A new dinosaur turns up every week, Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh says. Thus, human knowledge of the giant beast who still exists in smaller avian form needs filling in. Patrick Lawlor's narration injects Brusatte's enthusiasm into the informative writing. Brusatte's timeline updates the dinosaur saga, emphasizing their storylines while mixing in stories of fossil hunters and their discoveries. The material is both easy to grasp and interesting as the author brings listeners into the search for common features and bloodlines among dinosaurs. There are still gaps; fossils have yet to reveal the secret of how T. rex grew into a giant, for example. Listeners who love dinosaurs will thrill to the latest developments in their history. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World
Narrated by Patrick Lawlor
Steve BrusatteUnabridged — 10 hours, 7 minutes
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World
Narrated by Patrick Lawlor
Steve BrusatteUnabridged — 10 hours, 7 minutes
Audiobook (Digital)
Free with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription | Cancel Anytime
Already Subscribed?
Sign in to Your BN.com Account
Related collections and offers
FREE
with a B&N Audiobooks Subscription
Overview
A sweeping and groundbreaking history of the age of dinosaurs, from one of our finest young scientists.
The dinosaurs. 66 million years ago, the Earth's most fearsome and spectacular creatures vanished. Today their extraordinary true story remains one of our planet's great mysteries.
In*this stunning narrative spanning more than 200 million years, Steve Brusatte, a young American paleontologist who has emerged as one of the foremost stars of the field—discovering ten new species and leading groundbreaking scientific studies and fieldwork—masterfully tells the complete, surprising, and new history of the dinosaurs, drawing on cutting-edge science to dramatically bring to life their lost world and illuminate their enigmatic origins, spectacular flourishing, astonishing diversity, cataclysmic extinction, and startling living legacy. Captivating and revelatory, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is a book for the ages.
Brusatte traces the evolution of dinosaurs from their inauspicious start as small shadow dwellers—themselves the beneficiaries of a mass extinction caused by volcanic eruptions at the beginning of the Triassic period—into the dominant array of species every wide-eyed child memorizes today, T. rex, Triceratops, Brontosaurus, and more. This gifted scientist and writer re-creates the dinosaurs' peak during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, when thousands of species thrived, and winged and feathered dinosaurs, the prehistoric ancestors of modern birds, emerged. The story continues to the end of the Cretaceous period, when a giant asteroid or comet struck the planet and nearly every dinosaur species (but not all) died out, in the most extraordinary extinction event in earth's history, one full of lessons for today as we confront a "sixth extinction."
Brusatte also recalls compelling stories from his globe-trotting expeditions during one of the most exciting eras in dinosaur research—which he calls "a new golden age of discovery"—and offers thrilling accounts of some of the remarkable findings he and his colleagues have made, including primitive human-sized tyrannosaurs; monstrous carnivores even larger than T. rex; and paradigm-shifting feathered raptors from China.
An electrifying scientific history that unearths the dinosaurs' epic saga, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs will be a definitive and treasured account for decades to come.
Editorial Reviews
If the idea that Morocco once butted up against New York strikes you as just ho-hum; if your mind doesn't boggle that 10,000 species of dinosaurs still exist; and if you're not impressed that Tyrannosaurus rex was strong enough to bite through a car—then this book is not for you. But if John McPhee's love affair with rocks in Annals of the Former World floats your boat, and so does Janna Levin's entertaining narrative in Black Hole Blues and Other Songs From Outer Space, you're going to love The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs…Brusatte skillfully brings dead dino bones to life as he shares—no, gushes about—his personal journey as a young fossil hunter and the people he's met along the way. It's an "I can't wait to tell you, listen to this!" page turner, dropping one aha moment after another…This emotional connection, and Brusatte's collection of personal stories and characters, make his book special…The physicist Richard Feynman marveled at how nature's beauty is hidden in her details. He could find extra enjoyment in the beauty of a flower because he also understood the inner workings of the plant. The beauty of this book lies in the details, too, and in the stories of the scientists who dig them up.
★ 03/05/2018
As Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, ably demonstrates, dinosaurs are not just for kids. His captivating text explores the excitement associated with searching for and discovering new dinosaur species, provides clues to many long-standing questions associated with dinosaurs, and furthers the understanding of ecological and evolutionary principles. This volume is a mix of memoir, chronicling Brusatte’s personal odyssey from a child smitten by dinosaurs to a member of a vibrant scholarly community, and first-rate science writing for the general public. Brusatte does a superb job of relating current research, both his own and that of many colleagues around the globe. His explanations of how sauropods became so large, the reasons for the dominance of Tyrannosaurus rex, the evolution of flying ability in some dinosaurs, and the factors leading to the demise of most of these creatures are carefully crafted and presented. Brusatte is not shy about saying what is not yet known, while making it clear that this is a truly exciting period, in which new fossils are being uncovered at a dizzying pace. B&w illus. (Apr.)
