Book recommendations

[Takama]

I was looking through the book wall, and clicked some.    Sheesh the prices on some of them appear rediculiss



$900?  are you kidding me Or is that normal?

Same goes for this book, which i found cheaper at my local book shop(i hope its not gone)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0754815730/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=theplesdire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0754815730

Now i know some of the Book wall Books are actauly Text Books, so they comamnd academic prices. But Are these two really worthy of the priceing?


Also i have a Contribution for you guys


http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Dinosaurs-Mk-ed-Brett-Surman/dp/1740893301/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361851738&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=A+Guide+to+Dinosaurs+Michael+K.+Bret-Surman

Its a little outdated but it serves me as one of my go to Dinosaur books. It evean has a section on musiums and fossil locations.

[Sumo]

I was looking through the book wall, and clicked some.    Sheesh the prices on some of them appear rediculiss



$900?  are you kidding me Or is that normal?

The... what the...?!?  Mine cost the equivalent of US$ 50, and that was just two or three years ago!
It appears to be out of print, though, so that may be the reason.
If you can stand an abbreviated version, Awesomebooks has this one costing about as much as a decent cup of coffee...
Then again, the prehistoric mammals and other non-dinosaurian fauna is part of what makes the book so great - you don't find a lot of that stuff elsewhere.

[Balaur]

I just found this while searching for pterosaur books. Is it worth getting?

http://www.amazon.com/Pterosaurs-Natural-History-Evolution-Anatomy/dp/0691150613/ref=pd_sim_b_10

[wings]

I just found this while searching for pterosaur books. Is it worth getting?

http://www.amazon.com/Pterosaurs-Natural-History-Evolution-Anatomy/dp/0691150613/ref=pd_sim_b_10

This really depends on what you like? If you are after photos of different specimens like Wellnhofer's book  http://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Encyclopedia-Pterosaurs-Salamander-book/dp/0517037017/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371915374&sr=1-1&keywords=encyclopedia+of+pterosaurs then this might not be your cup of tea. As most of the illustrations in the book are reconstructions of these animals by Witton (there are photos of the specimens of course but not many). But if you are into current research/knowledge on these animals then this is almost a perfect book. The book includes sections like descriptions of all the major pterosaur groups, their origin, 2 chapters on reconstructions (one on skeletal and soft tissue on the other) the way they live (locomotion, feeding posture etc.) and their demise. This book does remind me of Unwin's "The Pterosaurs: From Deep Time" book. There is a more detail view of this book which you can find here (http://qilong.wordpress.com/2013/06/16/on-the-nature-of-being-a-pterosaur/). If this is a book with more photos of the specimens on top of its current content (It's close to 300 pages already so I doubt that they could really add more pages to it) then I'll say get it straight away however, similar to Unwin's book that I think some people will really like it and others not so much.

[Balaur]

I just found this while searching for pterosaur books. Is it worth getting?

http://www.amazon.com/Pterosaurs-Natural-History-Evolution-Anatomy/dp/0691150613/ref=pd_sim_b_10

This really depends on what you like? If you are after photos of different specimens like Wellnhofer's book  http://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Encyclopedia-Pterosaurs-Salamander-book/dp/0517037017/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371915374&sr=1-1&keywords=encyclopedia+of+pterosaurs then this might not be your cup of tea. As most of the illustrations in the book are reconstructions of these animals by Witton (there are photos of the specimens of course but not many). But if you are into current research/knowledge on these animals then this is almost a perfect book. The book includes sections like descriptions of all the major pterosaur groups, their origin, 2 chapters on reconstructions (one on skeletal and soft tissue on the other) the way they live (locomotion, feeding posture etc.) and their demise. This book does remind me of Unwin's "The Pterosaurs: From Deep Time" book. There is a more detail view of this book which you can find here (http://qilong.wordpress.com/2013/06/16/on-the-nature-of-being-a-pterosaur/). If this is a book with more photos of the specimens on top of its current content (It's close to 300 pages already so I doubt that they could really add more pages to it) then I'll say get it straight away however, similar to Unwin's book that I think some people will really like it and others not so much.

