Rating: 
Summary: Great Companion to Show
Review: Although it may not be a book for younger readers, it is a great way to read along with the movie and follow up more on the subject with articles about paleontology, the environment in which the animals lived, and more. Page after page of awesome color picture lets you know that you're getting the real deal.
Rating: 
Summary: I want to lodge a complaint.
Review: As all pieces of BBC documentary, this one is superb. It's already slightly outdated (the Velociraptors are not feathered)but that was to be expected due the steady pace with which our general paleontological knowledge is advancing. However, I want to lodge a complaint. It has to do with Chapter 4, where the "hero", the giant Brazilian pterosaur _Ahanguera_ is named _Ornithocheirus_ - a genus name given probably by American and European paleontologists that have been working with fossil material smuggled against Brazilian law from the clay deposits of the Santana formation. Now, considering the fact that Brazilian scientists have been working against all odds, lack of funds, and of personnel, to unearth fossil remains from Santana at the same place they are being ramsacked by smugglers caring little about science and lots about making easy money, wouldn't it be considerate and in the best general interests of paleontology to enhance their work by giving notice to their work by using the fine Amerindian names (_Ahanguera_ being an Indian devil, a name much more evocative than _Ornithocheirus_)they have found for Brazilian pterosaurs? Just asking, Okay?
Rating:
Summary: Lost World
Review: I have a nearly complete degree in geology with a special emphasis in paleontology, so I found this book to be a wonderful "walk" through the forests, plains, and seas of the early earth from the Triassic to the late Cretaceous. The colorfully combined photos of actual present day landscapes and CGI animal life gave the work a sense of reality. They also made what I had learned during my classes on earth history come more alive, so I definitely enjoyed the book.Walking with Dinosaurs is based on the material for an educational program by the BBC which has been shown on the Discovery Channel, and it is meant to accompany and compliment that production. The written narrative is very well done, evoking a clear picture of the life of the time. Though it is a fictional recreation, it is based upon what scientists have gleaned from the fossil material available from a number of sites world wide. Each chapter has side boxes of scientific information given in textbook rather than narrative style which, though brief, should help the reader learn on what basis the authors of the film/text created their various scenarios. More than anything, it should capture the imagination and fire up enthusiasm for more information about the past; always a good thing. Now for my complaints. 1. I felt that the very "realness" of the narrative--and probably the film, which I have not yet seen--give what is actually speculative the impact of definiteness. Though the introduction states that "The behavior that created these clues [trace fossils] does not fossilize" and that "the truth about them will never be known for sure (p. 10)," the narrative may lead the more credulous and less careful reader to believe that more is definitely known about life in that distant time than actually is. Things like eye color (Ornithocheirus's blue eyes) , skin color and patterning (Iguanodon's strips and Tapejara's crimson flushed crests), mating display and courtship behaviors (Diplodocus' tail swishing and Tyrannosaurus's courtship feeding) are entirely speculative and often drawn from observation of modern species which, with rare exception, evolved comparatively recently. Though there is side box information which occasionally makes it clear why scientists believe some of the information is true, there is not enough of this data in the book to make it clear that much is still in the realm of the educated guess, and 2. The bibliography, which might well have remedied some of this distortion by giving the reader a bonanza of resources with which to follow up any aspect of the dinosaur world that appealed to them--or reassure the critical thinker that more than an attempt at entertainment was intended--is definitely weak. Although books by some of the titans of evolutionary studies and dinosaur life are mentioned--Robert Bakker and Steven Jay Gould being the ones most recognizable to readers on these subjects--for the most part it is a compendium of encyclopedic works. In summary, if purchasing the book, do so with the caveat that much of the material is what is the best estimate to date but that it is subject to change. (Remember dinosaurs were once all thought of as slow moving, cold blooded organisms that dragged their tails and abandoned their young, and that the erstwhile Brontosaurus not only underwent a name change, it suffered display and illustration with the wrong head for decades!) If buying it for a young person, remind them of the same, or better yet read it with them. Otherwise just sit back and enjoy your visit to the lost world.
