Dinosaur Impressions: Postcards from a Paleontologist
Cambridge University Press
Edition: Revised ed., 2012-04-25
EAN 9780521779302, ISBN10: 0521779308
Paperback, 256 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm
Language: English
Dinosaur Impressions is the engaging account of thirty years of travel and paleontological exploration by Philippe Taquet, one of the world's most noted paleontologists. Dr Taquet takes the reader on a surprisingly far-flung tour ranging from the Provence countryside to the Niger desert, from the Brazilian bush to the Mongolian Steppes, and from the Laos jungle to the Moroccan mountains in search of dinosaur bones and what they have to tell us about a vanished world. With wry humor and lively anecdotes, Dr Taquet retraces the history of paleontological research along the way discussing the latest theories of dinosaur existence and extinction. Dinosaur Impressions provides a unique, thoughtful perspective not often encountered in English-speaking works. This insightful, first-hand account of an exceptional career is also a travelogue par excellence that will enthrall enthusiasts and general readers alike.
'Lively, vivid, bracingly enthusiastic - these tales of paleontological field days and discoveries from Taquet, director of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, give a sharp taste of what spurred him to say yes to the question: 'Do you take paleontology as your spouse and promise to serve her faithfully for the rest of your days?' ... Taquet is a good storyteller, his lessons as easy to consume as shucked oysters, and the thrill he finds in his work is catching'. Kirkus Reviews