Prehistoric Life: The Definitive Visual History of Life on Earth [Hardcover]

DK Publishing (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 5, 2009

With an extensive catalog at its heart, Prehistoric Life profiles hundreds of fascinating species in incredible detail. The story starts in earnest 3.8 billion years ago, with the earliest-known form of life on Earth, a bacteria that still exists today, and journeys through action-packed millennia, charting the appearance of new life forms as well as devastating extinction events. Of course, the ever-popular and endlessly intriguing dinosaurs feature large, but Prehistoric Life gives you the whole picture, and the plants, invertebrates, amphibians, birds, reptiles, and mammals that are the ancestors of today's species also populate its pages, making this book unprecedented in its coverage of prehistory. Specially commissioned artworks use cutting-edge technology to render species in breathtakingly realistic fashion, with astonishing images of prehistoric remains, such as skeletons and fossils, to complete the story. To put all the evidence in context, the concept of geological time is explored, as is the classification of species and how the evidence for their evolution is preserved and can be deciphered.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Condensing millions of years of life on earth into a 512-page single-volume encyclopedia, this ambitious work presents earth’s history from its formation through the Mesolithic period (Middle Stone Age). Divided into three sections, Prehistoric Life begins with a brief look at “Young Earth.” Two-page spreads examine topics such as plate tectonics, fossils, and the geological timescale. The bulk of the volume discusses “Life on Earth” and is divided by era from the Archean through the Quaternary. Each section introduces the plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates (as applicable) representative of that time period. The final section delves into “The Rise of the Humans” and discusses human relatives, ancestors, origins, and migration patterns. Although a wealth of scientific information is provided, the illustrative material is the star of this volume. The collection of full-color photographs of fossils (ranging from spore to dinosaur) and skeletons show amazing detail and clarity. Visitors to a natural history museum could not explore the number of examples contained here. Where actual photographs are obviously not available, DK commissioned 3-D images, “modeled using scientific research” to bring life-forms to the page for readers. Photographs and other images are accompanied by information about the creature such as name, group, date, and location. Scaled images (of either a thumb, a hand, or a human) are used to help readers visualize actual sizes. Geared to adults, this work will find popularity with science enthusiasts and browsers alike. Because of the relatively low cost, public libraries will likely want more than one copy. High schools with a strong science program will want to consider purchase for their library or science department. --Shauna Yusko

Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT; 1 edition (October 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756655730
• ISBN-13: 978-0756655730
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 10.3 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Dinosaurs
  • #66 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Paleontology

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 81 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Home Run for DK October 21, 2009

By Harold W. Miller

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

DK has certainly made a name for itself in producing a long line of visually stunning, reference books. Prehistoric Life is a good example of a genre that DK seemed to have invented. The visuals are perfect. DK has some secret printing method that allows its pictures to be excitedly fine textured and vivid. The writing which could be quite pedestrian is well done and done at a adult level. The material is very current and original. It presented material that was totally new to me: the prototaxites on pages 114-115 which look like an eerie spike that was over 26 feet tall and could be either a plant or a fungus. I also liked that DK didn't dwell on dinosaurs (although it has a lot of material about them) but also spent time on plants and invertebrates. At 512 pages it covers a lot of territory. And at the bargain basement price it carries, if you are going to get one book about ancient life, get this book. My only quibble is that the maps showing the distribution of the continents are needlessly simplified. However, that said, I am going to give this my highest recommendation.

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Huge, Visually Stunning and Informative October 14, 2009

By John Guilbault

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is your typical coffee table book from DK Publishers. Massive in size as well as scope, it covers everything from the beginnings of the planet until we settled down and started farming. With breathtaking CG images as well as real pictures of fossils, "Prehistoric Life" will entrance younger members of the family, while its informative text and nicely-arranged narrative will give adults all the prehistory they can handle. What you have here is a high-quality tome, printed on thick, glossy paper. It gives the impression that you should have paid $100.00 or more for it. Quite a value at the price offered here. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW November 30, 2009

By Bombshelter64

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This work is a masterpiece. It tells the whole story of our planet, life here and the causes and effects of changes through time. It is both highly scientific and highly visual. It should be the founding text of any life sciences curriculum. I can't put it down.