Customer Reviews

Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We've all read the bylines: the public loves dinosaurs. And it's true. But we're also not all that discriminating. As a result, many dinosaur books are very out of date. The Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs is a notable exception to this. Each topic is written not only by a paleontologist, but by a dinosaur paleontologist who specializes in that particular subject. The result? A compendium of information that could otherwise be obtained only by attending perfessional meetings for years. And of course, at professional meetings technical laguage is the norm. Anyone want to decipher "the relevance of the arctometatarsilian pes to the phylogenetic analysis of coelurosaurian theropods"..? The Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs is written plainly and clearly. Any interested adult or teenager could master the knowledge within much easier than, say, highschool algerbra. As a student of paleontology, and someone who has attended numerous professional meetings, I can say with confidence that this book will equip any aspiring paleontologist with the knowledge needed to reach the "next leve" of understanding of the dinosaurs.

When I first received this book for Christmas, I was shocked! The book was the size and weight of a telephone book! It's packed with skeletal drawings, cladograms, paintings... You name it, it's in the text.

If so, then this is the book for you! The Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs is a wonderful, up-to-date book that covers most, if not all, topics concerned with dinosaurs. Well put-together, beautifully illustrated, and written by today's top paleontologists, the Encyclopedia is well worth the price. Although it doesn't get too technical, this book is not for the uninformed. A must have for any serious dino-enthusiast - believe me, it will answer your questions, and lead you to ask more! 5 stars may not be enough for this one! (Plus it's massive enough to knock some sense into the not-so-dino-loving loved one or associate in your life!)

some facts: dimensions 1.57 x 11.22 x 8.82 inch actually, printed on acid-free paper and made to last, containing 275 articles averaging to 3 pages per article, typically 1 to 4 pages. Apart from the normal table of contents there is a.o. a thematic t.o.c. and a glossary with definitions of 600 specialized terms for the benefit of the general reader. Every article has an extensive reference section to facilitate further reading on the subject. The articles themselves are rather scientific, if you can hack this sentence from page 1 ''... both taxa share maxillae with subvertical ascending rami and cervical vertebrae with hypertrophied epipophyses ...'' then this book is for you. Every 'difficult' word is contained in the glossary, but that still doesn't make it good bedtime reading, even more so because I do not find the book heavily illustrated. The illustrations are mostly b&w drawings, diagrams or photographs, with only a few pages of full color photographs or art-work, I estimate that more than half of the pages have no illustration at all.

See all my dinosaur book reviews.

This is an excellent resource for those interested in the weightier matters of dinosaurs. Over 800 pages with over 100 authors, Currie's compilation is still current in 2008.

Set out in encyclopedic fashion, each letter-section has been devoted to a range of topics; not just species of dinosaur. For example, under 'T' the chapters are Taphonomy, Teeth and Jaws, Tendaguru, Tetanurae, Thecodontia, Therizinosauria, Theropoda, Thyreophora, Tooth Marks, Tooth Replacement Patterns, Tooth Serrations in Carnivorous Dinosaurs, Tooth Wear, Trace Fossils, Triassic Period, Troodontidae, Trophic Groups, Trossingen, Two Medicine Formation, Tyrannosauridae.

The chapters on dinosaurs are of the genus, not individual species. This is quite different than most other dinosaur books; which is quite refreshing. After reading mostly about individual dinosaurs in books that have fantastic diagrams or paintings, it is nice to have them compared as a genus in a scientific way without the influence of an artist. For example, the chapter on Tyrannosauridae covers 3 pages with only 2 sketches, one of a Tyrannosaurus skeleton, the other of a labelled skull of a Gorgosaurus. Instead of relying on a bevy of flashy pictures that distract the reader from average writing, the discussion centres on the characteristics of the group as a whole and how they differ from Allosauridae and other therapods in anatomical structure - and what these adaptations mean when constructing a working dinosaur. From the skull to the forearms to feet, the exposition is very thorough. One interesting comparison was made between the length of the neck of Tyrannosaurs, Allosaurs and Ceolophysis as a way to distinguish them.

What impresses me most is the balanced discussion. If there is agreement between experts, this is stated. Also, there is no speculation which leads to something dogmatic - like feathers, but rather, differing viewpoints of scientists working in the field.

I'm very impressed with this book. I have a science degree and the interest to appreciate it. However, it does have a reasonably high level of science - especially technical terms, which renders it unsuitable for under 17/18's who don't have a serious interest in the science of dinosaurs. It also doesn't have many pictures - only 4 lots of colour plates, and even these are not dinosaur art.

It is a great book to have if you want to read serious stuff on dinosaurs.

This is really a good book, with much nice information and artwork (although more art plates may have been a good idea). The numerous articles are written by specialists and that makes the book more up-to-date and interesting than many others. However, articles are very short, so that people will quickly become interested to get more informations. This is possible with references given at the end of each entry.

However, I think this book is a bit too technical for the basal concepts it describes; the style *The Complete Dinosaur* is, I think, more approprite.

This is a great book, considering how huge it is. Being written in 1998, this book has all the current knowledge. There's more info on the actual era and the technical asspects of dinosaurs than the actual dinosaurs. Despite the price, this book is worth it.

Thanks for your product - it's too much good!
It's satisfy my better expectatives...


Have a good day...