Dinosaurs
Carl Mehling, editor
Amber Books
Nonfiction, Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life
Themes: Dinosaurs, Encyclopedias
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Description
Since its creation from cosmic debris, the Earth has undergone radical changes. As the planet itself transforms, so the life upon it changes and adapts, in manners that the modern mind can scarcely imagine. Relying on the latest research, theories, and fossil finds, this book outlines various animals that have existed through Earth's long history, from the earliest trilobites to the near-modern woolly mammoths.
Review
I found this at Half Price Books. I've been looking for an updated dinosaur book to add to my inspiration files, and the price was right, so I
gave it a try. This is probably the most extensive book on prehistoric creatures I have found to date. An entry-level book, it covers all sorts of
dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals in a manner that most anyone can understand. Each animal gets at least one page describing how long ago they
lived, what is known or speculated about them, and an illustration of what they might have looked like. The illustrations vary in quality and
accuracy - some directly contradict the written descriptions - but on the whole they add life and color to the book.
I actually came close to a three-star Okay rating. While the breadth of animals covered his is greater than any other book I own, there were several
glaring editing errors. (At least twice, the pronounceation guide cited obsolete names for an animal, rather than the one given.) Some animals got
page count that may not have deserved it; the text itself explains that more than one genus is dubious at best, and even outright disproven at worst.
It also would've been nice to see a few more photographs of the fossils themselves.
Those faults aside, this book also has some definite pluses. It ventures into the "shadow zone," the timeframe between the dinosaurs and modern Earth,
which not many other books seem to cover. It also provides more than one reconstruction of particularly troublesome fossils. The information provided
is fairly up to date, as well.
While it doesn't hold a candle to my all-time favorite dinosaur book (The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs, by Dr. David Norman), I still
found much to enjoy. I have other books that go into more detail on some types of prehistoric animals - the pterosaurs in particular seemed
underrepresented - but, all in all, I found Dinosaurs satisfactory.