Most children have a fascination with dinosaurs, and even into adulthood the fascination does not quite go away. In recent years movies such as Jurassic Park fuelled the imagination of young and old alike, and the spate of exciting discoveries since then has spawned a whole generation of armchair paleontologists.
Luminaries such as documentary filmmaker Sir David Attenborough have produced several shows devoted to fossils, their discovery, their role in the progression of life on Earth, and with sophisticated computer graphics ancient creatures are brought to life. Attenborough's obvious delight in revealing the past is infectious and stimulates an interest in all of us.
It is an ideal time, therefore, for Rhys Charles to create this Little Book of Dinosaurs, a volume that may be appreciated by young and old alike, to serve as a dinosaur primer. Everything is covered, from their origins to their diversity, and their role in dominating life on Earth before catastrophic events overtook them and consigned most of them to extinction.
I say most of them, because we know of course that all did not become extinct. Birds, long thought of as being descended from dinosaurs, are in fact extant dinosaurs, not merely descended from them. We all see dinosaurs every day.
We also now know from the fossil evidence that some ancient creatures were feathered, and their methods of locomotion fuel the debate as to whether first flight was initiated from the ground up or treetop down.
It is likely that some species were socially organized and travelled in groups, mirroring the behaviour of many mammal species today. There is safety in numbers where the danger of becoming the victim of a single predation event is minimized.
The book covers the facts, the fables and the fiction, the truth the near-truth and the fallacies, the legacy of a time still shrouded in mystery and wonder, a vision into our past, and perhaps even a glimpse into the future, as climate change imposes more uncertainty on our lives.
I recommend it highly - read, enjoy and learn. There is no better combination that that!
The Little Book of Dinosaurs - Princeton University Press
Rhys Charles
Hardback - $15.95 USD - ISBN: 9780691259895
160 pages - 3.75 x 6 inches (9.375 x 15 cm) - 140 colour illustrations
Publication date: 22 October, 2024
Dinosaurs are really fascinating. I'm sure this little book is as interesting as all the ones in the collection.
ReplyDeleteI love all of David Attenborough's documentaries.
Gracias David
Con12 años estuve viendo los dinosaurios en un Museo de la ciudad de Madrid. Aunque de joven he ido otras veces a Madrid, he estado en muchos sitios, pero siempre me ha faltado tiempo, para visitar otra vez ese museo.
ReplyDeleteUn abrazo.
I hope you will have the opportunity to visit the museum again.
DeleteI have always been fascinated by dinosauruses, David. My three children loved them even more. David Attenborough have made so many lovely documentaries, and I have seen many of them. The nature is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteHugs and kisses, Marit
We share that fascination, Marit.
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