xxx     Dinosaurs, Paleontology, and Prehistoric Life.
Book Reviews by Mike Fredericks from the pages of the

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                                        From Issue #80     Winter 2006

Dinosaurs in Fantastic. Fiction: A Thematic Survey (Hardcover) by Allen A. Debus    230 pages McFarland & Company 0786426721 $55.00. Long time PT contributor Allen Debus' latest book is long overdue and is a great   reference    and entertaining read for the dinosaur fan. Most all of us love dinosaurs in fiction just as much as in fact and Allen has collected    the    many instances    in    which dinosaurs    appear   in popular fiction through the past century or more. I was honored to be asked to help illustrate this original book along with my good friend Jack Arata. (Many more period piece illustrations are also included). With the first illustrated edition of Jules Vernes Journey to the Center of the Earth, 1867, readers began a fascination with the concept of dinosaurs and prehistory. Although rudimentary paleo-fiction had actually gotten its start decades earlier, it was the partnership of Verne and illustrator Edouard Riou which gave dinosaurs a visual life and essentially set the stage for their artistic and literary depiction. Over the next century or so, writers would time and again come back to dinosaurs as an element of fantastic fiction, often using these creatures through the venue of the written word to reflect the world of the writers own time. From Jules Verne to Michael Crichton, this literary survey examines how paleoliterature originated, developed and matured from its inception in the 1820s to the present day. It follows historical trends on the Grafting of classic   dinosaurs, investigating the enlivened figurative and metaphoric meaning of fictional dinosaurs and related prehistoria. Also discussed are the ways in which dinosaur fiction mirrors contemporary ideas about subjects such as geology, the Cold War, environmentalism, time travel, evolution and bioengineering. Texts included are limited to those which are available in English and which emphasize dinosaurs, although other favored pseudo-dinosaurs are sometimes discussed. Featured authors include Ray Bradbury, H.G. Wells, and Poul Anderson, among others. In select cases, the novelizations of movie scripts are also utilized. An appendix provides brief summaries of deserving dinosaur texts, organized alphabetically by author.
The Beginning of the Age of Mammals (Hardcover) by Kenneth D. Rose 448 pages The Johns Hopkins University Press ISBN: 0801884721 $150.00 Kenneth D. Rose's The Beginning of the Age of Mammals analyzes the events that occurred directly before and after the mysterious K-T boundary which so quickly thrust mammals from obscurity to planetary dominance. In this huge coffee table technical book, Rose surveys the   evolution   of mammals, beginning with their origin from cyn-odont therapsids in the Mesozoic, contemporary with dinosaurs, through the early Cenozoic, with emphasis on the Paleocene and Eocene adaptive radiations of therian mammals. Focusing on the fossil record, he presents the anatomical evidence used to interpret behavior and phylogenetic relationships. The life's work of one of the most knowledgeable researchers in the field, this richly illustrated, magisterial book combines sound scientific principles and meticulous research and belongs on the shelf of every paleontologist and mammalogist or fan of the subject. Kenneth D. Rose is a professor at the Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a research associate at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.
Home Planet - The Art of James Gurney, Chimera Publishing. This is James Gurney's first limited edition portfolio of his work spanning 25 years in art and illustration. Home Planet is not a book but a portfolio of ten of Gurney's most popular images, each beautifully printed on heavyweight 11 x 14 inch stock. The set includes a painting of an Irish Elk, a Camarasaurus and his famous Giganotosaurus art for National Geographic. It also shows other dimensions of Gurney's work besides the paleoart (Gurney is probably best know for his Dinotopia books) of various images in Gurney's "Imaginative Realism" style. Non dino favorites of mine include a skeletal pirate, a robotic sea monster and a street scene that is surely a tribute to Norman Rockwell. One of the plates comes signed and numbered by the artist. The edition is strictly limited to 2000 copies plus 50 Artist's proofs. The prints are protected by a foldout hardback case, foil stamped and tied up with a black ribbon. To order a set, customers can visit www.dinotopia.com or www.jamesgurney.com The cost is $70 plus $7.50 shipping to: The Dinotopia Store P O Box 693, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
Out of Thin Air: Dinosaurs, Birds, And Earth's Ancient Atmosphere by Peter Douglas Ward, David W. Ehlert (Illustrator) Joseph Henry Press 282 pages 0309100615 $27.95. For 65 million years dinosaurs ruled the Earth - until a deadly asteroid forced their extinction. But what accounts for the incredible longevity of dinosaurs? University of Washington paleontologist Ward now provides an amazing explanation that is rewriting the history of the Age of Dinosaurs. Fossil evidence demonstrates that dinosaurs survived several mass extinctions, seemingly unaffected by catastrophes that decimated most other life on Earth. What could explain their uncanny ability to endure through the ages? Ward explains that, for extended periods, there was less than half the amount of oxygen present today in the atmosphere, and a need to develop respiratory systems to deal effectively with ambient oxygen levels has been the dominant factor in creating species diversity, extinctions and basic animal body plans. Scientist Peter Ward now accounts for the remarkable indestructibility of dinosaurs by connecting their unusual respiration system with their ability to adapt to Earth's changing environment a system that was ultimately inherited by their descendants, birds. He claims that dinosaurs were successful for so long because they were able to make use of primitive air sacs (that became fine-tuned in modern birds), thus enabling them to outcompete all others in their oxygen-depleted environment. By tracing the evolutionary path back through time, slowly but deliberately connecting the dots from birds to dinosaurs, Ward describes the unique form of, breathing shared by these two distant relatives and demonstrates how this simple but remarkable characteristic provides the elusive explanation to a question that has thus far stumped scientists.
