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Quest for the African Dinosaurs: Ancient Roots of the Modern World
 
 
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Quest for the African Dinosaurs: Ancient Roots of the Modern World (Paperback)

by Louis Jacobs (Author) "I BEG TO DRAW your attention to Africa ..." (more)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 344 pages
  • Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (25 Jul 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 080186481X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0801864810
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 17.4 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,285,047 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #38 in  Books > Scientific, Technical & Medical > Earth Sciences > Palaeozoology

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Review

"A literary effort of real consequence, a book that informs and entertains, but at the same time is pleasing to the eye and to the ear... One closes Lou Jacobs' book with the wish that it did not have to come to an end... [because] one has been to Africa with Lou and surveyed the passing scene through his amused, discerning eye." -- Edwin H. Colbert, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology



"Louis Jacobs has produced a most interesting book, which will certainly give the reader a feel for dinosaur hunting in some exotic and unusual places. Many books have been written on the collecting of dinosaurs in North America, but this book is very different, and I found it refreshing, fun, and informative." -- Richard E. Leakey, Director, Kenya Wildlife Service



"Splendid book. If you like dinosaurs, this is for you. If you enjoy reading engaging stories of life in the field, this is for you. And if you care to reflect a bit on the personal impact of the West on the developing world, and -- as important -- of the developing world on us, this is certainly for you. It's a most engaging read." -- David Pilbeam, Harvard University



"Original, delightfully entertaining, accurate, and stimulating... In his warm and witty style, Lou Jacobs has made a significant contribution to the demystification of science." -- Nicholas Hotton III, Research Curator, Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution



Book Description

The story of one paleontologist's fossil digs in Africa, and his unexpected findings



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"I BEG TO DRAW your attention to Africa." Read the first page
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Crocodile's Nose??, 22 Mar 2004
By Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
A enterprising editor might have boosted sales of this fine book using a different title. Steve Gould's Panda's Thumbs and Flamingo's Smiles do well. Jacobs' depiction of his search for African dinosaur fossils deserves no less. Along with a fine account of his field work in Malawi and Cameroon, Jacobs' assessment of fossil composition and what it tells us about past life is illuminating. As it happens, the structure of a crocodile's nose tells us whether it lived on land or water. This seemingly dry fact relates to how our own skulls are organized, and why. Deftly woven into his story of seeking dinosaur fossils, tracing the movement of continents over the face of the globe and the status of Malawi's culture in today's world, are the threads of his research. Evolution's had a busy time of it, and Jacobs explains how to read the record of its workings.

Jabobs' travels and observations demolish the image of the austere scientist who cares only for his research and status within his guild. The title isn't "The Dinosaurs of Africa" - he's done that before. Here, he's relating his journey to make those finds, updating information on what he's found. The broader approach means learning of the travails experienced in locating the fossils, what it's like to work a dig, and how he and his team dealt with their host countries. He leaves a valid image of a broadly caring person, untrammeled by his own cultural heritage. Jacobs is adept at bringing the reader into his world. That world has a long time span, with unceasing change the only constant. He traverses millennia more easily than countries. Justly so - there're no border guards at century boundaries.

African dinosaur fossils are elusive in popular science writing. The notoriety given "the Bone Wars" in 19th Century North America have kept interest and funding largely curtailed to that region until recently. Jacobs was among the first to bring the African fossil picture into view. Although finds are being announced from that continent with increasing frequency, few of the scientists have produced a record as readable as Quest for the African dinosaurs. Nor has there come to light other examples of the follow-up in developing local expertise Jacobs has undertaken in Malawi. It's an inspiring story and one of interest far beyond fossil analysis. The final chapter, "The Good of Dinosaurs" demonstrates how a serious scientist can express awareness of his host country and act to improve desperate conditions, even if only marginally. "One small step . . . "

As a reissue, this book requires an editor for more than just a title. Jacobs has a propensity for short, choppy sentences, or else some editor has betrayed him. As it stands, many of these random statements break up the idea he's conveying. Perhaps it's a trick to get the reader to review the prior material. Sometimes it works. Fortunately, it doesn't detract from Jacobs efforts to convey a picture of a shifting, changing Mesozoic world and its inhabitants. He covers ground [more than geographical] rarely addressed by others. He's a good read and a valuable human being. Learn about him from this book.

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