has left only one space completely white on the map: Canada. The reason is not obvious; Canadian zoos have a history too. The editor, of course, could only include chapters for which he was able to find competent writers, and as the book, as good as it is, hardly promises to be a best-seller, their reward will be more likely be idealistic than mammonish.

"Zoo and aquarium history" is a must in any zoo and natural history library, but it is also highly recommended to anyone interested in reading a history of what remains one of the most popular institutions of recreation and public education, science and conservation in the world. On the subject, there's no better book in print. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (13)

Cool
Trilobites are my favorite fossil but I never knew much about the animal. I chanced across this book and loved it! It is a great introduction to trilobites, but it's not light reading. I'd recommend this to anyone who is interested in or might be interested in trilobites.

Classic welcome to trilobite diversity
Levi-Setti's book was my first eye-opening entry into the incredible richness of ancient life forms that trilobites represent. There are some species in this book that belong in the best works that science-fiction can offer, and for the budding paleontologist there is a taste of the science and the art that combine to make that particular discipline so enticing to the public. My copy is so well used I'll have to get another some day soon! Levi-Setti's book is a true classic that anyone interested in ancient life forms will enjoy.

Makes a Great Gift for Kids Interested in Science
because, like Watson's "Double Helix," it shows the structure of discovery & the passion behind it.

Trilobites galore
The first edition of this book (CH, Dec'75) received an enthusiastic response, and deservedly so. Levi-Setti, professionally a noted physicist, produced an atlas of exquisite macrophotographs of several hundred trilobites from worldwide localities. This new edition continues the reputation of the first and includes a chapter by the author on the discovery of the giant Paradoxides from a shale bed exposed in the gorge of the Manuels River, on the coast of Conception Bay, Eastern Newfoundland. He correlates this with Middle Cambrian strata found today in Wales and Scandinavia. The clarity of detail in the photographs is breathtaking. A short appendix details the techniques of the photography and the specimen preparation involved in this study, and will be very valuable to scholars. Be warned--the techniques are arduous and time consuming. The atlas itself is divided into sections that roughly correspond to the geologic period when specific genera were present, and a listing of all known trilobite families is included. The captions give detailed taxonomic and stratigraphic information as well as general and nontechnical details. In some cases, drawings are included to stress specific features. This reviewer particularly welcomes the new edition, since his copy of the first edition has become totally dog-eared from a generation of students fascinated by its contents. General; undergraduate; graduate.

Fascinating
If you love trilobite fossils this book is essential and wonderful. The photographs of fossil specimens are presented in chronological order and are simply breathtaking. Time and again I've returned to this classic for review or just to look at the dazzling variety of trilobites that have been carefully photographed. And what I really like about the book is that it makes it easy to share with family and friends just what is fascinating about this ancient creature. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In 1985, a Chicago hair stylist named John Lanzendorf bought a sculpture of a Tyrannosaurus rex on a whim. Fifteen years later, he had added more than 420 pieces to that initial purchase, assembling a collection that, paleontologist Philip Currie writes, "is the envy of many museums," and that one day doubtless will form the core of a museum collection itself.

Cataloguing only a portion of Lanzendorf's holdings, Dinosaur Imagery joins works by painters, animators, and sculptors, such as John Gurche, Donna Braginetz, and Gary Staab, with extended captions by paleontologists such as Michael Brett-Surman (Smithsonian Institution) and Mark Norell (American Museum of Natural History). The works of art range from the rigorously representational to the occasionally playful (but, fortunately, seldom kitschy), and there are some wonderful finds among them. The texts are revealing; it will come as news to many readers that the ancestor of the aforementioned T. rex may well have sported feathers (its posture, recent anatomical studies suggest, also resembled that of a chicken), that theropods hunted in packs, that sauropods traveled in herds, and that "the extinction of dinosaurs, although scientific dogma for decades, is now recognized as taxonomic illusion."

This well-made book is manna for fans of dinosaurs and dinosauriana, and an ideal gift for budding paleontologists. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (6)

I wish...
...I had this man's collection! But, short of that impossible dream, this book is the next best thing. John Lanzendorf shares his more than impressive collection of dinosaur art with dinosaur lovers the world over. From some of the better know "paleo-artists" (James Gurney, Mark Hallett) to others I, personally, have only discovered thanks to this edition. It is an interesting expedition to discover the various interpretations of the same dinosaur by different artists; Tyrannosaurus, bulky or lean? Raptors with feathers? Amazing stuff...