I think I'm going to get it. Thank you!

[Balaur]

I got the Pterosaur book, but also, I got this little gem.



I got it today, and I skimmed through it (which I do with all my books before I read them) and I am satisfied. I will start reading it sometime today.

[Libraraptor]

Found an interesting little book from 1982 "The Smallest Dinosaurs" by Seymour Simon, illustrated by Anthony Rao. It´s interesting to see how furry dinosaurs and the obvious relationship between birds and dinosaurs was taken for granted here, 31 years ago!

[tyrantqueen]

It´s interesting to see how furry dinosaurs and the obvious relationship between birds and dinosaurs was taken for granted here, 31 years ago!

Not sure I understand your comment, since I can see feathery covering for the compy in those pics. Also, there is a comparison with a modern day theropod (goose)

Pretty good for 1982.

[Libraraptor]

It´s interesting to see how furry dinosaurs and the obvious relationship between birds and dinosaurs was taken for granted here, 31 years ago!

Not sure I understand your comment, since I can see feathery covering for the compy in those pics. Also, there is a comparison with a modern day theropod (goose)

Pretty good for 1982.

Yes, that´s what I meant.

[tyrantqueen]

It´s interesting to see how furry dinosaurs and the obvious relationship between birds and dinosaurs was taken for granted here, 31 years ago!

Not sure I understand your comment, since I can see feathery covering for the compy in those pics. Also, there is a comparison with a modern day theropod (goose)

Pretty good for 1982.

Yes, that´s what I meant.

Well, your wording confused me- to take something for granted means to not appreciate it.

It's all good though

[Libraraptor]

Thanks for that information. I appreciate the fact of feathered dinosaurs in 1982 very much, and I was trusting leo.org,

http://dict.leo.org/ende/index_de.html#/search=take%20sth.%20for%20granted&searchLoc=0&resultOrder=basic&multiwordShowSingle=on

Nowhere there it says that taking sth. for granted means to not appreciating it. Nice English lesson!

[Gwangi]

Can anyone recommend  "Dinosaurs of the East Coast" by David B. Weishampel and Luther Young?

[Concavenator]

I was looking through the book wall, and clicked some.    Sheesh the prices on some of them appear rediculiss



$900?  are you kidding me Or is that normal?

Same goes for this book, which i found cheaper at my local book shop(i hope its not gone)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0754815730/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=theplesdire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0754815730

Now i know some of the Book wall Books are actauly Text Books, so they comamnd academic prices. But Are these two really worthy of the priceing?


Also i have a Contribution for you guys


http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Dinosaurs-Mk-ed-Brett-Surman/dp/1740893301/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361851738&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=A+Guide+to+Dinosaurs+Michael+K.+Bret-Surman

Its a little outdated but it serves me as one of my go to Dinosaur books. It evean has a section on musiums and fossil locations.

I was looking through the book wall, and clicked some.    Sheesh the prices on some of them appear rediculiss



$900?  are you kidding me Or is that normal?

Same goes for this book, which i found cheaper at my local book shop(i hope its not gone)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0754815730/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=theplesdire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0754815730

Now i know some of the Book wall Books are actauly Text Books, so they comamnd academic prices. But Are these two really worthy of the priceing?


Also i have a Contribution for you guys


http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Dinosaurs-Mk-ed-Brett-Surman/dp/1740893301/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361851738&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=A+Guide+to+Dinosaurs+Michael+K.+Bret-Surman

Its a little outdated but it serves me as one of my go to Dinosaur books. It evean has a section on musiums and fossil locations.

