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Summary: Palaeontological record
Review: Well written narrative interpreting for the general reader the palaeontological record. Provides a real human sense of what is involved in finding and interpreting fossils.
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Summary: best general book on paleontology I ever read
Review: While many books focus exclusively on dinosaurs (not that I don't love them to death mind you) they often fail to discuss those plants and animals that shared their world, as well as came before and after this mighty creatures. Fortey in a wonderful, informative, well-written, and highly readable book details the history of life on earth from its origin to the last ice age. He brings to light (and life) many topics not as well known to the popular follower of things paleontological, such as the discovery of diverse faunas in the late Precambrian, debates over the nature and importance of the Burgess Shale fauna, and issues over the origination of the first land vertebrates. He discusses in an authoritative but easily understood manner some of the lesser known but none the less important organims in earth's past, many of which are I weren't familiar with, such as graptolites and conodonts. Fortey intersperses his wonderful text with personal ancedotes from his years in the field - he is an expert on all things trilobite - as well as asides from the history of paleonotology as a science. Not distracting, but fun to read and really show how paleontology exists as a field and a profession. I found the book quite delightful and highly recommend it. I look forward to reading his book on trilobites, which I am sure is excellent as well. Fortey shows there is more to prehistoric life than dinosaurs (though he does cover them too), and what wonderful life that was.
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Summary: An excellent review of the field for the curious intellect
Review: Wow. It is a tomb, but I couldn't put it down! I am long out of college, and I don't buy textbooks. I read magazines for my science. Every once in a while, I'll purchase a summary book like this to pull the subject together in my mind. This book did an admirable job.
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