Rating: 
Summary: Destined to be another classic
Review: After waiting over 10 years since the publication of the classic "Florida's Fossils" by Robin Brown, amateur paleontologists in Florida now have another excellent reference book. Geared for the beginner to intermediate amateur, "Fossiling in Florida" is destined to also be a classic. The book contains 21 chapters, a 34 page identification section, a list of Florida fossiling clubs, a bibliography, and best of all, is dedicated to amateurs. Throughout the book there are 250 black and white pictures, mostly of fossil specimens. These pictures vividly display a well-rounded cadre of vertebrate fossils from a variety of localities. The pictures are clear enough for anyone wishing assistance in identification of their specimens. Also peppered through the book are over 20 illustrations by the author's wife, Marisa Renz. The majority of the drawings are light-hearted looks at Mark's adventures and ideas as an amateur collector. However, there are also several excellent line drawings of fossil specimens and serious recreations of prehistoric life. The combination of photos and illustrations provide the reader with great visual supplements to a comprehensive text. The author uses clear and concise language, explaining technical terminology in an accessible manner to the non-professional. Renz not only places various extinct species in their prehistoric context, he also uses modern analogues to speculate on their behavior. Sharks, mammoths, sloths, horses, armadillos and glyptodonts, saber cats, dugongs and manatees, alligators, bison and more are covered in detail. Stories on how Renz found his specimens are juxtaposed with vignettes on how the author speculates those animals lived and came to be fossils. This makes for fun and informative reading for beginner to veteran alike. The creative writing and story-like format should catapult "Fossiling in Florida" to an audience that transcends Florida state lines. A must have book for anyone interested in fossils.
Rating:
Summary: Destined to be another classic
Review: After waiting over 10 years since the publication of the classic "Florida's Fossils" by Robin Brown, amateur paleontologists in Florida now have another excellent reference book. Geared for the beginner to intermediate amateur, "Fossiling in Florida" is destined to also be a classic. The book contains 21 chapters, a 34 page identification section, a list of Florida fossiling clubs, a bibliography, and best of all, is dedicated to amateurs. Throughout the book there are 250 black and white pictures, mostly of fossil specimens. These pictures vividly display a well-rounded cadre of vertebrate fossils from a variety of localities. The pictures are clear enough for anyone wishing assistance in identification of their specimens. Also peppered through the book are over 20 illustrations by the author's wife, Marisa Renz. The majority of the drawings are light-hearted looks at Mark's adventures and ideas as an amateur collector. However, there are also several excellent line drawings of fossil specimens and serious recreations of prehistoric life. The combination of photos and illustrations provide the reader with great visual supplements to a comprehensive text. The author uses clear and concise language, explaining technical terminology in an accessible manner to the non-professional. Renz not only places various extinct species in their prehistoric context, he also uses modern analogues to speculate on their behavior. Sharks, mammoths, sloths, horses, armadillos and glyptodonts, saber cats, dugongs and manatees, alligators, bison and more are covered in detail. Stories on how Renz found his specimens are juxtaposed with vignettes on how the author speculates those animals lived and came to be fossils. This makes for fun and informative reading for beginner to veteran alike. The creative writing and story-like format should catapult "Fossiling in Florida" to an audience that transcends Florida state lines. A must have book for anyone interested in fossils.
Rating:
Summary: Destined to be another classic
Review: After waiting over 10 years since the publication of the classic "Florida's Fossils" by Robin Brown, amateur paleontologists in Florida now have another excellent reference book. Geared for the beginner to intermediate amateur, "Fossiling in Florida" is destined to also be a classic. The book contains 21 chapters, a 34 page identification section, a list of Florida fossiling clubs, a bibliography, and best of all, is dedicated to amateurs. Throughout the book there are 250 black and white pictures, mostly of fossil specimens. These pictures vividly display a well-rounded cadre of vertebrate fossils from a variety of localities. The pictures are clear enough for anyone wishing assistance in identification of their specimens. Also peppered through the book are over 20 illustrations by the author's wife, Marisa Renz. The majority of the drawings are light-hearted looks at Mark's adventures and ideas as an amateur collector. However, there are also several excellent line drawings of fossil specimens and serious recreations of prehistoric life. The combination of photos and illustrations provide the reader with great visual supplements to a comprehensive text. The author uses clear and concise language, explaining technical terminology in an accessible manner to the non-professional. Renz not only places various extinct species in their prehistoric context, he also uses modern analogues to speculate on their behavior. Sharks, mammoths, sloths, horses, armadillos and glyptodonts, saber cats, dugongs and manatees, alligators, bison and more are covered in detail. Stories on how Renz found his specimens are juxtaposed with vignettes on how the author speculates those animals lived and came to be fossils. This makes for fun and informative reading for beginner to veteran alike. The creative writing and story-like format should catapult "Fossiling in Florida" to an audience that transcends Florida state lines. A must have book for anyone interested in fossils.
