Gwangi's Book Collection (Page 7 *Snakes*)

[Gwangi]

Yeah of course it was fiction. There was talk of doing a "Raptor Red" movie, but I don't see that ever happening, at least not with a half-decent budget. Maybe as a 2 hour documentary with narration.

Well I'm just saying that to point out that even though it was a great story it is not something I would look to for education purposes. I wouldn't read a book like that and draw conclusions about pack hunting in dinosaurs from it. It was written with the primary goal of entertaining.
I would love a Raptor Red movie and I believe there were talks discussing it at one time. I would especially love it with no narration or voices at all.

[Metallisuchus]

Well I'm just saying that to point out that even though it was a great story it is not something I would look to for education purposes. I wouldn't read a book like that and draw conclusions about pack hunting in dinosaurs from it. It was written with the primary goal of entertaining.
I would love a Raptor Red movie and I believe there were talks discussing it at one time. I would especially love it with no narration or voices at all.

I know, I wasn't calling your a hypocrite for liking it, as you already stated, you'd love to see them as pack hunters, you just don't buy it. Yes, Bakker wrote it to entertain people, but I don't believe he'd write them in a light that he didn't believe in. Oh I could watch a Raptor Red film without voices as well, but you know they'd never make it, because people need to hear human voices for some reason. There'd be a small handful of us that would appreciate it. The hard part would be communicating what Raptor Red was thinking.

[Gwangi]

Well I'm just saying that to point out that even though it was a great story it is not something I would look to for education purposes. I wouldn't read a book like that and draw conclusions about pack hunting in dinosaurs from it. It was written with the primary goal of entertaining.
I would love a Raptor Red movie and I believe there were talks discussing it at one time. I would especially love it with no narration or voices at all.

I know, I wasn't calling your a hypocrite for liking it, as you already stated, you'd love to see them as pack hunters, you just don't buy it. Yes, Bakker wrote it to entertain people, but I don't believe he'd write them in a light that he didn't believe in. Oh I could watch a Raptor Red film without voices as well, but you know they'd never make it, because people need to hear human voices for some reason. There'd be a small handful of us that would appreciate it. The hard part would be communicating what Raptor Red was thinking.

I'm sure Bakker does believe most of what he wrote but I know the book was highly criticized by scientists. Here is an entry from wikipedia...

Many critical reviews of the work came from scientists who objected to Bakker's looseness with scientific fact.[23] The paleontologist Thomas Holtz noted that Bakker combined fauna in ways not directly supported by the fossil record; for example, several of the dinosaurs featured in the books lived millions of years after Utahraptor died out.[24] Michael Taylor, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the National Museums of Scotland, panned the book, saying that "Raptor Red is an accurate portrayal only within the context of uncertainties over the reconstruction of fossil animals as living forms ... Bakker's postscript never really admits these uncertainties."[16] David B. Norman criticized the book as "no more than a children's adventure story—and a rather poorly written one at that ... The merging of science and fantasy is at its worst in books like Raptor Red because none but the experts can disentangle fact from fiction; this type of nonsense turns an uninformed reader into a misinformed one."

Regardless, I still loved the book when I first read it, I guess I was 13 at the time. I've been meaning to re-read it actually. No book quite like it has been written before to the best of my knowledge.

As for a movie, if it is narrated they would have to find a damn good narrator. Perhaps David Attenborough or Morgan Freeman.

[Metallisuchus]

I remember reading it, thinking "aren't Deinonychus and Utahraptor separated by a few million years?".

Anyway, what I meant though was that Bakker's version of Utahraptor - behavior mainly, was likely what he believed in. I'm sure he knew of some of his inaccuracies regarding time and place and species co-existing that shouldn't.

And David Norman shouldn't be speaking of other paleontologists. I grew up reading his stuff and remember laughing at him.

[Gwangi]

Oh yes. 



EDIT: They really tried to put as much artwork in this book as possible. To those that own the book take off the jacket and look on both the front and back of the book.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Gwangi, is there a Psittacosaurus in there you can show me so I have an excuse to buy the book? Just one? I would even settle for a sketch......?

[Gwangi]

Gwangi, is there a Psittacosaurus in there you can show me so I have an excuse to buy the book? Just one? I would even settle for a sketch......?

I know there is one in there by Luis Rey but I'll have to look and see if there are any others.

[Metallisuchus]

I want! That cover art looks amazing and I'm fighting the temptation to hunt this thing down and buy it.

[Gwangi]

I want! That cover art looks amazing and I'm fighting the temptation to hunt this thing down and buy it.

It is easy enough to find. Only $21 on Amazon.

[Himmapaan]

Just to answer Amargasaurus' question; I believe there is a Psittacosaurus in the Mamenchisaurus illustration by Raul Martin?

[Gwangi]

Just to answer Amargasaurus' question; I believe there is a Psittacosaurus in the Mamenchisaurus illustration by Raul Martin?

I didn't notice that one but it would make sense. I know there is a Luis Rey one in one of the Chinese dinosaur pieces. Honestly everyone with a love for the prehistoric should own this book, it is literally like a owning a time machine. Maybe not quite but close enough.

[Metallisuchus]

I want! That cover art looks amazing and I'm fighting the temptation to hunt this thing down and buy it.

It is easy enough to find. Only $21 on Amazon.

Seems like a very reasonable price. I usually buy books from my local B&N, but they've got $*#! in terms of a paleontology selection.

[Gwangi]

I want! That cover art looks amazing and I'm fighting the temptation to hunt this thing down and buy it.

It is easy enough to find. Only $21 on Amazon.

