This book is not really about mammoths, per se. It's more of a history of paleontology, using that science's dealings with mammoths as a guiding thread. It's still an interesting story, though you'll learn more about the scientists involved, the various conceptions of paleontology they operated under, and the politics and financing surrounding their activities, than you will about the mammoths themselves.

By far Ehrman's least interesting book. No thought-provoking insights into anything. Its main thesis is that the growth of Christianity was nothing particularly shocking, but mainly the result of small, incremental increases on the model of compound interest. Reads like a Cliffs Notes version of early Christian history.

Je me suis dit à plusieurs reprises en lisant ce livre, "Tiens, il y a quelque chose de familier.... Je crois connaître ces phrases....". Et en effet, ce livre n'est guère d'autre chose qu'une traduction abrégée de Literary Outlaw de Ted Morgan. C'est le pire cas de plagiat que j'aie jamais vu.