The best dinosaur art collection available
Well,I did received this book for my birthday,and guess if I was happy!It is probably the best birthday gift I've ever received.
The title sounds exciting and suggestive,and so is the book itself. It features parts of the Lanzendorf Collection,which is the largest dinosaur art collection in the world. This 160-page book features about 20 per cent of the collection,but it is still amazingly much. Of course,it would be impossible to collect all dinosaur art beeing made today,but if anyone did,John Lanzendorf would be the one to do it. His apartment contains only dinosaur collectibles and artwork - no other decorations!That must be a really amazing home to live in!
With this book,I have the option to view some of the work hanging there. Although this book has some pictures of beautifull,triassic dinosaurs and jurassic ones as well,it focuses mainly on the cretaceous period,which is called "A Cretaceous End to A Lost World". And that is may be because most of the really fantastic dinosaurs lived during the mid-late cretaceous. There are a lot of pictures of T-rex,which is particulary my favorite dinosaur,and the most inspiring one in this book. Some of the other amazing dinosaurs featured here are Sinsauropteryx,Carnotaurus,Lambeosaurus,and many more.
It does have some inspiring,peacefull pictures of plant-eaters,although the pictures of theropods are the highlights.
Each artist has their own,unique style. John Sibbick has an immidiate sense of detail,and is one of the best. Luis Rey has a little sense of surrealism in his detailed,a little strange paintings. Mark Hallet has the classical style in dinosaur painting. John Bindon is the master of black/white dinosaur art.
Donna Braginetz always make it feel so real you believe they are really there!
Of course,the bronze sculptures makes a nice addition to the artwork,and they look very real. Must be nice decorations!
Over all,the combination of the artists`s different talents makes this book a wonderfull coffee-table book,and a unique collection of dinosaur art that should be a part of every paleontologist`s or dinosaur maniac`s library. I know it is quite expensive,but believe me,it`s worth every penny you spend on it!It has been very helpfull to me when learning to paint good dinosaurs,and the different talents makes me take little inspiration from every painting in the book.
So,if you like dinosaurs seriously,this is a must-have!No dinosaur artist should be without a copy of this book.

the beauty of paleoart
This is one of the finest dino-art books I've come across to date. Johns collection is by far amazingly complete in regard to his T-Rex's. Beatuful work by all the artists and excellent job of collecting them by John. Highly recommend this book for any collector.

A beautiful blend of art and science
Dinosaur Imagery: The Science of Lost Worlds and Jurassic Art is as unique as the art collection which it mirrors. Academic Press is to be commended for presenting these images from John Lanzendorf's private collection to an extremely receptive public. This book is a testament to the dynamic beauty of paleo art and sculpture which has allied the dinosaurs of the past with admirers in the present.

The high quality photos of the paintings and sculptures are accompanied by substantial commentary on the subject matter either by the artists or by experts on the particular species. Much more than a coffee table book, it can also be used as a reference book, with the works of the finest paleo artists illustrating the science. The groupings and progression make a visual statement as to why John Lanzendorf continues to acquire these images and Academic Press and the Field Museum of Natural History are successfully displaying the collection.

Dinosaur Imagery also includes contact information (e-mail/web page addresses) for many of the artists and scientists who contributed to the variety and theme of the book, thus linking scientific imagination with the interactive cyber world.

The Lanzendorf Collection: Most Impressive!
Dinosaur Imagery: The Science of Lost Worlds and Jurassic Art (The Lanzendorf Collection) is as impressive a volume as its title is long. Mr. Lanzendorf has been collecting dinosaur art since 1985 and has now amassed a collection of 420 pieces including paintings, drawings and sculptures. The book presents less than 20% of his assemblage, but the that is enough to make the average dino-buff drool with envy. All the pieces included in the book represent the latest ideas concerning these creatures with the exception of a magnificent bronze recreation of the Tyrannosaurus from the 1933 movie King Kong. While readers will recognize several of the paintings from publication in prior dinosaur books, many are presented here for the first time. This reader found the sculptures in this volume to be even more exciting than the pictures. Particularly stunning are the bronzes of various carnivores such as the 1/8 scale Giganotosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus, each one mounted on a base shaped like the continent on which it was found (South America and Africa respectively). I could go on, but it's better to let others discover the joys of this book for themselves. Hopefully Mr. Lanzendorf allows visitors to come and marvel at his collection as it would be worth a trip to Chicago for that alone. ... Read more

Book Description

In a captivating blend of extreme science and historical sleuthing, veteran journalist Tom Koppel tells the inside story of the quest to discover who first settled in the New World -- and how and when they did it.