After the Dinosaurs:  The Age of Mammals (Life of the Past) (Hardcover) by Donald R. Prothero 262 pages Indiana University   Press   ISBN:   0253347335 $39.95 Perhaps wiped out by a giant meteor striking the earth, the incredible and fascinating dinosaurs became extinct some 65 million years ago. In their place evolved an enormous variety of land creatures, especially the mammals, which in their way were every bit as remarkable as their Mesozoic predecessors. The Age of Mammals, the Cenozoic Era, has never had its Jurassic Park, but it was an amazing time in earth's history, populated by a wonderful assortment of bizarre animals. The rapid evolution of thousands of species of mammals brought forth gigantic hornless rhinos, sabertooth cats, mastodonts and mammoths, and many other creatures—including our own ancestors. Their story is part of a larger story of a world emerging from the greenhouse conditions of the Mesozoic, warming up dramatically about 55 million years ago, and then cooling rapidly so that 33 million years ago the glacial ice returned. The earth's vegetation went through equally dramatic changes, from tropical jungles in Montana and forests at the poles, to grasslands and savannas across the entire world. Life in the sea also underwent striking evolution reflecting global climate change, including the emergence of such creatures as giant sharks, seals, sea lions, dolphins, and whales. After the Dinosaurs is a book for everyone who has an abiding fascination with the remarkable life of the past. Donald R. Prothero is Professor of Geology at Occidental College and Lecturer in Geobiology at the California Institute of Technology.
Mark Schultz: Various Drawings Volume One (Paperback) by Mark Schultz      (Author)      Paperback      Flesk Publications ISBN: 0972375864 Mark Schultz, Various Drawings: Stages in the Drawing Process, From Concept to Finish (Volume 2) (Paperback) by Mark Schultz (Author) 48 pages Flesk Publications ISBN: 1933865008 Volume One and Volume Two collections of amazingly beautiful black & white studies and finished works by Schultz, creator of Xenozoic Tales (Cadillacs & Dinosaurs) and illustrator of The Complete Conan of Cimmeria volume one. Includes a foldout and an introduction by the artist. PT has long been a fan of this great artist who is a big dinosaur fan. We interviewed Mark back in issue #34 and have met him at the Wonderfest festival in which your PT editor enjoyed sitting with him and William Stout and others as part of a dinosaur panel in which the audience asked us questions and we all drew dinosaurs. Pick up this two volume set soon.
Fossil Critters of Wyoming Paleontological Finds from the Land of the Dinosaurs (Paperback) by Russell J. Hawley 80 pages Endeavor Books 1892944189 $14.95. Faithful PT contributor Russell J Hawley's book describes the prehistoric animals of the land he knows best, his own Wyoming. Hawley of the Tate Geological Museum of Casper College describes extinct animals of the area highlighted by tons of his detailed and accurate pointillism ink illustrations included on every page; many of which have appeared in PT but many more you will enjoy for the first time. From creatures that lived millions of years before dinosaurs to the mammals that followed the dinosaurs and of course, all the dinosaurs in between, this entertaining and educational (entercation-al?) new book will thrill young and old interested in the topic, (and who isn't?)
Hell Creek: 65 Million Years in the Past, the Journey Begins (Paperback) by L.M. Graziano, M.S.A. Graziano 282 pages Trafford Publishing 1412092388 $19.96. The Hell Creek fossil bed is a paleontologist's dream.... until the fossils come to life. After a long-extinct beetle is created in a lab, a group of people and a dog are hurled onto a beach inhabited by toothed seabirds and giant crocs. Paleontologist Julian Whitney and his companions are still in the same location but 65-million years back in time to the Age of Dinosaurs. With no rescue possible from the present time, the party must travel miles in the ancient forest to find a point where they can cross back to their own time. Little do they know that people in the present actually are working to bring them back if they have enough time to succeed but time is running out. From the great Inland Sea to the foothills of the infant Rocky Mountains, we are shown the entirety of a long gone ecosystem. It is a very fun trip, one that every intrepid dinosaur fan would love to make. The authors' scientific knowledge of Earth's geologic and evolutionary history gives the story, and the giant creatures it is centered around, a realism that is immensely entertaining.