Seems like a very reasonable price. I usually buy books from my local B&N, but they've got $*#! in terms of a paleontology selection.

That and the prices are ridiculous. I never buy books from stores anymore. I bet at B&N that book would be $35-40 or maybe even more. I've bought so many books for under half the price I would have through any store.

[Metallisuchus]

I want! That cover art looks amazing and I'm fighting the temptation to hunt this thing down and buy it.

It is easy enough to find. Only $21 on Amazon.

Seems like a very reasonable price. I usually buy books from my local B&N, but they've got $*#! in terms of a paleontology selection.

That and the prices are ridiculous. I never buy books from stores anymore. I bet at B&N that book would be $35-40 or maybe even more. I've bought so many books for under half the price I would have through any store.

Wow really? I didn't know the price difference was that extreme. I always prefer to buy everything in person - resorting to online shopping only when necessary, but you've got me rethinking this, at least in terms of book purchases.

[Gwangi]

I want! That cover art looks amazing and I'm fighting the temptation to hunt this thing down and buy it.

It is easy enough to find. Only $21 on Amazon.

Seems like a very reasonable price. I usually buy books from my local B&N, but they've got $*#! in terms of a paleontology selection.

That and the prices are ridiculous. I never buy books from stores anymore. I bet at B&N that book would be $35-40 or maybe even more. I've bought so many books for under half the price I would have through any store.

Wow really? I didn't know the price difference was that extreme. I always prefer to buy everything in person - resorting to online shopping only when necessary, but you've got me rethinking this, at least in terms of book purchases.

I used to be like that too but if you go through a reputable source (like Amazon) there really is nothing to be afraid of provided you have a secure computer. I should mention that I typically buy used books which means they're cheaper but most are in "like new" condition anyway. Even if you buy new books through Amazon they should prove cheaper than from a bookstore. I recently bought two books by Richard Dawkins for less than half the price of one I could have bought at B&N. Do some comparison shopping, you'll be surprised. Movies too, a newly released movie at most retail stores costs $20-30, I've seen them on Amazon for $15 and under. I did all my Holiday shopping online last year. Didn't have to contend with crowds or bad weather, the prices were cheaper and I was able to find things my friends and family would really want instead of settle on something else. Clearly....I'm a big fan of online shopping. Heck, 90% of my dinosaur collection is from Amazon or eBay or here.

[Metallisuchus]

I want! That cover art looks amazing and I'm fighting the temptation to hunt this thing down and buy it.

It is easy enough to find. Only $21 on Amazon.

Seems like a very reasonable price. I usually buy books from my local B&N, but they've got $*#! in terms of a paleontology selection.

That and the prices are ridiculous. I never buy books from stores anymore. I bet at B&N that book would be $35-40 or maybe even more. I've bought so many books for under half the price I would have through any store.

Wow really? I didn't know the price difference was that extreme. I always prefer to buy everything in person - resorting to online shopping only when necessary, but you've got me rethinking this, at least in terms of book purchases.

I used to be like that too but if you go through a reputable source (like Amazon) there really is nothing to be afraid of provided you have a secure computer. I should mention that I typically buy used books which means they're cheaper but most are in "like new" condition anyway. Even if you buy new books through Amazon they should prove cheaper than from a bookstore. I recently bought two books by Richard Dawkins for less than half the price of one I could have bought at B&N. Do some comparison shopping, you'll be surprised. Movies too, a newly released movie at most retail stores costs $20-30, I've seen them on Amazon for $15 and under. I did all my Holiday shopping online last year. Didn't have to contend with crowds or bad weather, the prices were cheaper and I was able to find things my friends and family would really want instead of settle on something else. Clearly....I'm a big fan of online shopping. Heck, 90% of my dinosaur collection is from Amazon or eBay or here.

It wasn't really a security issue, because I do buy my figures/replicas online and all that, it's just that I live in a heavily populated area, and there are lots of accessible stores. I tend to buy online if its something I can't buy in my local area. I had no idea it was that much cheaper to buy through Amazon though. Then again, I never really shopped around when it came to books. Thanks for the insight though, it'll definitely keep my wallet thicker in the future.

[tyrantqueen]

Sorry for the thread necromancy, but I was just checking out this thread and you've got some great stuff here

Is the Complete Dinosaur by Michael K. Brett-Surman worth getting? I hear people saying very good things about it, but it looks very big and expensive.

[Gwangi]

Sorry for the thread necromancy, but I was just checking out this thread and you've got some great stuff here

Is the Complete Dinosaur by Michael K. Brett-Surman worth getting? I hear people saying very good things about it, but it looks very big and expensive.

Don't be sorry. Like any collection thread I consider this ongoing. I just have not updated it in awhile.

I have really enjoyed "The Complete Dinosaur" and look through it often but it is a bit technical in places. That said it literally covers everything. I took a couple pictures of the contents page for you. I hope the pages are not turned sideways. I rotated them on Photobucket but they still appear sideways in my post.





Complete indeed! An updated version was recently released so if you do decide you want a copy I would look for that one. Here is a review of it from Darren Naish.
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/2012/08/09/bird-chapter-in-complete-dinosaur-ii/

[tyrantqueen]

Thanks for taking the time to photograph these, I know photographing the interior of books can be a pain in the butt

I am debating whether to pick this one up, or go for Dinosaurs: A Concise Natural History by David Weishampel. Do you have that one, too?

[Gwangi]

Thanks for taking the time to photograph these, I know photographing the interior of books can be a pain in the butt

I am debating whether to pick this one up, or go for Dinosaurs: A Concise Natural History by David Weishampel. Do you have that one, too?

I do not own that one but it is on my wish list! Just go ahead and get both.