From mike Wed Nov 12 10:14:49 +0000 2003 From: Mike Taylor To: befreeasabird@antimonio.com CC: dinosaur@usc.edu In-reply-to: <001101c3a8f5$cd190a10$a12c7dc2@VALUED8F5ACB0A> (befreeasabird@antimonio.com) Subject: Re: help References: <001101c3a8f5$cd190a10$a12c7dc2@VALUED8F5ACB0A> > Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 08:20:06 -0000 > From: "David Carrizosa" > > And another questions which dinosaurs books do you think must be > essential. Hi David, There are some pretty good (if I say it myself) reviews of dinosaur books on my own web-site at http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/dino/books/index.html and lots more snippets (more fragmentary) in the Dinosaur FAQ's "What good dinosaur books are available" answer at http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/dino/faq/s-lit/books/index.html I don't know what your background is and how much you already know about dinosaurs, but for a complete beginner, enthusiastic but not nery knowledgeable, I'd recommend the following books, in this order: * Robert T. Bakker, _The Dinosaur Heresies: New Theories Unlocking the Mystery of the Dinosaurs and Their Extinction_. Kensington Pub Corp (Trd), August 1996. ISBN 0821756087 This is the book that got a lot of people started, me included. Some of the science in it is, shall we say, debatable; but its enthusiasm is infectious, and the love of all things dinosaurian seems to leap off the page. It jumps around cheerfully from subject to subject, taking in dinosaur anatomy, physiology, extinction and much more. The prose is easy to read and very absorbing, and perfectly complemented by Bakker's own beautiful black-and-white illustrations, which capture his vision of fast, powerful, active dinososaurs. I've owned two copies of this book, lent them both the "friends" and never seen them again. A classic. * James O. Farlow & M. K. Brett-Surman (Ed.), _The Complete Dinosaur_. Indiana University Press, April 1999. ISBN 0253213134 Once you've read _Heresies_, you're ready for this superb compilation are articles by a wide selection of the top dinosaur workers. (Don't be put off by the cartoonish cover). It contains 43 separate essays arranged in six sections (The Discovery of Dinosaurs, The Study of Dinosaurs, The Groups of Dinosaurs, Biology of the Dinosaurs, Dinosaur Evolution in the Changing World of the Mesozoic Era and Dinosaurs and the Media), which can be read in any order. Each individual essay covers its ground in real detail, but explains its complex concepts with a minimum of technical jargon. A single volume that can take you from mere enthusiast all the way up to knowledgeable amateur! (Along the same lines, you may wish to get Gregory S. Paul (Ed.), _The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs_. St. Martins Press, November 2000. ISBN 0312262264. It's another compilation, similar in spirit to _The Complete Dinosaur_ and more up to date, but much shorter, less comprehensive and less useful as a reference due to the absence of an index. Personally I have and like both, but if I had to choose one, then _TCD_ would be the clear winner.) * R. McNeill Alexander, _Dynamics of Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Giants_. Columbia Univ Pr, May 15, 1989. ISBN 0231066678 This short and approachable book is a wonderful introduction to dinosaur biomechanics. It covers a multitude of issues, including mass estimation, athleticism, force calculation for necks and tails, estimating running speed from trackways, possible uses of crests, horns, etc. and much more -- all in a way that makes its sometimes complex subject seem very straightforward. (If you like this book, you should go on to Christopher McGowan, _Dinosaurs, Spitfires and Sea Dragons_. Harvard Univ Press, September 1992. ISBN 067420770X. It covers many of the same areas but in more detail, and has much, much more to say about physiology, the mechanics of flight and swimming and -- for some reason -- ichthyosaurs. Outstanding.) * Donald F. Glut, _Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia (1st Edition)_. McFarland & Company, July 1997. ISBN 0899509177 This is the big one. If you're ready for raw information, this is the best place to find it, and the closest thing to reading pre-digested primary literature. It's not cheap ($145 at Amazon.com) but it is as near definitive as any dinosaur reference work can be. It has all the key information on every genus valid at the time of publication, with lots of discussion, summaries of recent work, and some more discursive articles on the usual issues -- metabolism, extinction, etc. Since the publication of the core volume, there have been two supplements issued, with a third on the way. These contain the core information on new genera and updates on important research concerning genera already covered in earlier volumes. I go back to these books more often than all my others combined. So there you have it. My four-book introductory course on dinosaurs (or six books if you include the Glut supplemenmts, or eight if you include the optional pair.) I hope this is useful to someone -- I think I'll make it a Dinosaur FAQ page now I've gone to all the trouble of writing it. Here are URLs for anyone wanting to buy these books online at either the American or UK Amazon stores: * Robert T. Bakker, _The Dinosaur Heresies_ http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0821756087/thedinosaurrea0a http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0821756087/thedinosaurreadi * James O. Farlow & M. K. Brett-Surman (Ed.), _The Complete Dinosaur_. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0253213134/thedinosaurrea0a http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0253213134/thedinosaurreadi * Gregory S. Paul (Ed.), _The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs_. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312262264/thedinosaurrea0a http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312262264/thedinosaurreadi * R. McNeill Alexander, _Dynamics of Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Giants_. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0231066678/thedinosaurrea0a http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0231066678/thedinosaurreadi * Christopher McGowan, _Dinosaurs, Spitfires and Sea Dragons_. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/067420770X/thedinosaurrea0a http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/067420770X/thedinosaurreadi * Donald F. Glut, _Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia (1st Edition)_. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0899509177/thedinosaurrea0a http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0899509177/thedinosaurreadi * Donald F. Glut, _Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia: Supplement 1_. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786405910/thedinosaurrea0a http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786405910/thedinosaurreadi * Donald F. Glut, _Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia: Supplement 2_. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/078641166X/thedinosaurrea0a http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/078641166X/thedinosaurreadi _/|_ _______________________________________________________________ /o ) \/ Mike Taylor http://www.miketaylor.org.uk )_v__/\ "The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made" -- Jean Giraudoux. -- Listen to my wife's new CD of kids' music, _Child's Play_, at http://www.pipedreaming.org.uk/childsplay/