Rating:
Summary: A joy to read!
Review: Fossiling in Florida is a fast paced, light hearted book on the excitement of fossil hunting in Florida. No old, dry bones here. It isn't weighed down by boring science facts and doesn't trip over ponderous Latin names. Just loads of accurate information presented in an easy to read manner. I reccommend this book to any one interested in fossil hunting. Even the armchair adventurer will enjoy this romp through Florida's past. Mark Renz's charm, knowledge and humor speed you on your way so quickly it's a one sitting read. Mrs. Renz's art work adds volumes to the enjoyment of the book. This lady knows her husband!! Don't stop at the book, take the trip, I did and can guarantee you will come away begging for more.
Rating:
Summary: Share In The Excitement Of Fossil Hunting In Florida
Review: Fossiling In Florida is an informative and entertaining guide to vertebrate paleontology in southern Florida. It isn't just another book about fossils, but about the fun and excitement of finding them. Mark Renz shares his obvious enthusiasm with the reader as though engaged in conversation, making the book easy to read for a novice fossil hunter. The book stresses responsible hunting, is filled with photographs that are helpful in identifying finds, and discusses the preparations, sites, seasons, hazards, successes and overall good times fossil hunting has to offer.
Rating:
Summary: A joy to read!!
Review: Fossiling in Florida is THE book for beginner and old pro a like. No old dry bones here! Mark Renz's knowledge, charm and humor come shining through. The book doesn't bog down on egghead science or trip over ponderous Latin names. Yet it is loaded with information in an easy to learn style. I reccommend it to any one even slightly interested in Florida's past. Mrs. Renz's art work adds volumes to the book. This lady knows her husband! The book is a fast paced, light hearted read and will be over before you know it. You will be left wanting more!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book for the first time Fossil Collector!
Review: FOSSILING IN FLORIDA: A Guide for Diggers and Divers is an excellent book for anyone interested in fossil collecting in Florida. Mark's mix of humour, enthusiasm and first hand experiences guide you through an educational and informative insight into Florida's rich fossil past! Well illustrated with lots of photos for identification. Mark goes into great detail to discuss the responsible ways of fossil collecting and passes on to us that the challenge of the hunt can be as much fun as the discovery!
Rating: 
Summary: Adventures in Florida geology!