Rating:
Summary: Lost World
Review: I have a nearly complete degree in geology with a special emphasis in paleontology, so I found this book to be a wonderful "walk" through the forests, plains, and seas of the early earth from the Triassic to the late Cretaceous. The colorfully combined photos of actual present day landscapes and CGI animal life gave the work a sense of reality. They also made what I had learned during my classes on earth history come more alive, so I definitely enjoyed the book. Walking with Dinosaurs is based on the material for an educational program by the BBC which has been shown on the Discovery Channel, and it is meant to accompany and compliment that production. The written narrative is very well done, evoking a clear picture of the life of the time. Though it is a fictional recreation, it is based upon what scientists have gleaned from the fossil material available from a number of sites world wide. Each chapter has side boxes of scientific information given in textbook rather than narrative style which, though brief, should help the reader learn on what basis the authors of the film/text created their various scenarios. More than anything, it should capture the imagination and fire up enthusiasm for more information about the past; always a good thing. Now for my complaints. 1. I felt that the very "realness" of the narrative--and probably the film, which I have not yet seen--give what is actually speculative the impact of definiteness. Though the introduction states that "The behavior that created these clues [trace fossils] does not fossilize" and that "the truth about them will never be known for sure (p. 10)," the narrative may lead the more credulous and less careful reader to believe that more is definitely known about life in that distant time than actually is. Things like eye color (Ornithocheirus's blue eyes) , skin color and patterning (Iguanodon's strips and Tapejara's crimson flushed crests), mating display and courtship behaviors (Diplodocus' tail swishing and Tyrannosaurus's courtship feeding) are entirely speculative and often drawn from observation of modern species which, with rare exception, evolved comparatively recently. Though there is side box information which occasionally makes it clear why scientists believe some of the information is true, there is not enough of this data in the book to make it clear that much is still in the realm of the educated guess, and 2. The bibliography, which might well have remedied some of this distortion by giving the reader a bonanza of resources with which to follow up any aspect of the dinosaur world that appealed to them--or reassure the critical thinker that more than an attempt at entertainment was intended--is definitely weak. Although books by some of the titans of evolutionary studies and dinosaur life are mentioned--Robert Bakker and Steven Jay Gould being the ones most recognizable to readers on these subjects--for the most part it is a compendium of encyclopedic works. In summary, if purchasing the book, do so with the caveat that much of the material is what is the best estimate to date but that it is subject to change. (Remember dinosaurs were once all thought of as slow moving, cold blooded organisms that dragged their tails and abandoned their young, and that the erstwhile Brontosaurus not only underwent a name change, it suffered display and illustration with the wrong head for decades!) If buying it for a young person, remind them of the same, or better yet read it with them. Otherwise just sit back and enjoy your visit to the lost world.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: I loved the television series on the bbc, the book is great but I thought that "In the presence of dinosaurs" by time-life book was even more increadible. The oil paintings in that book rival the computer generated "Photos" in this book and exceed them. You know what, buy them both if you are a fan of the jurassic. But buy "In the presence of dinosaurs" first.
Rating:
Summary: This book is really awesome!
Review: I really liked this book beause it doesn't just list boring facts. It tells a story about how the dinosaurs acted, what they ate, how they looked. I liked how, at the beginning of each chapter, it tells you about each dinosaur. It has a picture of the dinosaurs and a person, showing the relative size to a person. There are five chapters: New Blood ( 220 million years ago), which tells about the time after the mass Permian extinction, and the emergence of two new creatures: dinosaurs, and mammals. It tells about survival of the fittist during the long dry season. Time of the Titans: This chapter takes place 155 million years ago. A nest of diplodicus are trying to survive in a harsh world. With preditors like Ornitholestes lurking in the shadows, even hatching is hazardous. These are just two of the five action-packed chapters in this book. I loved the full color " photographs." The full page spreads are amazing. This is an essential for any dino-lover. It contains lots of fact boxes that are very informative. One word of warning: if you don't like reading anything really deep, DON'T buy this book!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book
Review: I thought "Walking With Dinosaurs" was a wonderful book well worth the reading, especially if you are a dinosaur fan. This book goes along with the series that was seen on the Discovery Channel recently. The many pictures are absolutely stunning, and the information contained within this source is titillating. Even though one might want more information, this book does a good job of giving the reader a general overview of the age of dinosaurs. If you are an enthusiast on this subject, you will definitely not want to miss out on this little gem.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book
Review: I thought "Walking With Dinosaurs" was a wonderful book well worth the reading, especially if you are a dinosaur fan. This book goes along with the series that was seen on the Discovery Channel recently. The many pictures are absolutely stunning, and the information contained within this source is titillating. Even though one might want more information, this book does a good job of giving the reader a general overview of the age of dinosaurs. If you are an enthusiast on this subject, you will definitely not want to miss out on this little gem.
Rating:
Summary: SIMPLY FANTASTIC and an *Absolute* Delight !
Review: If you enjoyed the incredible television series on the Discovery Channel, then you simply *have* to add this book to your library. It has *beautiful* pictures with great quality publishing from reknown publisher, Dorlington Kindersley. It's first class up-to-date, informative text makes this now one of the most interesting books I own. Let this book make a dinofan out of you (if you're not already)! And just for good measure, get the DVD or Video too :-) The book is a SIMPLY FANTASTIC!
Rating:
Summary: The Age of the Dinosaurs brought to life
Review: If you're interested in dinosaurs -- and who isn't -- you will be blown away by this magnificent book. It's a great companion volume to the TV special on the Discovery Channel, and a terrific book on its own. The text is well written, informative, and comprehensive to us lay readers, and the pictures of dinosaurs are so real that you almost forget they are computer-generated images; they look ready to walk right off the pages into your living room. I especially liked that along with the more familiar standbys such as Diplodocus, Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus, Tim Haines introduces us to dinosaurs most of us didn't know about before, such as Placerias and Postosuchus from the early Triassic period; Ankylosaurus, who could knock a Tyrannosaurus bowlegged; and Liopleurodon, a marine monster who looks like he could chomp a small whale in half and finish off with a couple of great white sharks for dessert. Haines presents the argument for warm-blooded dinosaurs very convincingly and his theory is backed by the recent discovery of a four-chambered fossilized dinosaur heart in South Dakota. He presents the dinosaurs not as museum fossils but as living beings who breathed, ate, slept, excreted, reproduced, and survived attack, and where the evidence is scant, his suggestions for filling in the blanks are so rational that we feel we are sharing a typical day in the life of a prehistoric animal. The photographs of the natural environment the dinosaurs lived in help bring the whole era to life. The final pages, which describe the crash-landing in the Caribbean of the asteroid that terminated the Mesozoic era, are written so vividly that we can almost visualize the flash of light in the distant horizon and feel the shock wave that spread over most of the earth and ended the age of the dinosaurs. This is a wonderful book for the whole family which will be read and referred to over and over again.
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