John A. Long (1)Critiques

Well, I never thought I'd learn so much about dinosaur dongs but, thanks The Dawn of the Deed I am practically an expert on the sexual reproduction of ancient, long extinct animals.

The author is an Australian scientist who led the team that discovered the earliest penis on record, so you know you're reading an expert's opinion. While still having a scientific base, much of Dawn of the Deed is either laugh out loud funny, so unexpected that one has to reread paragraphs to ensure you've understood it, or both.½

Best, most concise outline of the lives of Dinosaurs.

Artists pictures of how dinosaurs might look if they had feathers. I read this, but it is best if gotten from the library to look at.

Australian paleontologist John Long recounts two fossil-collecting trips to Antarctica, the second of which, in 1991, involved spending several months inland with 3 other scientists. He colorfully describes the training required for acceptance to an Antarctic research program, life on the ice, especially for long periods out in the mountains, and the types of fossils to be found, many of which are also found across all the southern continents, providing further details of how the super-continent Gondwana broke apart into the distinct continents we have today. During the months on the ice, the scientists had regular radio contact with Scott Station (the New Zealand station very close to McMurdo), but they otherwise had only each other for companionship. Rest periods and weather-related confinements were occasions for writing up notes, reading in various scientific fields, playing games, and reading lighter materials, sometimes to each other. One story they shared was Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness", and their enjoyment spurred me to reread that as well. I also like the author's affinity for Australia's Sir Douglas Mawson, whose own solo journey over 100s of miles of Antarctica after the death of his companions remains my favorite adventure story, as Mawson himself remains my favorite explorer.

A very nice survey of the state of play of our understanding of the development of the fish, from being a "glorified swimming worm" to pioneering the body plan and skeleton that allowed for the colonization of land by tetrapod vertebrates.

I can’t say enough about this book. It’s funny, it’s smart, and, yes, it’s sexy. It can also get scary. Insects, ducks, and sharks, oh my! They are frightening when they do the deed. Also, there are a couple typos, like ‘to the deed’ instead of ‘do the deed’, but only a couple that I noticed, and not enough to knock off even half a star.

John Long is far more than a competent writer; he’s a competent storyteller, which I don’t normally say about non-fiction writers. But then again, Long doesn’t confine himself to a linear narrative, nor does he only care about listing facts. (Please note that truth and facts are of tantamount importance to him, and you can tell this even when he talks about the research that he did for the book. However, he seems in it to entertain, as well, throwing around cheeky wordplay, and real life funny moments, and this is what I mean.)

I never found myself wishing to get to a linear story for two reasons. The first was that I laughed so much, so even stories that seemed like tangents weren’t bothersome or something to skim through until he got to his line of thought. The other reason was that after a couple chapters, I started to get the feeling that Long tied everything together, and that everything would be relevant in the end. (I felt it was in the end.)

This is a story about Long finding fossils that show the start of copulation, but it’s intertwined with stories of sexual habits of all sorts of creatures in the modern day world. It’s informative, funny, and also doesn’t bog you down with too many technical terms. (Most are explained. In a rare case of cultural misunderstanding, I was thrilled to discover a dork was a whale penis, only to be disappointed by the revelation that dork is, in fact, Australian slang for a penis in general. I was gonna call all my dorky friends whale penis, and chortle when they looked at me funny, but luckily a friend pointed out that I’d be making a massive fool out of myself. Thank you for the intervention.) What is most impressive about the book is the sheer scale of it, which would have intimidated me had I known about it before I started. This book doesn’t just tackle the origins of sex, it tackles the whole evolution of sex. It uses examples from the present, and similarities to fossilized animals, to explain why our best guess is most likely how those animals mated in the past.

Also, I have to say I love Long for not being pompous about his finds. He admits, in a couple places, that we will continue to find out more and more about dinosaurs as more fossils are revealed and studied with more depth, and technology that continues to advance. I get the feeling that if he were to be proved wrong, he would take it with aplomb based on the fact that he mentions this multiple times, and came off as rather humble when waiting to hear if his discovery would be published. They were important finds, and colleagues have said so, important institutions have made this clear, but he never came off as a braggart, or someone who had to be correct all the time. (In fact, I get the feeling he would be gracious if he were ever to disproved. I don’t think he will, at least not in our lifetimes, as he also came off as far too meticulous not to do as much research as possible before publishing.)