This is the Spanish version of the book:

It's full of nice images and includes very rare and exotic species,not only dinsaurs also,prehistoric mammals,amphibians and pre-dinosaurs small lizards.It also appears pterosaurs and plesiosaurs.
A nice book,but here in Spain retails for 45 euros!Too expensive! 
I consider it as the best book of my collection.
Here's another book I'd recommend.Though its aime at children,it has really nice pictures and says some interesting facts.This is the book:

And a page of the book:

[Remko]

First off, if you need a book which is out of print, try the sites abebooks.co.uk or abebooks.com
I've got many books from there. It's basically a collection of international booksellers, and you can get most of the books there for very reasonable prices. Some are cheaper than others, but I have not yet been disappointed with the quality. The books can be filtered using lowest total price (book price + shipping costs) or location. I already have a book on my wishlist for about a third the price I can get it for here in Holland, and probably the same quality (it's "The Emergence of Whales by J.G. M. Thewissen, btw).

Anyhoo, good books about Pterosaurs are indeed "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs" by Peter Wellnhofer. Illustrations are by John Sibbick. Not always my favorite paleoartist, but he has really outdone himself here. The book is somewhat dated now (especially because of the new theories about Azhdarchids), but should still be in every collection.

Other books I'd recommend (both strictly dinosaurs as well as prehistoric animals in general, but mostly more scientific than popular books) are the following, in no particular order:

"Predatory Dinosaurs of the World", by Greg Paul (even if it's outdated, the artwork is fantastic)
"Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Reptiles of California", by Richard P. Hilton and illustrated by Ken Kirkland
"Neptune's Ark: From Ichthyosaurs to Orcas", by David Rains Wallace and illustrated by Ken Kirkland (focusing on the evolution of marine life from the North American East Coast)
"The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs", edited by Greg Paul
"The Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs: A Revolution in Palaeontology", by Adrian J. Desmond (published in 1975, but still more accurate than some later books)
"Dinosaur Imagery: The Science of Lost Worlds and Jurassic Art: The Lanzendorf Collection", by John J. Lanzendorf (just paleoart, paintings, drawings, sculptures)
"Dawn of the Dinosaurs: Life in the Triassic", by Nicholas Fraser, and illustrated by Douglas Henderson
"Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body", by Neil Shubin
"The Big Cats and their Fossil Relatives", by Mauricio Anton and Alan F. Turner
"Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History", by Xiaoming Wang, Richard H. Tedford and (illustrated by) Mauricio Anton
"Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe", by Jordi Augusti and (illustrated by) Mauricio Anton
"Evolving Eden: An Illustrated Guide to the Evolution of the African Large Mammal Fauna", by Mauricio Anton and Alan F. Turner
"The Rise of Birds: 225 Million Years of Evolution", by Dr. Sankar Chatterjee
"The Horned Dinosaurs", by Peter Dodson
"Dragons in the Dust: The Paleobiology of the Giant Monitor Lizard Megalania", by Ralph E. Molnar
"The Link: Uncovering Our Earliest Ancestor", by Colin Tudge (about the famous 'Ida' fossil).
"Feathered Dinosaurs: The Origin of Birds", by John A. Long and (illustrated by) Peter Schouten
"Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution", by John A. Long, Michael Arcer, Timothy Flannery and Suzanne Hand
"The Dinosaur Papers: 1676-1906", edited by David B. Weishampel and Nadine M. White
"The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution", by John A. Long
"Discovering Fossil Fishes", by John G. Maisey (each photo of a fossil is accompanied by a life restoration of the animal)
"Planet Ocean: A Story of Life, the Sea, and Dancing to the Fossil Record", by Brad Matsen and (illustrated by) Ray Troll

I could go on, but these books haven't been mentioned in this topic before (as far as I know). I have more in my collection though.
Generally, just about every book from the "Life of the Past" series are worth adding to any collection about prehistoric animals.

If anyone needs any interior views of the books mentioned above, or wants to know more about them, just let me know.

More books are on their way, have a couple ordered. 

[HD-man]

And Zopteryx said: I would highly recommend the following:

A Field Guide to Dinosaurs - The Essential Handbook for Travelers in the Mesozoic
By Henry Gee & Luis Rey
Fascinating book with excellent illustration and interesting content.  It treats dinosaurs as if they're still alive (hence the title).

QUESTION: Who (if anyone) did Gee &/or Rey thank/list as having helped? Many thanks in advance.

