My Horse for a Decent Dino Book!

[blackdanter]

Can anyone out there suggest a decent dino book currently in publication?

I'm looking for an encyclopedia type thing with accurate illustrations (preferably black and white).

So far, everything I've looked at is either aimed at children or written by some palaeo type with their own agenda in self publicity.

I just want a decent current reference book with great illustrations There must be something out there!

[kuni]

I hope by your comments that you're not dissing on Holtz's dinosaur book, because it's really great stuff - incorporates current research and takes a phylogenetic approach rather than an alphabetical.

[blackdanter]

Jan 14, 2009 2:14:16 GMT kuni said:

I hope by your comments that you're not dissing on Holtz's dinosaur book, because it's really great stuff - incorporates current research and takes a phylogenetic approach rather than an alphabetical.

Thanks for the pointer Kuni. Have you got the full details? I'll check it out.

I just want a decent reference manual where the animals are based on up to date evidential fact. There must be something out there?

John

[kuni]

www.amazon.com/Dinosaurs-Complete-Up-Date-Encyclopedia/dp/0375824197/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231907713&sr=8-1

It's a solid book, and while it doesn't have pictures of every dinosaur ever, they hit the high points phylogenetically, and there's a giant phylogeny in the back with all of them.

It's based on up-to-date paleontology, and Holtz is good about noting controversies. He also enlisted around 30 other paleontologists to write small articles for the book on their particular specialities, so there's quite a wealth of information directly from researchers.

[Meso-Cenozoic]

Yep, got this book for Christmas. It seems to be the most comprehensive, up-to-date book out there. Alot of detailed info in this book!




Although this one is very thorough in explaining the scientific end of everything new we know about dinos, I'd still like to get an up-to-date book that simply lists all the currently known dinos alphabetically, with a great pic of each and their stats -- size, time period, etc.

[sepp]

I have a couple of books I recently acquired that you may be interested in...

The first book is called "Predatory Dinosaurs of the World" by Gregory S. Paul. This book of course doesn't have any of the herbivorous dinosaurs and it was published in the nineties so it's not totally up-to-date with species, but it is beautifully illustrated in black and white and is very informative. I highly recommend it
www.amazon.com/Predatory-Dinosaurs-World-Complete-Illustrated/dp/0671619462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231924818&sr=1-1


The other one is called "Feathered Dinosaurs" by John Long. While it doesn't have any black and white studies or skeletal diagrams, it does have a little information about certain theropods that theoretically could have been feathered. The reason I suggest this book is because the illustrations are downright beautiful. They are done by Peter Schouten who is one of my favourite paleo and wildlife artists.
Again, not really what you're looking for, but still a very cool book.
www.amazon.com/Feathered-Dinosaurs-Origin-John-Long/dp/0195372662/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231924549&sr=1-1
Peter Schouten's art for the book can be found here: www.wildlifeartist.com.au/index.htm



edit: this one is really good too!
www.amazon.com/Dinosaur-Society-Encyclopedia-Don-Lesem/dp/0679417702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231930387&sr=1-1

[arioch]

Jan 14, 2009 9:06:34 GMT Meso-Cenozoic said:

Yep, got this book for Christmas. It seems to be the most comprehensive, up-to-date book out there. Alot of detailed info in this book!




Although this one is very thorough in explaining the scientific end of everything new we know about dinos, I'd still like to get an up-to-date book that simply lists all the currently known dinos alphabetically, with a great pic of each and their stats -- size, time period, etc.

I´m thinking on buy that book...looks very nice, technical and serious. I´m sick on Dino encyclopedias for kids with old fashioned reconstructions, poor drawings and overrated descriptions. In bookstores you only can find them in the children section beside tales and pop-up books.

[blackdanter]

Thanks all for your help there.

I'll be following all of those up and hopefully find something to fit the bill.

I'll let you know what I think when I've made a purchase.

Best

John.

[tomhet]

Buyer beware, I don't know who told Rey he was an artist, his illustrations are mediocre at best.

[arioch]

Agreed. The guy draw the dinos with accurate features (feathers and bird aspect when they need it, for example, all based in the most recent and deep evidences), but he fails miserabily in perspective and anatomy proportions.

The same book with Raul Martin Illustrations would be awesome.

www.raul-martin.net/raulmartin/uno/gallery_01.htm

In fact there are a book with Martin drawings, but is a bite "childish" for my taste.

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

Jan 16, 2009 4:51:04 GMT @tomhet said:

Buyer beware, I don't know who told Rey he was an artist, his illustrations are mediocre at best.

Why? Because he likes feathered dinosaurs? Does that mean my illustrations are "mediocre at best" because I like feathers too?


Many of his dinosaurs are great, my favorites are the acrocathosaurus and carnotaurus.

[tomhet]

Jan 16, 2009 22:25:22 GMT [][][]cordylus[][][] said:

Why? Because he likes feathered dinosaurs? Does that mean my illustrations are "mediocre at best" because I like feathers too?

Many of his dinosaurs are great, my favorites are the acrocathosaurus and carnotaurus.

I never mentioned feathers in my post

The person that draws this:

www.search4dinosaurs.com/lr_chirostenotes.jpg

or this:

www.luisrey.ndtilda.co.uk/jpegs/new/cards/Babytri.jpg

or that uses crude Photoshop effects cannot be considered an artist IMO; if you don't see anything wrong with the colors, the proportions and the perspective, I can't help you. In any case, I think blackdanter deserves to be warned about this.

John Sibbick is an artist I respect very much, he's much better than Rey and he also depicts 'feathered' dinos. That has nothing to do with it.

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

^^^ He was probably on drugs when he made those.


But I mean, is this all that bad?:

www.luisrey.ndtilda.co.uk/html/bary256.html

[kuni]

Rey's photoshop work is nowhere near as good as his earlier stuff. He hasn't quite figured that layers in photoshop still need perspective and can't just be slammed down on top of each other.

His anatomy is usually pretty realistic, but his colors...well, let's just say he seems to favor incredibly intense sexual selection among dinosaurs.