David B. Norman (1) (1952–)

Not a bad book, but a completely misleading title. It is not so much about what we know about dinosaurs, but about how we know what we know about dinosaurs. So if you are interested in paleontology, the history of out ideas about dinosaurs and the modern methods of studying them, this is the book for you. If you just want to know about dinosaurs, you should get something else.

“Dinosaur” is up to the high standards of other DK books, to no great surprise, given that it was co-written by paleontologist David Norman. The book is highly informative and beautifully illustrated with vast numbers of color diagrams and photographs. It is suitable for both adolescents and adults, and any interested in learning more about the great beasts of the Mesozoic. Among the topics considered are the following: history of dinosaur paleontology, the Mesozoic landscape, size show more ranges, “long necked beasts”, dinosaur diets, specializations for defense, dinosaur skin, locomotion, dinosaur footprints, eggs and nests, dinosaur growth, the origin of birds, and extinction. Other sections include “how to find a dinosaur” and “how to build a dinosaur”, and “myths and legends.” The diagrams are beautifully done and interspersed with short paragraphs of informative text. One potential drawback is that this particular edition was published in 1989. As a result, information on dinosaur skin and feathers and the origins of birds is decades out of date. Readers can readily find more recent editions at inexpensive prices. show less

Having just completed the Dino101 MOOC offered by the University of Alberta on Coursera, I wanted to read a bit more about everyone's favorite extinct creatures. It is not surprising that most dinosaur books are directed either at children or at specialists. There is very little at an intermediate level available (besides the excellent The Complete Dinosaur). If you want to learn about dinosaurs you only have the choice between biographies of their discoverers old and new, or picture show more books.

While this title naturally is but another introduction, it at least manages to introduce some of the unresolved issues about dinosaurs: their social life, their eco-systems and also the discussion about endo- or ectothermic nature. Computers as well as new medical equipment allow paleontologists to examine and answer many new questions.

One key message of the book is that the velociraptor shown in Jurassic Park is now actually called Deinonychus. At the time of the filming that animal had been misplaced among the velociraptors, equipping it with a much catchier name. Apart from a memorable physique, a good name is most important for a dinosaur's fate beyond the grave. show less

When it comes to books on dinosaurs, you can usually choose between collections blistered with pictures or weighty scientific tomes with too many words. That's why I really enjoyed this book, as it offers a tour of the Mesozoic age and its terrible lizards. There are enough illustrations (including one stunner showing the viewpoint of raptors trying to evade being stepped on by an enormous sauropod) to keep the reader interested and the text is outstanding.

Although everything we know about show more dinosaurs seems to change every decade, I still pop this volume open when I am looking for dinosaur answers. There be dragons here.

Book Season = Year Round show less