A masterpiece of science writing.” — Washington Post
“The ultimate dinosaur biography. ... Riveting.” — Scientific American
“Vivid. … This is scientific storytelling at its most visceral, striding with the beasts through their Triassic dawn, Jurassic dominance and abrupt demise.” — Nature
“A page-turner. ... Brusatte skillfully brings dead dino bones to life. … The beauty of this book lies in the details, too, and in the stories of the scientists who dig them up.” — New York Times Book Review
“The Science Book of the Year.” — Sunday Times (London)
“An absorbing historical saga. … [A] completely winning blend of technical expertise and storytelling ability. … Brusatte’s recounting of the millions of years of dinosaur dominance makes for very nerdy, very thrilling reading.” — Christian Science Monitor
“A thrilling study. ... The best book on the subject since [the 1980s]. ... Brusatte writes with the authority of a man who ranks as one of the leading experts in his field.” — Sunday Times (London)
“Unrelentingly kind in tone and generous in description. ... Mak[es] for one big adventure.” — Paris Review (Staff Picks)
“This vivid book reanimates dinosaurs for a new generation. … A lovely book. … A fine piece of writing.” — The Times (London)
“Fascinating. ... Superbly illustrated with photos and art, this is popular-science writing at its best.” — Booklist, starred review
“Captivating. ... First-rate science writing. ... Superb. ... Carefully crafted.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Should not be missed. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal, starred review
“Takes readers on a tour of the new fossils and discoveries that are shedding light on the dinosaurs’ evolutionary story. … Full of adventures and humor.” — Science
“Tells the epic tale of the dinosaurs rise to dominance and extinction, taking us on a thrilling journey back in time.” — National Geographic
“If you ever loved a dinosaur, buy this book. … Brusatte does for dinosaurs what E.O. Wilson did for ants and Carl Sagan for stars.” — Washington Times
“An up-to-the-minute account of the long history and remarkable biology of these extraordinary animals.” — RICHARD FORTEY, former senior paleontologist at London’s Natural History Museum and author of Life, Trilobite!, and Earth
“A must-have for fans of ancient reptiles and their lost world.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Brusatte delivers a cutting-edge account of Earth’s most awe-inspiring age—and does so with great skill, humor, and wonder. Captures the majesty of the creatures he studies, as well as their breathtaking evolutionary ride.” — PETER BRANNEN, author of The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth’s Past Mass Extinctions
“Brusatte scores. ... This is science at first hand.” — Literary Review
“Brusatte’s prose shows the excitement he feels about his subject, making the book more of a conversation than a dry tract. … A great introduction for folks wanting to learn more about dinosaurs.” — Shelf Awareness
“Steve Brusatte explains how these spectacular bygone animals shaped our present, and how they can inform our future. ... One of the world’s leading millennial paleontologists. ... The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is an expansive biography of this peerless group of species.” — VICE/Motherboard
“Excellent. ... [Brusatte] writes with verve... zip and pizzazz. ... Lap it up, dinosaur fans!” — Current Biology
“[A] Jurassic blockbuster. ... A gripping read in the best traditions of popular science. ... Infectiously ebullient.” — The Observer (London)
“The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs may be the best book on dinosaurs ever written for a popular audience.” — Inside Higher Ed
“Filled with vivid illustrations, historical accounts, and tales of paleontological expeditions, this book will change the way you think about dinosaurs.” — Gizmodo
“The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is a biography of these magnificent lost beings and their world.” — London Review of Books
Unrelentingly kind in tone and generous in description. ... Mak[es] for one big adventure.
The ultimate dinosaur biography. ... Riveting.
Fascinating. ... Superbly illustrated with photos and art, this is popular-science writing at its best.
A page-turner. ... Brusatte skillfully brings dead dino bones to life. … The beauty of this book lies in the details, too, and in the stories of the scientists who dig them up.
This vivid book reanimates dinosaurs for a new generation. … A lovely book. … A fine piece of writing.
An absorbing historical saga. … [A] completely winning blend of technical expertise and storytelling ability. … Brusatte’s recounting of the millions of years of dinosaur dominance makes for very nerdy, very thrilling reading.
A masterpiece of science writing.
Vivid. … This is scientific storytelling at its most visceral, striding with the beasts through their Triassic dawn, Jurassic dominance and abrupt demise.
A thrilling study. ... The best book on the subject since [the 1980s]. ... Brusatte writes with the authority of a man who ranks as one of the leading experts in his field.
A masterpiece of science writing.
If you ever loved a dinosaur, buy this book. … Brusatte does for dinosaurs what E.O. Wilson did for ants and Carl Sagan for stars.
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is a biography of these magnificent lost beings and their world.
