Customer Reviews

Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals (Smithsonian Handbooks)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Truthfully, I wasn't very impressed with this one. It tries to be a good book, really it does... it just isn't. There are some places where the text is obviously (at least to me) inaccurate, the size scales are frequently inaccurate, and I wasn't very impressed with the CG illustrations. Some of these appear to be actual three-dimensional models (like the marine reptile on the cover), while others appear to have been created at least partly through photo manipulation. Frankly, I could have done a better job than the artist(s) did in many cases; they pasted an ostrich's head and beak on Aepyornis, for instance. Which is not only sloppy, it's completely inaccurate as far as what the animal should look like. Was being able to put "high tech" computer art in the book really worth sacrificing accuracy?

All in all, I rate this book with a fairly nondescript "meh". I've seen worse, but it isn't that great, and I was sorry I'd paid $25 for it. If you really have to have it, buy it used, or better yet, see if you can find it at your local library.

i havent read a whole book since graduate school but have never stopped learning about things. we have the entire collection and i now devour them cover to cover. i purchased almost all of them on Amazon for $5-$13 each (verses the $20 cover price). my kids and i LOVE to read these books and learn about the rocks, fossils and nature we find camping and fishing.

When I was looking at the book in the website, I thought is might be interests to those who are interested in dinosaurs. I think that book is good.

It is the best Dinosaur book that I have seen so far in my life.
It has everything.