Fascinating and. though academic, engaging and frequently quite funny.

A great book with excellent drawings of the dinosaurs described.

What a gorgeous book! This book takes us through the history of dinosaurs and also gives detailed information about the main types. For each type given, we see a map of where it lived, size comparison, and painting of it in action. Well-written text, detailed captions, timelines, and vivid illustrations make the information come alive.

This interesting travelogue sheds light on the sordid world of international fossil smuggling and would be very useful reading for anyone with a hobby of collecting fossils. It follows Australian palaeontologist John Long as he teams up with American "fossil cop" Sgt. Steve Rogers to investigate the theft and destruction of rare dinosaur footprints and Aboriginal sacred site in Broome, Western Australia. Traveling across the globe, Rogers instructs Long about the illegal world of fossil poachers, criminals who steal the world's cultural and scientific treasures to sell to the highest bidders, often ending up in American and European collectors shops and trade shows. The journey the book takes is interesting in itself, but the book also provides information on fossil smuggling in many countries in the world, and gives advice on how to know if you are purchasing an ethically "legal" fossil, one imported without taking from another country's geological heritage. Photos and illustrations of fossils and the people who discover them also fill the book.

Dinosaurs
Author Long, John
Review
Source Publishers Weekly™ - 06-04-2007
This informative volume is one of four-the others are Oceans, Space and Egypt-launching the INsiders series of paper-over-board books that explore various subjects in arresting visual detail. The textured, glossy cover art of the books features close-up images (in this case a ferocious-looking dinosaur bares its sharp teeth) hinting at the attention-grabbing illustrations within. Richly hued, crisp computer-generated art and 3-D model imagery serve as a stunning and sophisticated graphic counterpoint to the educational text. The series' format breaks the information into two categories: "INtroducing" and "IN focus," the former offering an overview and the latter providing "fast facts at your fingertips." Dinosaurs' first section covers such topics as occurrences in the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods; dinosaur anatomy, attack and defense strategies; how they raised their young and the discovery and interpretation of fossils. The following section zeroes in on specific dinosaur species, spotlighting physical characteristics, behavior and the locations where their fossils have been found. Throughout, facts are presented in concise blocks of text and extended captions. This and the other INsiders titles conclude with an extensive glossary and index, recommending this accessible, eye-pleasing series as a reference tool as well as diverting recreational reading. Ages 8-12. (July) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
Copyright Publishers Weekly™ - 2007. Used with permission.


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Review
Source Booklist™ - 08-01-2007
*Starred Review* Aiming for readers who devour the visually rich nonfiction of DK’s Eyewitness series, the Insiders series debuts with Egypt, Oceans, Space, and this title on dinosaurs, sure to be the most popular. The eye-catching qualities of the unjacketed book begin with the embossed, metallic cover and extend to the interior, where unusually realistic renderings of the Mesozoic’s denizens dominate each double-page spread. Like others in the series, this follows a two-part format, the first (“Introducing”) offering broad background and the second (“In-Depth”) going into greater detail about specific topics. For instance, the first section includes paleontological periods, extinction theories, and a striking pictorial time line tracing the first bird archaeopteryx to the earliest feathered dinosaurs. The second section contains profiles of a diverse selection of species, including such popular dinos as Allosaurus, Tryannosaurus, and Triceratops. Throughout, Long finds opportunities to highlight the evolving paleontological consensus: For instance, a sidebar shows four vastly different interpretations of Iguanadon, from depictions that resemble mythical dragons to the less-fanciful view of today. Apart from the lack of information about any scientific rationale behind the reptiles’ predominantly gray-green tones, this is an otherwise valuable, high-interest entry in a promising new series, reasonably priced for its detailed content and appealing packaging. Glossary and a dinosaur “family tree” appended.
Copyright Booklist™ - 2007. Used with permission.