Rating: 
Summary: Some Reviews of The Complete Dinosaur
Review: ". . . stimulating armchair company for cold winter evenings. . . . Best of all, the book treats dinosaurs as intellectual fun. What other book asks whether Tyrannosaurus rex was warm or cold-blooded by recalling a scene from Jurassic Park and then calculating how many lawyers it would take to feed a predator with each type of metabolism?" -New Scientist" . . . a gift to serious dinosaur enthusiasts . . . a highly successful volume." -Science "The book is useful both as a reference and as a browse-and-enjoy compendium . . ." -Natural History
Rating: 
Summary: A great book!
Review: A must have for profesionals working in this field and for dinosaur lovers. It treats every aspect concerning dinosaurs in a way that it is understandable for both experts and common people without losing credibility. It has an excellent price for a book with all this information.
Rating:
Summary: Definitive dinosaur bible...for now...
Review: Faced with all the problems of trying to make science interesting to kids, there is, nor will there ever be anything quite so universally exciting as dinosaurs. But like any field of research, the outsider must suffer from being just that--an outsider. Without prior knowledge of the subject area one can easily fill their heads with outdated or only periphrial knowledge. What one needs is a good (up to date and user-friendly) source book, and The Complete Dinosaurs is without doubt one of the primier resources for both the outsider and insider on these ancient reptiles. Although content will require some basic knowledge of biology (and you will find refresher material here as well--remember all your bones?), the chapters are for the most part always interesting, and some reflect the unquestionable enthusiasm of the authors. One particular chapter on the use of multimedia in cataloging and exchanging dinosaur data, while seemingly irrelevant to folks who just want to know the name of a dinosaur, spoke volumes of dedication and commitment to moving dinosaur finds from museum closets into scientists hands around the world. This level of enthusiasm does not diminish through the book, making what would otherwise be a very heavy read into something of a treat. There are two or three other dinosaur books that may be as definitive as this one, however from paging through 'The Dinosauria' and 'The Dinosaur Encyclopedia', Farlow's books seemed the most approachable/accessible, while also not shorting the reader on content. While this and the other dinosaur books mentioned might be a bit challenging at times for readers who don't have a background in biology, geology, paleontology, etc. (IE there is a lot of prior knowledge about evolutionary theory that the reader is assumed to possess), I would still not hestitate to recommend it to someone with a passion for Dinosaurs...which should be about everyone by now, right?
Rating:
Summary: Definitive dinosaur bible...for now...
Review: Faced with all the problems of trying to make science interesting to kids, there is, nor will there ever be anything quite so universally exciting as dinosaurs. But like any field of research, the outsider must suffer from being just that--an outsider. Without prior knowledge of the subject area one can easily fill their heads with outdated or only periphrial knowledge. What one needs is a good (up to date and user-friendly) source book, and The Complete Dinosaurs is without doubt one of the primier resources for both the outsider and insider on these ancient reptiles. Although content will require some basic knowledge of biology (and you will find refresher material here as well--remember all your bones?), the chapters are for the most part always interesting, and some reflect the unquestionable enthusiasm of the authors. One particular chapter on the use of multimedia in cataloging and exchanging dinosaur data, while seemingly irrelevant to folks who just want to know the name of a dinosaur, spoke volumes of dedication and commitment to moving dinosaur finds from museum closets into scientists hands around the world. This level of enthusiasm does not diminish through the book, making what would otherwise be a very heavy read into something of a treat. There are two or three other dinosaur books that may be as definitive as this one, however from paging through 'The Dinosauria' and 'The Dinosaur Encyclopedia', Farlow's books seemed the most approachable/accessible, while also not shorting the reader on content. While this and the other dinosaur books mentioned might be a bit challenging at times for readers who don't have a background in biology, geology, paleontology, etc. (IE there is a lot of prior knowledge about evolutionary theory that the reader is assumed to possess), I would still not hestitate to recommend it to someone with a passion for Dinosaurs...which should be about everyone by now, right?
Rating:
Summary: Recipe for Becoming a Scientist:
Review: First, take one bright, enthusiastic person with an interst in paleontology. Second, add a dash of The Complete Dinosaur. Third, allow to sit for a week or two. Sounds almost too easy, doesn't it? Although most people are interested in the findings of science, science is usually viewed as too difficult for the average person to "do." This book starts with interesting, non-technical essays on subjects pertaining to dinosaurs, the history of their discovery, and how artists learn to restore them. Then it moves through how paleontologists work on things like anatomy, geology, and how dinosaurs are related to one another. By the end of the book, the reader is reading full-blown technical treatises, without realizing it. This engaging book is also sprinkled with amusing annecdotes (how many lawyers would it take to feed a T. rex?). The good nature of the editors, combined with the lively writing of the individual authors, makes the transition from interested layman to knowledgale amateur an easy one. Many paleontologists I work with have their own copy of this book as a reference. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Get/keep up to date with dinosaurs right now!
