Dinosaurs (Insiders (Simon and Schuster)) [Hardcover]

John Long (Author)

Book Description

Series: Insiders (Simon and Schuster)

INSIDERS -- a visually groundbreaking, state-of-the-art nonfiction series that outshines Eyewitness and Discoveries. This stunning new series offers an inside look into twelve riveting subjects, beginning with Dinosaurs, Egypt, Oceans, and Space. Expertly written, each book will feature an arresting design, complete with dynamic, multi-layered CGI and 3-D model imagery that is complemented by fascinating, up-to-date information presented in a user-friendly format.

Dinosaurs explores every aspect of the time when these real-life monsters ruled the Earth, with illustrations that reveal the layers of dinosaur anatomy, show the process of fossil formation, and explore several well-known species in depth.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Aiming for readers who devour the visually rich nonfiction of DK's Eyewitness series, the Insiders series debuts with Egypt, Oceans, Space, and this title on dinosaurs, sure to be the most popular. The eye-catching qualities of the unjacketed book begin with the embossed, metallic cover and extend to the interior, where unusually realistic renderings of the Mesozoic's denizens dominate each double-page spread. Like others in the series, this follows a two-part format, the first ("Introducing") offering broad background and the second ("In-Depth") going into greater detail about specific topics. For instance, the first section includes paleontological periods, extinction theories, and a striking pictorial time line tracing the first bird archaeopteryx to the earliest feathered dinosaurs. The second section contains profiles of a diverse selection of species, including such popular dinos as Allosaurus, Tryannosaurus, and Triceratops. Throughout, Long finds opportunities to highlight the evolving paleontological consensus: For instance, a sidebar shows four vastly different interpretations of Iguanadon, from depictions that resemble mythical dragons to the less-fanciful view of today. Apart from the lack of information about any scientific rationale behind the reptiles' predominantly gray-green tones, this is an otherwise valuable, high-interest entry in a promising new series, reasonably priced for its detailed content and appealing packaging. Glossary and a dinosaur "family tree" appended. Mattson, Jennifer

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers; First Edition edition (July 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416938575
• ISBN-13: 978-1416938576
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 9.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #517,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Fossils
  • #40 in Books > Children's Books > History > Prehistoric

More About the Author

John Long born in Melbourne and began collecting fossils there at age 7. In 1971 he won the Victorian Science Talent Search major junior division prize for his work on fossils. John graduated with PhD from Monash University in 1984, and spent 6 years as a postdoctoral researcher in palaeontology at universities in Canberra, Perth (as A QEII fellow) and Tasmania before being appointed at the Western Australian Museum in 1989 as Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology. In 2004 John returned to Melbourne as the new Head of Sciences for Museum Victoria. In 2009 he was appointed as the Vice President of Research and Collections at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California.

John's research has focussed on the early evolution of vertebrates (fishes) as well as dinosaurs and general evolutionary theory. He has collected fossils in Antarctica (2 expeditions), Africa, throughout Asia, and has worked extensively in North America and Europe and in every part of Australia. His gruelling expeditions to Antarctica are documented in his book "Mountains of Madness- A Journey Through Antarctica" (Allen & Unwin 2000). He has published over 200 scientific papers and general science articles, and some 28 books. He has named more than 50 new species of prehistoric creatures. His most recent major papers contributed to solving some of the biggest problems in palaeontology- what killed the Australian megafauna, how fish contributed to the origins of the first land animals, and 2 papers on the origins of sex in vertebrates (all 4 published 2006-09 in the journal Nature).

In 2001 John won the prestigious Eureka Prize for the Public Promotion of Science. In 2003 he was awarded the Riversleigh Society Medal for promoting understanding of Australia's prehistoric past. In 2003 his book "Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guina-100 million years of evolution" won a Whitely Award for most popular zoological book. In 2005 his book "Gogo Fish! The Story of the Western Australian State Fossil Emblem" won the Honour Book award for the 2005 Children's Book Council Awards. In 2006 his book "The Big Picture Book, won 2 national awards, and was short-listed for 2 other major childrens's literary awards. In 2008 John won the Australasian Science Prize for his discovery of the world's oldest vertebrate embryos, which also featured in the 2010 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records (under fish).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars we love these books, May 19, 2011

By 

L. Ackermann "3 boys and counting" (minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dinosaurs (Insiders (Simon and Schuster)) (Hardcover)

the pictures and info are a wonderful quality. we have about 10 books form this group of books and intend to get them all.

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly Detailed, May 31, 2008

By 

J. Erik Gray "mocsfan" (CHATTANOOGA, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dinosaurs (Insiders (Simon and Schuster)) (Hardcover)

My 4-year-old loves this highly detailed book about dinosaurs. I learned a thing or two about these beasts as well.