WWD Companion Book

[docronnie]

Does anyone have this book in their library?

http://www.amazon.com/Walking-With-Dinosaurs-Tim-Haines/dp/0563384492

How do you find it?  Is it worth it?

TIA!

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Does anyone have this book in their library?

http://www.amazon.com/Walking-With-Dinosaurs-Tim-Haines/dp/0563384492

How do you find it?  Is it worth it?

TIA!

I bought my copy when it came out..I think it's a nice book to go with the film.

[Balaur]

It's a nice book, I also has little facts about the science behind the scenes that occur in the book and tv series. It's cool. It also features some animal that where never in the original series, which where very cool, such as Metoposaurus, phytosaurs, icarosaurus, coelurus, and so. I think I would recommend it.

[docronnie]

Thanks for replying, Blade-of-the-Moon and balaurbondoc2643!

[Takama]

The book reads like another Documentry, and tells a story in each chaptor.  Personlly, i like it

[Thundercharge]

I read that book a decade ago when I was still in grade school, and it instantly became one of my favorite books I had ever read. I'd recommend it, especially if you enjoyed Walking with Dinosaurs. It even ads quite a bit extra to what you saw on screen.

[docronnie]

Thanks Takama and Thundercharge!

I bought the 2nd hand book last night! 

I'll read it after I finish Stone Cold by David Baldacci.

[Jetoar]

I have the spanish version in a store in 1999 and th english version in a flie market 4 years ago  .

[docronnie]

I have the spanish version in a store in 1999 and th english version in a flie market 4 years ago  .

Did you like the book?

I'm reading Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life by David Lambert, Luis Ray etc. at the moment.  My friend asked me to buy it, while he's abroad.  So I have to read it first before he arrives in 2 week's time... then I'll read the WWD book. 

[Jetoar]

I have the spanish version in a store in 1999 and th english version in a flie market 4 years ago  .

Did you like the book?

I'm reading Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life by David Lambert, Luis Ray etc. at the moment.  My friend asked me to buy it, while he's abroad.  So I have to read it first before he arrives in 2 week's time... then I'll read the WWD book. 

Yes I did and I like it now  because it have more contetns that the serie .

[HD-man]

Is it worth it?

That depends on whether you have the WWD DVD (See the Taylor quote). For a real "behind the scenes" look at WWD, I recommend either Walking With Dinosaurs: The Evidence ( http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Dinosuars-Evidence-DK-Dinosaurs/dp/0789471671/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375845409&sr=1-1&keywords=Walking+With+Dinosuars%3A+The+Evidence ) or "Walking with Dinosaurs": The Evidence - How Did They Know That? ( http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Dinosaurs-Evidence-They-Know/dp/0563537434/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375841222&sr=1-1 ). Not to shamelessly self-promote myself, but you can get both books in this thread: http://www.dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php/topic,1569.0.html

Quoting Taylor ( http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/dino/books/#wwd ):

To speak the brutal truth, this book is not particularly interesting. I was given it as a Christmas present in '99, along with the videos of the spectacular BBC TV series of the same name; and the videos really make the book redundant. The high-point of both is the visuals, and in fairness, the pictures in the book are wonderful: very believable photo-realism, gorgeous animals (of course), and impressive clarity. But it's so much more wonderful still to see the animated versions wandering across the TV screen.

One year after that Christmas, I was given the WWD wall calendar, which features exactly the same pictures as the book, but which makes more sense: it's nice having that Eustreptospondylus looking down at me from the kitchen wall.

As for the text in the WWD book: the bulk of it is transcribed natural history documentary - I don't know if it's actually the script from the TV programmes, but it's very similar in flavour if not detail. This means that it shares the programmes' fatal weakness that you can't tell what's fact, what's pure speculation and what's in between. Consequently, I've not read it all the way through.

The saving grace of the book is the sidebars, averaging maybe one a page, which contain a bit more background information on the animals covered in the main text, and are a tad more scientific. But even these don't go into much detail at all, and don't really ``spill the beans'' on the supposition - for example the Diplodocus ovipositor passes without comment.

All in all, you should save your money and get the videos instead.

[docronnie]

Thanks HD-man! 

[HD-man]

Thanks HD-man! 

Anytime! 

[Brontozaurus]

I got the book as a present and I still really like it. I think the text wasn't based on the final scripts, though, since there's a lot of stuff in there that isn't in the show.

[HD-man]

I got the book as a present and I still really like it. I think the text wasn't based on the final scripts, though, since there's a lot of stuff in there that isn't in the show.

Not the final scripts, but like Taylor said, "it's very similar in flavour if not detail. This means that it shares the programmes' fatal weakness that you can't tell what's fact, what's pure speculation and what's in between."

[tyrantqueen]

I got the book as a present and I still really like it. I think the text wasn't based on the final scripts, though, since there's a lot of stuff in there that isn't in the show.

Not the final scripts, but like Taylor said, "it's very similar in flavour if not detail. This means that it shares the programmes' fatal weakness that you can't tell what's fact, what's pure speculation and what's in between."

I don't personally see that as a bad thing. It is very immersive and adds to the viewing experience. I think all dino documentaries have to speculate to a certain extent

[HD-man]

I don't personally see that as a bad thing. It is very immersive and adds to the viewing experience. I think all dino documentaries have to speculate to a certain extent

The problem isn't that it speculates, but that it doesn't say what is & isn't speculation.

[Yutyrannus]

I don't personally see that as a bad thing. It is very immersive and adds to the viewing experience. I think all dino documentaries have to speculate to a certain extent

The problem isn't that it speculates, but that it doesn't say what is & isn't speculation.

Actually, that is why it is a good paleo-documentary. If it is supposed to immerse you the the world of the creature, like a modern nature doc, you can't show something is speculation as it is as it is ment to be as if you filmed it today. If it is something you filmed today than obviously the behavior shown is real. Sorry if I worded this confusingly, I couldn't think of another way to word it.

[HD-man]

Actually, that is why it is a good paleo-documentary. If it is supposed to immerse you the the world of the creature, like a modern nature doc, you can't show something is speculation as it is as it is ment to be as if you filmed it today. If it is something you filmed today than obviously the behavior shown is real. Sorry if I worded this confusingly, I couldn't think of another way to word it.

No worries, I know what you're saying. I was actually referring more to the book than the doc. In any case, "Planet Dinosaur" both immersed us & said what was evidence-based.

[Balaur]

Actually, that is why it is a good paleo-documentary. If it is supposed to immerse you the the world of the creature, like a modern nature doc, you can't show something is speculation as it is as it is ment to be as if you filmed it today. If it is something you filmed today than obviously the behavior shown is real. Sorry if I worded this confusingly, I couldn't think of another way to word it.

No worries, I know what you're saying. I was actually referring more to the book than the doc. In any case, "Planet Dinosaur" both immersed us & said what was evidenced-based.

It did show what was evidence based, but it didn't really immerse us as much as Walking with Dinosaurs did.