Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia

VOYA - Tom Pearson

Here is a riddle for all librarians who work in college and large public libraries: what is it that you cannot afford to buy, yet cannot afford not to have? The answer, of course, is Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia. The title says it all: this book is now the dinosaur encyclopedia. It blows its closest competitors not just out of the water but into earth orbit. How exactly does this book differ from earlier works of its type? It gives the reader more, that is how. There are more articles; more illustrations and photographs; more glossary, bibliography, and index entries; more everything-period. Paleontologists both professional and amateur will want to have it, as will museums and universities with a paleontology department. Entries in this work are arranged alphabetically by dinosaurian generic name. Entries include first appearance in the scientific literature, cladistic (rather than Linnean) classification, name derivation, geographic area and geologic era, known types of skeletal material uncovered to date, a diagnosis of genus, a comments section, and a list of key references in the scientific literature. It has perhaps occurred to you that a book technical enough in nature to be of use to a professional paleontologist is possibly too technical to be of much use to the casual dinosaur enthusiasts you serve. This type of reader will not be able to read any of the articles in this book without making extensive use of the glossary. So what is the average school or public librarian to do? I recommend that she purchase The Dinosaur Society's Dinosaur Encyclopedia by Don Lessem and Donald F. Glut (Random House, 1993). It is well illustrated, both extensive and recent enough to answer most dinosaur questions you will receive, yet cheap enough ($25) that most libraries can afford it. It provides basic information (order, suborder, and family; type species; length in feet and meters; geologic era; locality; and preferred diet) on six hundred dinosaur species. It also gives the correct pronunciation for each species, something most dinosaur guides do not provide. Glossary. Index. Illus. Photos. Biblio. Appendix.

Library Journal

Here are two new encyclopedias for the more serious dinosaur enthusiast. Intended as a companion to the classic taxonomic reference, The Dinosauria LJ 3/15/91, Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs emphasizes discoveries published in the scientific literature since 1990. In this context, the paucity of maps and illustrations seems a less serious omission. Written by well-known paleontologists and organized alphabetically by subject, the signed articles cover kinds of dinosaurs, biology, geology, research, and museums where dinosaurs are on display, including a worldwide list of museums and sites. There is some overlap with The Dinosauria in dinosaur descriptions, but this encyclopedia offers authoritative articles on many topics not covered in that work, such as "color," "intelligence," and "ornamentation." While the language may sometimes be too technical for the general reader, Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs provides a nice link between popular and scientific dinosaur studies. The author of The Complete Dinosaur Dictionary Carol Pub., 1995, which was aimed at young adults, Glut now offers a far more detailed and technical work oriented toward dinosaur material in museum collections. Following 74 pages of background information, the encyclopedia is devoted to an alphabetical list of dinosaur genera. Each entry tells the date of discovery, name derivation, occurrence, age, and diagnosis; gives a list of key print references; and refers to important museum specimens that have furthered the study of dinosaur paleontology. The black-and-white illustrations are mainly photos of museum specimens and reconstructions, with a deliberate avoidance of fanciful interpretation. The emphasis on museum collections makes this a unique work. Both titles are recommended for academic and larger public libraries.Amy Brunvand, Univ. of Utah Lib., Salt Lake City

Booknews

This is the first supplement to a 1997 work named an ALA Outstanding Reference Book: . Maintaining the arrangement of the primary volume, the supplement brings information up to date late into 1998, and includes information on new dinosaurian genera, new species, and new life restorations. Section I provides introductory material on ectothermy versus endothermy and dinosaur extinction, and Section II continues the ordering of dinosaurian systematics. Section III continues the alphabetical compilation of new dinosaurian genera, and Section IV details doubtful genera that have appeared in the paleontological literature. The author is a filmmaker and dinosaur authority. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)