Review: From the preface: "Mark Renz's book, Fossiling in Florida, should serve to strengthen the bridge between the amateur and professional communities. Renz has assembled a friendly text from the standpoint of a serious, well-read amateur. His work promises to be an excellent educational guide for those interested in paleontology or seeking information about their fortuitous discovery of fossil remains...As a thoughtful, seasoned veteran, Renz can assist others who aspire to gain more knowledge about the topic outside the rigors of academia. He provides a framework for communicating, in lay terms, the basics of paleontology and the importance of the Florida resource...If the promotion of knowledge is the key to the salvation of the resource, then the work of Mark Renz promises to provide a timely and much needed step forward." --James S. Dunbar, archaeological field supervisor, Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research."The adventure and discovery of Florida field paleontology are well exemplified in these charming chapters. Mark Renz has an appealing, light-hearted style and tells most of his experiences in the first hand. On the other hand, he conveys a substantial body of information from the scholarly literature in a condensed, but accurate manner...The underwater searching and excavating techniques are really quite original." --S. David Webb, distinguished research curator, Florida Museum of Natural History. With boundless enthusiasm, Mark Renz stumbles onto the skeletal remains of fierce saber-toothed cats, gentle sea cows, massive mammoths and mastodons, Volkswagen-size armadillos, and an ancient 5-ton giant ground sloth, and then shares these experiences in a humorous, illustrated book for beginning fossil collectors. Want to look for fossils yourself but not sure how to get started? Renz tells how and where to hunt and how to preserve your finds for another million years, and he provides more than 250 photographs that help you to identify those bones and teeth and distinguish a prehistoric bison from a farmer's lost cow. He also provides information about what's there to be found, the hurdles and hazards to be overcome, and the legalities to be observed. Guided by an appreciation for the professional paleontologist and also for the laws that regulate his hobby, Renz explains, for example, why it is okay to dig for fossils in a state-owned creek bed (providing one possesses a state permit and does not dig in a state park), and why it is illegal to engage in the same activity in search of artifacts. With writing that's free of technical jargon and full of love for fossiling, this illustrated book will inspire you to explore the huge number of rich fossil deposits in Florida that can be found with just a shovel and a keen eye. Mark Renz, writer and amateur paleontologist, has taught continuing education classes geared for beginner fossil collectors at Edison Community College in Fort Myers and leads fossil-finding expeditions in southwest Florida. He is the publisher of "Fossil Expeditions," a bimonthly newsletter for readers throughout the United States (and also the name of his guide service), and was the first president of the Paleontological Society of Lee County, Florida. He lives in Lehigh Acres, Florida.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable lessons here for the novice.
Review: Here in Florida we are lucky to have a how-to book like Fossiling in Florida. Renz not only has in insatiable drive for exploring the past, but his writing is professional and the scientific information he disburses is accurate, presented in a delightful, down-to-earth style. This book is easy to understand-even for those without a modicum of knowledge about fossils. Renz has the expertise to write clearly, with candor and good humor, as well as an uncanny ability to make whatever he is writing come alive for the reader. He magnetically pulls the reader from page to page. The book is awash with photos, in fact, it is a fascinating photo ID book, all through the over 200 pages. Renz's wife Marisa is a creditable photographer and illustrationist as evidenced by the wonderful work she contributed to this project. With pure dedication, Renz shares his aura of romance as he walks and writes his readers through the "how-tos" of fossiling, covering what, where and when to look, as well as how to preserve your finds for another million years. In the epilog, the author writes: "There is nothing as therapeutic to me as fossil hunting. It doesn't matter how stressful a week I've had; when I take to the bone beds, it's all behind me. While I'm out, I'm not just looking for old bones. I have come across owls, otters, bobcats, manatees, alligators, snakes and the tracks of the endangered Florida panther. I've been frightened a couple of times, but mostly I have been in awe of the beauty of nature as it appears to have unfolded over the eons--and here I am in the midst of it."
Rating:
Summary: Valuable lessons here for the novice.
Review: Here in Florida we are lucky to have a how-to book like Fossiling in Florida. Renz not only has in insatiable drive for exploring the past, but his writing is professional and the scientific information he disburses is accurate, presented in a delightful, down-to-earth style. This book is easy to understand-even for those without a modicum of knowledge about fossils. Renz has the expertise to write clearly, with candor and good humor, as well as an uncanny ability to make whatever he is writing come alive for the reader. He magnetically pulls the reader from page to page. The book is awash with photos, in fact, it is a fascinating photo ID book, all through the over 200 pages. Renz's wife Marisa is a creditable photographer and illustrationist as evidenced by the wonderful work she contributed to this project. With pure dedication, Renz shares his aura of romance as he walks and writes his readers through the "how-tos" of fossiling, covering what, where and when to look, as well as how to preserve your finds for another million years. In the epilog, the author writes: "There is nothing as therapeutic to me as fossil hunting. It doesn't matter how stressful a week I've had; when I take to the bone beds, it's all behind me. While I'm out, I'm not just looking for old bones. I have come across owls, otters, bobcats, manatees, alligators, snakes and the tracks of the endangered Florida panther. I've been frightened a couple of times, but mostly I have been in awe of the beauty of nature as it appears to have unfolded over the eons--and here I am in the midst of it."
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