There's two books I am thinking of purchasing   
The Concise Dinosaur Encyclopedia by David Burnie
Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life by David Lambert
Are they worth getting? Any opinions?

Burnie's book is pretty bad ( http://spongebobfossilpants.deviantart.com/journal/Things-I-Learnt-From-A-2001-Encyclopedia-313771602 ), while Lambert's book is pretty good (I bought it).

[Everything_Dinosaur]

We have been asked to review Pterosaurs by Mark Witton, (Princeton Publishing), these reptiles tend to be overshadowed by the Dinosauria, but Mark has done a fantastic job in providing a comprehensive guide to the Pterosauria.  The book is essentially split into three parts, the first section discusses the evolution of Pterosaurs, their anatomy, locomotion, flight characteristics and how our understanding of them has changed over the last couple of decades or so.  The main part of the book (fifteen chapters), deals with different types of Pterosaur families and looks at the ecological niches that each family may have filled.  The final chapter deals with theories relating to the decline and eventual extinction of the Pterosaurs.  A beautifully illustrated, well-written guide to flying reptiles with some great close up photographs of rarely seen fossils.  A full review will be up on the Everything Dinosaur blog site in a few days, in the meantime - highly recommended.

[HD-man]

And Zopteryx said: I would highly recommend the following:

A Field Guide to Dinosaurs - The Essential Handbook for Travelers in the Mesozoic
By Henry Gee & Luis Rey
Fascinating book with excellent illustration and interesting content.  It treats dinosaurs as if they're still alive (hence the title).

QUESTION: Who (if anyone) did Gee &/or Rey thank/list as having helped? Many thanks in advance.

There's two books I am thinking of purchasing   
The Concise Dinosaur Encyclopedia by David Burnie
Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life by David Lambert
Are they worth getting? Any opinions?

Burnie's book is pretty bad ( http://spongebobfossilpants.deviantart.com/journal/Things-I-Learnt-From-A-2001-Encyclopedia-313771602 ), while Lambert's book is pretty good (I bought it).

Just making sure my question isn't forgotten about.

UPDATE: Never mind. I found out on my own.

[Libraraptor]

I just got myself "The Flight of the Pterosaurs", a pop up book by Keith Moseley. Hey, Himmapaan or anyone else: Any experience with this book? How do you like it! Seems like a nice haul!


http://www.amazon.de/The-Flight-Pterosaurs-Keith-Moseley/dp/0671622323/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377444884&sr=8-1&keywords=the+flight+of+the+pterosaurs

[SGHILLUSTRATION]

Hi everyone, new here. Can anyone reccomend the most up to date, illustrated and comprehensive dinosaur book available? There are so many to choose from! Thanks

[tyrantqueen]

Hi everyone, new here. Can anyone reccomend the most up to date, illustrated and comprehensive dinosaur book available? There are so many to choose from! Thanks

Hard question to answer, because everyone has different criteria on what they want from a dinosaur book. I don't think you'll find all of those things in a single book The most detailed book on dinosaurs I have ever read, Dinosauria by David B Weishampel, is incredibly detailed and is full of scientific jargon.  But the the illustrations are only of dinosaur bones, and in black and white.

See, my favourite dinosaur book is by Dougal Dixon



I like it for the large amount of species it covers and many of the illustrations are very nice to look at. But it's out of date, many of the theropods have broken forearms and there is a lack of feathery coats on many of the theropods which should have them (utahraptor for instance)

The closest thing to what you're asking is probably the Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs, by Gregory S Paul. But even then, this one is a bit out of date. He does get the forearm thing correct, and has a good amount of feathers on his dinos. It's comprehensive enough for a casual dinosaur fan. I like his artwork but most of the dinos are just sketches with basic colouring.

Here are some examples of the Princeton Field Guide





Another book that gets suggested often is Luis Rey's dinosaur encyclopedia. This is really more of a general guide, it doesn't list dinosaurs by alphabetical order or anything like that. I think it's a good book, but just as a general guide to dinosaurs.