For decades the issue seemed moot. The first settlers, we were told, were big-game hunters who arrived from Asia at the end of the Ice Age some 10,000 years ago, crossing a land bridge in the Bering Strait and migrating south through an ice-free passage between two great glaciers blanketing the continent. But after years of sifting through data from diverse and surprising sources, the maverick scientists whose stories Lost World follows have found evidence to overthrow the "big-game hunter" scenario and reach a startling and controversial conclusion: The first people to arrive in North America did not come overland; the came along the coast by water.

Now, for the first time, an award-winning journalist details these provocative discov-eries as he accompanies the archaeologists, geologists, biologists, and paleontologists on their intensive search. Writing with crisp and often suspenseful prose, author Tom Koppel takes readers along with the scientists under the sea, into caves, and out to the remote offshore islands of Alaska, British Columbia, and California. Presenting detailed and growing evidence for ancient coastal migration, he shows how new methods of dating, underwater imaging, and biochemical analysis support conclusions based on more traditional scientific inquiry.

Lost World is driven by an eloquent and powerful narrative that brings to life the rich existence of daring maritime pioneers, a sea-faring people who survived in food-laden refuges on the fringes of retreating coastal glaciers. By accompanying the key scientists on their intensive search and recounting with vivid immediacy the risks and failures along with the satisfactions and breakthroughs, Koppel brings to life the quest for that Holy Grail of New World prehistory, the first peopling of the Americas. A fascinating book full of larger-than-life personalities, timeless mysteries, and astonishing discoveries, Lost World is science writing at its best. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Interesting but unnecessarily wordy
This book is well written and the ideas presented are well developed and clear. The descriptions of the excavations and the dating of artifacts are exciting. The only shortcoming which discouraged me from giving the book five stars is the fact that there's a lot of seemingly unnecessary and unrelated text that detracts from the main theme and flow of ideas in the book, e.g., the Baron of beef au jus incident; I fully agree with the Publishers Weekly's review on this issue. Otherwise, the book is informative in presenting an alternative view, and related evidence, as to the mechanics of how the New World was populated by humans.

Lost World
Tom Koppel's new book, Lost World, is a wonderful narrative but packed with treasures of information as well. It is his personal journey with very talented and resourceful archaeologists and their colleagues. At the same time it is a credible account of their discoveries, and sometimes disappointments.

Setting the record right with respect to the western coastal settlement is only one of his accomplishments. Also he has performed a service that is beyond measure organizing into a single volume a myriad of important facts from diverse sources.

Having read many of the scientific and scholarly works relating to this subject, I must state that none has been as interesting, unbiased, forthright, unembellished and evenhanded as has Tom Koppel's book.

Louis C. Sheppard, Ph.D., D.I.C.

solid info in detective-novel form
An avid, but often "challenged" reader of science, philosophy, and culture, I value clear writing above all things. Tom Koppel's explanations of radiocarbon dating, and of all the other methods of modern archaeology, were so step-by-step and lucid that even I, techno-dummy, understood them PAINLESSLY, without my customary cerebral seize-up.

On top of that, without losing any accuracy or "rigor," Koppel weaves the story like a mystery writer, seasoning necessarily slower passages with hints at just-around-the-bend revelations. And he recaps just enough to keep us straight with the story, not enough to annoy.

With documentary flair reminiscent of John McPhee's work, the guy gives the facts AND the color, always in historical perspective.

I learned and enjoyed, which is all I ask of a book.

Thus..... five stars.

Great Read . . . Even If You're Not a Science Geek
LOST WORLD is a great read. It ranks right up there with anything that Krackauer has done. Koppel's writing is brisk and dramatic, an intelligent page turner. I'm an ecclectic reader and an armchair adventurer at best, but I was immediately captivated by these stories of extreme science. Three cheers for Koppel. And five stars for LOST WORLD!

