[books i've been reading]

The Dinosaur Heresies, by Robert Bakker. "Bakker is undoubtedly the controversial and exciting dinosaurologist of the day. His ideas of active, behaviorly complex, warm-blooded dinosaurs have shaken orthodox views and stimulated both public interest and renewed scientific research. In this book he reviews many of his well-known ideas about dinosaur physiology, feeding habits, running ability, taxonomy, and extinction, and offers tidbits on more minor details, e.g., whether dinosaurs had a gizzard. He writes in a colorful, even impassioned prose more akin to political rhetoric than analytic science." (from Library Journal)

Dinosaurs! by David Norman. "This is a tie-in to the television series of the same name that was shown on the Arts & Entertainment network. Many of the illustrations in this book will be familiar to dinosaur fans since they have often been reprinted elsewhere. However. the text is surprisingly interesting and scientifically sophisticated. Norman is a British paleontologist who was a contributor to the definitive scientific treatise on dinosaurs, The Dinosauria ( LJ 3/15/91). He describes the work of paleontologists as "a detective story," and shows how clues from the fossil record helped develop the current thought on dinosaurs. The subject is treated at a level for general readers, but without oversimplification." (from Library Journal)

The Earth Before the Dinosaurs, by Sebastien Steyer. "This beautiful volume introduces the incredible animals that populated the planet before the Age of the Dinosaurs. Readers voyage to a time, beginning about 370 million years ago, when the first four-footed vertebrates appeared, and ending 200 million years later at the moment when the dinosaurs begin their ascent. During this time, vertebrates emerge from the sea and there appears a parade of animals, each more astonishing than the last. On this expedition, we learn how paleontologists become detectives to understand the history of life and we discover that many widely held ideas about the evolution of species are completely false. Earth before the Dinosaurs is an entertaining and informative guide to an astonishing and little-known world." (from Amazon)

A Field Guide to Dinosaurs, by Henry Gee & Luis V. Rey. "Sensational discoveries during the past decade have shed new light on the most intimate details of dinosaurs’ lives, including their appearance and behavior, their family structures, and their sex lives. The latest dinosaur findings present a far more vivid and complete picture of this extraordinarily successful group of animals than would have been thought possible only a few years ago. Recent findings in South America, Madagascar, Mongolia, China, and Australia have revealed the existence of amazing and exotic dinosaurs. Paleontologist Henry Gee and artist Luis Ray have seamlessly integrated all of the most recent discoveries in the making of this unique book. In A Field Guide to Dinosaurs, Renowned dinosaur artist Luis V. Rey and paleontologist and writer Henry Gee use up-to-the-minute research findings to paint a vivid picture of the dinosaurs’ world. Their unique approach gives readers lifelike portrayals of dinosaurs similar to that of naturalists in the wild, observing living animals of our own era. Readers will experience dinosaurs as living, breathing creatures, with each kind described “from the field” and shown in breathtaking illustrations. Dinosaur physiology is shown in full-color paintings, anatomical sketches, and a host of fascinating incidental detail, much of it never published outside specialist journals. Readers will understand the dinosaurs’ environment in terms of the world’s changing face throughout the 180-million-year extent of the dinosaur-dominated Mesozoic Era, with a detailed, full-color chart that relates the time span of each dinosaur group. The book also includes at-a-glance icons that convey information about different dinosaur groups, including size, taxonomy, geological period, and geographical origins." (from Amazon)

Extreme Dinosaurs, by Luis V. Rey. "Eye-catching illustrations and an enthusiastic text make this an appealing addition. After an introduction focusing on dinosaur evolution, species are grouped by the continent on which they were discovered, including the first fossils found in 19th-century Europe, the first Tyrannosaurus rex in North America, and the 1996 discovery of the feathered Sinosauropteryx in China. Rey's acrylic paintings feature vivid color and light along with action-packed scenes. Some of the illustrations depict dinosaurs from different eras in the same setting, but the author explains his reasons for this, usually related to demonstrating visually the evolution of similar species. The paintings reflect current speculation about ancient reptiles; Rey paints a very birdlike Deinonychus, which some, but not all, scientists now believe may have been possible. Some of the artwork has appeared in other children's titles. The text flows fairly smoothly and the author's fascination with paleontology and art comes through. At times, though, there is an awkward shift between the strictly scientific voice and the more conversational enthusiastic presentation, with an overuse of such words as "bizarre," "strange," and "weird" in dinosaur descriptions. In general, however, the book succeeds as both an appreciation of these fascinating creatures and a useful, up-to-date, and visually attractive resource about a perennially popular topic." (from School Library Journal)