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The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World

Steve Brusatte

Start date: January 1, 2019

Finish date: January 31, 2019

Discussion: February 2019

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February 2019

Born a Crime
By Tina , Creator · 2 posts · 5 views

last updated Sep 02, 2025 02:53PM

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By Tina , Creator · 2 posts · 13 views

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Nov 24, 2019 Tina Haigler rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

"A FEW HOURS BEFORE LIGHT broke on a cold November morning in 2014, I got out of a taxi and pushed my way into Beijing's central railway station."

I had no idea how little I actually knew about dinosaurs, until I read this. I was obsessed as a kid. I would read anything and everything dinosaur related I could get my hands on. As an adult though, I've been seriously slacking, which became all too apparent when I picked up this book.

This book covers from the period of Earth's history, before the fi "A FEW HOURS BEFORE LIGHT broke on a cold November morning in 2014, I got out of a taxi and pushed my way into Beijing's central railway station."

I had no idea how little I actually knew about dinosaurs, until I read this. I was obsessed as a kid. I would read anything and everything dinosaur related I could get my hands on. As an adult though, I've been seriously slacking, which became all too apparent when I picked up this book.

This book covers from the period of Earth's history, before the first true dinosaurs came into play, all the way up to their extinction. It's absolutely fascinating! I have truly learned so much. You learn about plant life, Pangaea, how the world changed, about animals that lived among the dinosaurs, what the weather was like, the different environments, and so much more. It also contains first person accounts from the author's life, about his adventures fossil hunting around the globe with colleagues and teachers, as well as him studying and cataloging fossils with other scientists.

I've read a lot of reviews that claim the author is sexist, but I didn't find this to be the case at all. Sure, he mentions more men then women, but the women he does mention, are praised for their knowledge and skill. Where others saw a misogynist, I saw a man who highly respects his female colleagues. Also some people didn't enjoy reading about his personal adventures. I found that the stories of fossil hunting and groundbreaking discoveries broke up the monotony of the cut and dry scientific information, and that without it, the book would've been rather dull. After all, my brain can only soak up so much at once.

So if you love memoirs, dinosaurs, paleontology, geology, or any of the other related sciences that go along with fossils, this is a must read. However, if memoirs, dinosaurs, or science bore you, this simply isn't the book for you. Personally, I'll probably read this book more than once.

"If it could happen to the dinosaurs, could it also happen to us?" ...more

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Jun 16, 2018 Lydia Granda marked it as to-read

Mar 18, 2019 Lydia Granda marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jul 17, 2020 David marked it as to-read

Shelves: non-fiction

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