Compelling Read . . . Even If You're Not a Science Geek
LOST WORLD is a great book. It ranks right up there with anything that Krackauer has done. Koppel's writing is brisk and dramatic, an intelligent page turner. I'm an ecclectic reader and an armchair adventurer at best, but I was immediately captivated by these stories of extreme science. Three cheers for Koppel. Five stars for LOST WORLD! ... Read more

Book Description

Just 50,000 years ago the world was filled with fabulous creatures that are now forever gone. Australia’s giant lizard, Megalania, was one of those. These frightful beasts could reach 19 feet in length and weigh as much as a polar bear. On their home turf they were top dog, and it was the rare animal that dared to challenge them. Dragons in the Dust tells the story of these amazing lizards and the world in which they lived. The book explores the Pleistocene, the time of the ice ages. While mammals ruled elsewhere, in Australia reptiles held their dominance. Large monitor lizards survive to this day, but the discovery of fossil remains of Megalania revealed that their ancestors were true giants and formidable predators. How scientists have reconstructed the way these animals lived and what factors encouraged their evolution make up part of the story. What caused their extinction remains a mystery, and one that makes an intriguing conclusion to this portrait of a true dragon of the past. ... Read more

Book Description

Would you like to go beyond a focus on taxonomy and anatomy of major phyla of fossil invertebrates and include some of the exciting ideas of paleobiology?This book, by noted author Donald R. Prothero, is the first to combine paleobiology with paleontology topics. Written in a manner that will not intimidate, this is an accessible text for students with limited backgrounds in geology or biology. Current ideas from modern biology, ecology, population genetics, and many other concepts will be applied to the study of the fossil record. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Bringing Fossils to Life by D. Prothero
I have not read this book yet (for my fall class in college), but I am happy with the professional courtesy that I received during shipment. I would buy books from the seller again. The book description was accurate and as expected for a used text book. I am happy with my purchase. Thank you.

not bad at all
Like a fellow reviewer, I also took the a class from Don Prothero (using this book, obviously) at Caltech, and I actually did hear his voice reading the book back at us. The book is fairly detailed for a general class, while still maintaining excellent readability, since Don uses a very conversational tone. It should be enough for an undergraduate interested in the subject. He also includes classic research experiments along with the descriptive passages and offers rare insight into what paleontologists do besides looking at specimens.

For the advanced specialist in geobiology, something more detailed would probably be necessary, but if you're simply interested in knowing about fossils and paleontology theory, this book is not bad at all.

You could not find a better book
This book has got to be one of the finest introductory paleontonlogy books on the market. I actually took Paleontology class from Don Prothero and found that this book was an excellent guide and very well written. At times I could hear his vocie reading the chapters to me. Thre are considerable references to outside sources and Don does an excellent job of removing many of the rote memorization that introductory books of this type often have. Some sections appear to be dwelled on for much longer than seems necessary, but about a week later you find yourself realizing that those subjects really are deserving of the in depth coverage they recieve. I cannot heap enough praise on this book.

Davosaurus
Excellent coverage of both the biological and geological aspects of this most fascinating science. Well illustrated with both 'further readings' and bibliography. Includes glossary. An essential text suitable for both the interested enthusiast and first/second year university students. ... Read more

Book Description

This overview and introduction to the study of fossilinvertebrates emphasizes both soft and skeletal anatomy, as well as the relationshipbetween those known only from fossils and animals living today. It lays the foundation for studentsU eventual abilities to (1) recognize many of the mostabundant fossils, (2) appreciate their value in interpreting ancient environments ofdeposition, and (3) use them as tools for stratigraphic correlation. ... Read more

Book Description

The beautiful spiral shells of these long-extinct marine invertebrates are among the most sought after and recognizable of fossils, yet little has been published about ammonites outside of geological journals. Neale Monks and Philip Palmer look at the latest ideas on ammonite biology and ecology to present this detailed picture of a once diverse and widespread group of animals. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Interesting but could be better
The book has superb photographs, both black and white and color.
The extended discussion of the attempts to establish what ammonite biology might have been like by comparing them with living and dead realative was fascinating.

On the negative side, I missed any discussion of the human context of ammonites. When were they first noticed? What was the process of ascertaining what they really were? As a non-specialist, I could have done with less information on the history and details of various species.

Overall, while worth reading, this book suffers in comparison with Richart Fortley's book Trilobite. ... Read more