Brusatte delivers a cutting-edge account of Earth’s most awe-inspiring age—and does so with great skill, humor, and wonder. Captures the majesty of the creatures he studies, as well as their breathtaking evolutionary ride.
Tells the epic tale of the dinosaurs rise to dominance and extinction, taking us on a thrilling journey back in time.
Brusatte scores. ... This is science at first hand.
Steve Brusatte explains how these spectacular bygone animals shaped our present, and how they can inform our future. ... One of the world’s leading millennial paleontologists. ... The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is an expansive biography of this peerless group of species.
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs may be the best book on dinosaurs ever written for a popular audience.
Takes readers on a tour of the new fossils and discoveries that are shedding light on the dinosaurs’ evolutionary story. … Full of adventures and humor.
[A] Jurassic blockbuster. ... A gripping read in the best traditions of popular science. ... Infectiously ebullient.
Brusatte’s prose shows the excitement he feels about his subject, making the book more of a conversation than a dry tract. … A great introduction for folks wanting to learn more about dinosaurs.
An up-to-the-minute account of the long history and remarkable biology of these extraordinary animals.
Filled with vivid illustrations, historical accounts, and tales of paleontological expeditions, this book will change the way you think about dinosaurs.
Excellent. ... [Brusatte] writes with verve... zip and pizzazz. ... Lap it up, dinosaur fans!
Vivid. … This is scientific storytelling at its most visceral, striding with the beasts through their Triassic dawn, Jurassic dominance and abrupt demise.
Tells the epic tale of the dinosaurs rise to dominance and extinction, taking us on a thrilling journey back in time.
Takes readers on a tour of the new fossils and discoveries that are shedding light on the dinosaurs’ evolutionary story. … Full of adventures and humor.
Fascinating. ... Superbly illustrated with photos and art, this is popular-science writing at its best.
Steve Brusatte is doing some of the most exciting research on dinosaurs today, and he brings that excitement to The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs. Whether he’s recounting remarkable fossil discoveries or explaining millions of years of evolutionary change, Brusatte shows just how much our understanding of dinosaurs has changed in just the past decade.
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is a triumph, written by one of our young leaders of the field. Steve Brusatte brings new discoveries, a taste for a good yarn, and his infectious enthusiasm to the epic tales of paleontology. It is hard to read Brusatte and not love lost worlds.
Steve Brusatte explains how these spectacular bygone animals shaped our present, and how they can inform our future. ... One of the world’s leading millennial paleontologists. ... The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is an expansive biography of this peerless group of species.
A new dinosaur turns up every week, Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh says. Thus, human knowledge of the giant beast who still exists in smaller avian form needs filling in. Patrick Lawlor's narration injects Brusatte's enthusiasm into the informative writing. Brusatte's timeline updates the dinosaur saga, emphasizing their storylines while mixing in stories of fossil hunters and their discoveries. The material is both easy to grasp and interesting as the author brings listeners into the search for common features and bloodlines among dinosaurs. There are still gaps; fossils have yet to reveal the secret of how T. rex grew into a giant, for example. Listeners who love dinosaurs will thrill to the latest developments in their history. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
2018-02-20
A nimble introduction to the world of dinosaurs, those supposed "dead ends in the history of life."We are living in a golden age of paleontology, especially as it relates to the proto-reptilian and proto-avian critters of a few hundred million years past. As Brusatte (Paleontology/Univ. of Edinburgh) notes, researchers are finding an average of a new dinosaur species every week, vastly expanding not just our inventory, but also our understanding of the evolutionary history of the dinosaurs. Americans may be delighted to learn that North America is "the single richest dinosaur ecosystem known to scientists during the entire Age of Dinosaurs anywhere in the world," essential in understanding how the dinosaurs fit into their environments and existed alongside each other and other creatures. Granted, this North American trove began to form at a time when all the present continents were more or less together in the "supercontinent" of Gondwana; even so, Brusatte sorts out old mysteries of distribution such as why South America is so comparatively light in dinosaur fossil evidence. The author writes lyrically of the reptilian life of the era, which featured "plesiosaurs with long noodle-shaped necks, pliosaurs with enormous heads and paddlelike flippers, streamlined and finned creatures called ichthyosaurs that looked like reptilian versions of dolphins," and so on—none of which, he adds, are quite dinosaurs in the technical sense, a distinction that, among many others, allows Brusatte plenty of room for paleontological geekiness. The author closes with an account of why the age of the dinosaurs came to an end, following a conjectural path that was once considered radical but is now mainstream. He notes that the ecological catastrophe that it entailed, once it healed "a mere five hundred thousand years after the most destructive day in the history of Earth," opened the door onto our own mammalian world.A must-have for fans of ancient reptiles and their lost world.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940170327478 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Publication date: | 04/24/2018 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 527,323 |
Videos