3D Dinosaur Discovery-Prehistoric Hunters & DinoDefenses. Scholastic Inc. The second and third book in this 6 book series has been mailed to subscribers of this children's dinosaur book series from Scholastic and the colorful, informative books are beautiful. You must sign your child (or you) up for this "subscription" through Scholastic Publishing to receive these books. As I explained to you when I reviewed the first book in the series, Scholastic contacted me, your PT editor and asked if I could recommend some dinosaur artists to illustrate this full color series that requires 3D glasses to fully appreciate its effects. I sent them a list of many of the artists whose fantastic art you see regularly in this magazine and Scholastic has been using most all of them to illustrate these books. They really are amazing little books and further proof that while PT does not pay to show your art, showing your art in PT can get you paying work elsewhere. You'll need to contact Scholastic to find out how you can order this book series too (which also includes dinosaur toy figures, posters, slideshow viewer, mobiles and other great dino items mailed to you as part of the deal.
Prehistoric Worlds 2007 Calendar: Murals of Charles R. Knight Pomegranate Communications $13.99 0764936220 is another beautiful new calendar now available for the new year. It features the many beautiful and famous Knight murals from the Field Museum in Chicago of prehistoric animals that line the walls of the museum today.
The   Dissection   of  Vertebrates:   A  Laboratory   Manual (Paperback) by Gerry Deluliis, Dino Pulera 304 pages Academic Press 0120887762 $49.95 With illustrations on three main vertebrates  - spiny dogfish, mudpuppy,  and cat - Dissection of Vertebrates is the first book of its kind to include high-quality, digitally rendered illustrations. Using a systemic approach for each vertebrate, this book covers several vertebrates commonly used in providing a transitional sequence in morphology. This beautifully illustrated, full-color primary dissection manual is ideal for use by students or practitioners working with vertebrate anatomy. Not only is this book ideal for students, but also for researchers in vertebrate and functional morphology and comparative anatomy. The result of this exceptional work offers the most comprehensive treatment than has ever before been available. Pulera supplies expertly rendered award-winning full color illustrations for detailed, clear dissection direction.
Dinosaur Valley Girls (Mammoth Edition) Donald Glut $14.98 Studio: Cinema Epoch. Beauties and the Beasties! First time on DVD is this Special Mammoth Edition of the cult classic! Haunted by recurring dreams of Hea-Thor (DENISE AMES), a gorgeous cavegirl, and a menacing Allosaurus, action-movie star Tony Markham (JEFF RECTOR) soon finds himself transported, by means of a magic Icon, back through time to Dinosaur Valley. Now trapped in a world of dangerous dinosaurs, grunting cavemen and a tribe of exotic, love-starved cavegirls, Tony must put his modern-day skills to extreme tests in order to survive prehistoric perils, win the cavegirl of his dreams and (maybe) return to his own time. Features Emmy Award winner William (Blacula) Marshall, Former "Mr. America" Ed (Ursus, Son of Hercules) Fury, and Oscar®-Nominee (Five Easy Pieces) Karen Black. DVD includes Don Glut's directorial comments, deleted and alternative scenes, actresses auditioning, "making of documentary and more extras.
James Bama: American Realist (Hardcover) by Brian M. Kane (Author), James Bama (Illustrator), Len Leone (Foreword), Harlan Ellison (Introduction) 160 pages Flesk Publications ISBN: 0972375880 34.95 The illustration art of James Bama has now been collected into this impressive 160-page full color hardbound edition. James Bama: American Realist is the first book to span his entire career. Examples explore his diverse brush from magazine illustrations, paperback book covers, and advertising. Chapters examine his work in pop culture, horror, science fiction, adventure and western genres, concluding with his most recent fine art endeavors. This volume features a detailed biography exploring his noteworthy and singular career. Insightful quotes by Bama accompany many pieces. In addition, testimonials by leading artists, writers, and historians are contained throughout. During his career, Bama's art graced many memorable pop culture paperback book covers. Among his most notable works are the 62 cover paintings for Bantam's Doc Savage adventure series, all of which are contained within. Over 260 illustrations are featured, of which more than 85 are from the original art. Over 30 personal photographs of family and modeling shoots are contained within. Okay, no dinosaurs here but many PT readers are modelers and appreciate art. Possibly most noteworthy to PT readers then are the many Aurora Model kit box art paintings that Bama did in the 1960s, many shown here. A beautiful book and its about time it was produced.