Review: It doesn't matter if you're a dino-nut for as long as you can remember (like me), a complete layman in this field who is looking for a great, clear and in-depth introduction to the field, or a professional paleontologist; if you like dinosaurs, this is a book you simply must have!
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Summary: Brett-Surman Rules
Review: Michael Brett-Surman and James Farlow shine in this wonderful book about dinosaurs. All serious dinosaur fans will love it!
Rating:
Summary: The Complete Dinosaur
Review: The Complete Dinosaur edited by James O. Farlow and M.K. Brett-Surman is a comprehensive book about dinosaurs. There are many contributors that have written chapter for this book, so you get different writing styles and information is duplicated at times. This book is divided into six parts and each has chapters written by the various contributors. The parts are as follows:
Part One: The Discovery of Dinosaurs
Part Two: The Study of Dinosaurs
Part Three: The Groups of Dinosaurs
Part Four: Biology of the Dinosaurs
Part Five: Dinosaur Evolution in the Changing World of the Meszoic Era
Part Six: Dinosaurs and the Media What I found that was very interesting was that at the end of each chapter there was extensive references. So, if you find something that piques your interest you have something else to read about, to either clarify or strengthen your viewpoint. Also, this makes the book easy to use when dealing with technical material. This book summarizes the current knowledge about dinosaurs at the time written (1997), and currently there are only eighty professional dinosaur paleotologists in the world. This book is written like professional scientific literature, but that doesn't make it difficult to read. Reading on you will find this book is not without controversy, as vigorus disagreements among the specialists over topics of contention will be found here as they hash out these sharp divergences of opinion. I must say, that there is some very fine artwork, with bone of skeletons, muscle structure and complete complete fleshed out dinosaurs giving the reader a full grasp of what a dinosar looks like from the inside out. Also, questions as to what dinosaurs ate, how they raised their young, and the question that was the turning point that made the movie Jurassic Park... can we isolate dinosaur DNA are just some of the many questions that have answers in this book. All in all, the technical jargon is at a minimum and there is a glossary of terms making your reading much more fruitful. I found the narrative easy to read and the information from this book to be exceptional.
Rating:
Summary: The Complete Dinosaur
Review: The Complete Dinosaur edited by James O. Farlow and M.K. Brett-Surman is a comprehensive book about dinosaurs. There are many contributors that have written chapter for this book, so you get different writing styles and information is duplicated at times. This book is divided into six parts and each has chapters written by the various contributors. The parts are as follows:
Part One: The Discovery of Dinosaurs
Part Two: The Study of Dinosaurs
Part Three: The Groups of Dinosaurs
Part Four: Biology of the Dinosaurs
Part Five: Dinosaur Evolution in the Changing World of the Meszoic Era
Part Six: Dinosaurs and the Media What I found that was very interesting was that at the end of each chapter there was extensive references. So, if you find something that piques your interest you have something else to read about, to either clarify or strengthen your viewpoint. Also, this makes the book easy to use when dealing with technical material. This book summarizes the current knowledge about dinosaurs at the time written (1997), and currently there are only eighty professional dinosaur paleotologists in the world. This book is written like professional scientific literature, but that doesn't make it difficult to read. Reading on you will find this book is not without controversy, as vigorus disagreements among the specialists over topics of contention will be found here as they hash out these sharp divergences of opinion. I must say, that there is some very fine artwork, with bone of skeletons, muscle structure and complete complete fleshed out dinosaurs giving the reader a full grasp of what a dinosar looks like from the inside out. Also, questions as to what dinosaurs ate, how they raised their young, and the question that was the turning point that made the movie Jurassic Park... can we isolate dinosaur DNA are just some of the many questions that have answers in this book. All in all, the technical jargon is at a minimum and there is a glossary of terms making your reading much more fruitful. I found the narrative easy to read and the information from this book to be exceptional.
Rating:
Summary: Inconstant but really great
Review: This book is very dense and covers almost anything related to dinosaurs. It is clearly intended to non-pros but it does not lack scientifical value. However, because the book was written by many authors you'll find some chapters less well written than others and some information is duplicated. My advise is to not hesitate to buy this as your first dinosaur book.
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