DON'T buy this book!

Smilodon rex · March 24, 2015, 06:31:20 PM

I'd just like to advise people NOT to buy The World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures by Dougal Dixon, as it's riddled with factual errors. For example: states that dinosaurs evolved from birds; classifies nimravids as cats; classifies Basilosaurus and Rodhocetus as primates; translates Homotherium as "the same mammal"; spells mustelids "mustellids".

John · March 24, 2015, 06:39:27 PM

They seem to have been trying to save money by not having any editors!

Gwangi · March 24, 2015, 09:41:50 PM

Used on Amazon it's going for $57.17 at its cheapest. Think I'll pass anyway!

SBell · March 24, 2015, 10:09:51 PM

The thing is, the illustrations in that book are the same as ones that have been used several times over for years by several different publishers, with occasional updates (especially the T.rex and Conodont). But the various books have had varying quality in their written parts.

Gwangi · March 24, 2015, 10:59:25 PM

I already have "The Complete Book of Dinosaurs" which is very similar. It's been awhile since I browsed it but I don't recall to many glaring errors.

Smilodon rex · March 27, 2015, 08:56:17 PM

Another one to avoid is the BBC's The Complete Guide to Prehistoric Life, which accompanies the Walking With ... series. This has nice pictures (except for a very inaccurate cave lion), but again is riddled with errors - e.g. translates Tyrannosaurus as "terrible reptile"; states that Smilodon became extinct 100,000 years ago; says artiodactyl means "odd-toed".

Gwangi · March 28, 2015, 04:23:07 AM

Personally I don't trust (or even bother to pick up) any books that tie in with popular television programs like WWD.

docronnie · March 28, 2015, 08:12:50 AM

I also have the Complete Book of Dinosaurs, which I got for less than $4. Will check on the errors you mentioned. Thanks!

stargatedalek · March 28, 2015, 04:13:41 PM

Quote from: Gwangi on March 28, 2015, 04:23:07 AM
Personally I don't trust (or even bother to pick up) any books that tie in with popular television programs like WWD.

I have a few of them. They don't make good reference books but its still a nice pictorial book.

HD-man · April 01, 2015, 03:16:30 AM

Quote from: Smilodon rex on March 24, 2015, 06:31:20 PMI'd just like to advise people NOT to buy The World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures by Dougal Dixon, as it's riddled with factual errors. For example: states that dinosaurs evolved from birds; classifies nimravids as cats; classifies Basilosaurus and Rodhocetus as primates; translates Homotherium as "the same mammal"; spells mustelids "mustellids".

I've been looking for an especially bad Dixon dino book to review at some point. Maybe this is the 1 (unless you guys know of a worse 1 that doesn't get enough criticism for being bad).

Takama · April 01, 2015, 05:33:27 AM

Quote from: Gwangi on March 28, 2015, 04:23:07 AM
Personally I don't trust (or even bother to pick up) any books that tie in with popular television programs like WWD.

I have the WWD one and its made more like a Story book then a reference book. It re tells some of the events from the Show, and even changes thing around to make way for creatures that were never seen or even mentioned in the show.

HD-man · April 01, 2015, 02:43:28 PM

Quote from: Takama on April 01, 2015, 05:33:27 AMI have the WWD one and its made more like a Story book then a reference book.

Actually, WWD has 3 adult books ( http://blogevolved.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-7th-pair-of-reviews.html ), but I know what you mean by "the WWD one". To be fair, though, it's supposed to be "more like a Story...then a reference" (hence the title, "Walking with Dinosaurs: A Natural History").

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DON'T buy this book!