Jurassic Poop: What Dinosaurs (And Others) Left Behind by Jacob Berkowitz, Steve Mack (Illustrator) Ages 9-12 Kids Can Press ISBN: 1553378679 $7.95. Yes, a book on dinosaur poo for kids. This informative book supplies quite a complete history of prehistoric fossilized poop (coprolites) and what they tell scientists who study them. No book on coprolites would be complete without some words from expert Karen Chin which is included along with information from several other scientists on the subject. Colorfully illustrated with plenty of photos too, this is an interesting and very "different" book for young minds.
Extinct Files, The: My Science Project by Wallace Edwards 32 pages Kids Can Press ISBN: 1553379713 $17.95. Wally was planning to do his science project on his pet iguana. But just as he was getting started, he made a major discovery sure to rock the scientific community. He saw a dinosaur. Not a fossil, but a real dinosaur, right outside his bedroom window. Dinosaurs are alive and living among us, so Wally studies them for his school project. Wally has done his homework and it shows. His project follows tried-and-true scientific methodology and contains page after page of photographic evidence. This large, colorful, faux notebook is organized into sections that present observations on dinosaur habitat, diet, grooming, communication, defenses, and other categories. Photos (beautiful watercolor and colored pencil art that is both whimsical and realistic) of various creatures are "Scotch-taped" onto the pages. The dinosaurs wear clothing, play fossil-ball, and attend school, etc; some funny moments. In the end the project is hijacked and thoroughly enjoyed by a group of dinos, leaving Wally to write a lame-sounding excuse to his teacher (dinosaurs ate my homework). Pop-Up Facts - Dinosaurs, A 3-D Look At Our Prehistoric Past by Richard Dungworth, Templar Publishing. Pop Up books require a fair amount of thought by the author and are usually very well done and a lot of fun. This colorful, nicely illustrated new book is no exception with lots of tabs to pull, dinosaurs to pop out and great dino facts inside. Kids will love it. I noticed quite a few children's books on dinosaurs like this one available exclusively at Barnes & Nobles stores recently. If you have this chain store in your area and are in the market for children's dinosaur books that you can't find elsewhere, check it out.
King Kong DVD (Three-Disc Deluxe Extended Edition) In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with leading lady Ann Darrow. Actors Naomi Watts, Jack Black, and Adrien Brody star in director Peter Jackson's remake of the 1933 classic. This newly released 3 disc DVD features 38 minutes of deleted scenes & 13 minutes of never-before-seen footage edited back into the movie, this material consists of 3 entirely new scenes and several smaller scene extensions. The new Skull Island scenes are the most anticipated, with the first coming towards the end of disc one as a Triceratops attacks the expedition just after they set off to find Ann. The armored dinosaur is quickly dispatched. The next and most significant new scene is a lengthy sea monster attack sequence on the expedition team which is visually impressive. The final shot which Denham captures on film is quite superb. The last major addition to the Skull Island section of the film is a strange ostrich type creature which Lumpy (Andy Serkis) shoots in a similar manner to the large mosquitoes he attacks earlier. All remaining additional material comes in the form of minor scene extensions. Hours of more special features are also included on this new extended edition. This is the much anticipated DVD set that many people have been waiting for, some of whom swore they wouldn't buy the original DVD waiting for this more complete version instead. Here's your chance to pick up your copy available now.
 Ice Age - The Meltdown DVD Starring: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary. Diego, Manny and Sid return in this sequel to the hit Ice Age. While Skrat the Saber Toothed Squirrel is still ineffectually trying to regain his precious acorn, the misfit trio of Manny the Mammoth, Sid the Sloth and Diego the Sabretooth Tiger have settled down in an isolated valley with numerous other animals. However, the trio discover that the ice wall surrounding the valley is barely holding back a massive body of water behind it and it's melting state threatens to break and flood the valley. With their one chance of survival being a boat at the other end of the valley, the trio follow the desperate exodus there. Along the way, they meet Ellie, a female mammoth who is convinced she's a opossum like her brothers. While the strange group continues the trek, they must learn to get along even as Manny struggles to find some connection to this strange female who may be the only other one of his kind. Great fun for the kids of course but a number of funny lines will entertain mom and dad too. Of most interest to PT readers will be the many different prehistoric mammals in the film, many not seen in the first outing.
See Inside the World of Dinosaurs (Board book) by Alex Frith, Stephen Wright (Contributor), Peter Scott (Illustrator) Usborne Books $12.99 ISBN: 978-0794514365 Dinosaurs Sticker Book by Dr. David Norman $8.99 ISBN: 97807941323-8 PT thanks EDC Publishing for sending us review copies of two of their new children's dinosaur books. Dr Norman's sticker book includes 80 large and colorful stickers by such well known artists as Todd Marshall and Luis Rey. The Board Book is very beautifully illustrated in full color and includes tons of facts about dinosaurs for kids. Numerous pull-out flaps changes to action of the dinosaurs shown.