Brian Switek is not only one of the best living science writers, period, he is also the science writer who knows dinosaurs best, period. And he loves them; his passion comes hurtling through the chapters like a Yucatan-bound meteorite (but a meteorite that brings dinosaurs to life rather than brings them doom). You don't move from New Jersey to Utah to be closer to the coolest dinosaur dig sites and museums if you don't truly have a burning zeal for dinosaur research. His street cred is thoroughly established by that alone.

This is a very personal story of how one man's love of dinosaurs has stayed with him, has shaped his life, and how his perception and enjoyment of dinosaurs have changed along with the science. It's a book for dinosaur fans of ages roughly 12 and upwards. Switek writes extremely accessibly but intelligently- he does not dumb things down but makes them interesting, fun and even novel to an expert (like myself; I'm a professor who does dinosaur research and I learned a few things I'd missed out on!). And he doesn't make it lame, cheesy or nerdy- he stands up for good science and for dinosaurs as more than just kitsch. I loved phrases like "You can't get blood from a stone, but if you know where to look, you might find dinosaur colour."

The highlights of the book for me, first, include his vivid, firsthand experiences of what it's like- not just in terms of a sensory experience but in terms of a profound personal experience- to be in the field digging up or hunting for dinosaur fossils. His accounts of driving around the USA to visit various museums, field sites or researchers left me nostalgic for my own similar trips back in the 1990s. This is a part of Americana that not that many people experience, but it is immensely pleasing and educational, adding colour to American history and geography. Switek's writing brings the excitement of living in Utah; near the heart of American "dinosaur country"; to life.

And then Switek's reviews of the history of dinosaur research; the bulk of the book but organized thematically more than chronologically; are excellent. For example, why did Brontosaurus's name change and how has our understanding of that animal (Apatosaurus) changed over the past 2 centuries? He gives this question, often covered in other books (e.g. Gould's "Bully for Brontosaurus", which I've loved for ages), new vibrancy. And for once, the large meat-eating dinosaur Allosaurus gets its due, not as a wimpier cousin of T. rex but as a fascinating and fearsome animal in its own right. Switek's discussion of the sounds that dinosaurs made is very well informed and insightful, and his balanced treatment of how/why dinosaurs went extinct is refreshing and spot-on-target. There's much more than that in the book, but those are some parts that stuck with me.

All of these highlights are made possible by three things: Switek writes brilliantly, is deeply passionate about the subject (this is the #1 book he was born to write, I'd say), and truly knows the science. He goes to the conferences to keep up on what scientists are doing before it is published, he reads the original papers and knows what they mean and how to sort out B.S. or hype from good research, and he even regularly does the actual fieldwork with the top scientists. Switek IS a palaeontologist; not just some random journalist; but also he is one who can bring the science to life like perhaps no one else living today. He doesn't just write about it; he has lived it. He picks the right discoveries to emphasize because he knows the field's history and can think critically well enough to make his own assessments of what the modern view is or where the resolution to persistent controversies might lie. The book is modern (papers coming from ~2012 are discussed) because Switek has modern knowledge. He is quite aware of what the cutting edge research is and he personally knows many if not most of the researchers involved.

If you're going to read one general book about why dinosaur science is fun, still important and relevant in the modern age, and dynamically changing (indeed, improving amidst a new renaissance that has been sustained for at least 20 years!), read this. If in 20 years I want to look back on my career, close to my retirement, and reflect how the field has changed since today, I'd use this book as one first milestone for where dinosaur palaeontology was in 2013.

I bought the >6hr audiobook .mp3 version for my commuting. Switek reads it himself, and this adds to the personal touch. I highly recommend that. It is well edited, clear, nicely paced and has an interview at the end that was a nice surprise bonus.

I am stunned at the quality of this book for the price. I'd gladly pay £40 or more for something of this solid quality AND in hardcover. The top names in modern palaeoart are involved, with hardly an omission- Csotonyi, Paul, Anton, Henderson, Marshall, Sibbick, Rey, Conway, Nicholls and Martin. WOW! Stunning full page and *multi-page foldout* (I hardly believed this when I saw it) colour images, using methods running the gamut from pencil to digital/composite photographs. Virtually every page explodes with colour, action, imagination and scientific rigour. This is modern, state-of-the-art palaeoart: based on the latest evidence, with some fossils portrayed juat a few years (or less) since discovery. If you're a palaeoart fan already, you'll recognise some recent classics here (but no oldies like Charles Knight) but also there is plenty of new art to keep you happy, or it was new to my eyes anyway. The text is minimal and focuses on the artist and their perspectives on the field/approach to palaeoart.

Buy it, treasure it, cuddle it at night... it is just so great! And I think children would appreciate it almost as much as adults, so minimal ownership of 1 copy per family should be made a very strict law-- speak to your local MP please. Except for the prior sentence, there is no hyperbole in my review. This probably is the best palaeoart book I've ever seen, especially at this insane price, which seems like charity. Gorgeous, well presented, top quality stuff. If you've gotten this far in my review without purchasing this book, stop reading and do it!

Well, I might be an idiot but somehow when ordering Deus Irae I didn't notice that it was the French version. Nothing like this ever happened to me before and it's strange that the French version was at the top of the search list. Anyway, if you don't want to read the French version, I would not recommend this, although for Francophiles it might be pure bliss (je ne peux pas discerner). ;)

My review is about the same as the other reviewer's, and I wish I'd seen theirs before placing my order. The 2 cones are nicely-crafted and seem quite durable, and are very soft and cuddly. Great decorations, too. The ice cream balls are big enough that they won't easily get lost.

But the advertisement photo definitely is misleading. Just 2 cones. So if you want to pay >£10 for 2 nice cones, go for it, but you can find cheaper plastic versions out there. For those that like quality, this may still be a good buy, although I consider it at least mildly overpriced.

Simple design- no batteries, no cable, no other nonsense. Just works by echo, and hence is not intolerably loud like some other mics, and no canned music to be forced to sing along to, so your kid (or you!) can make their own. My 3yo daughter loves it.

Slight downsides: a bit bulky (but light) and seems brittle; a misstep will crush this easily. But for the price, who can complain!

This is a specialist volume for scientists and very educated amateurs interested in Tyrannosaurus rex and other dinosaurs. It celebrates an auspicious 100th anniversary of the discovery of the first T. rex bones. Does it live up to The Tyrant King's glory?

Not really. As usual for the Life of the Past series, it is a conglomeration of short articles with tiny nuggets of information (and then sometimes wild scenarios perched precariously upon those), some entertaining pieces that contain little science but are a bit fun, a few longwinded essays that unfortunately have seen little editing, and some decent reviews and summaries of specimens and other data.

If you study T. rex as a scientist, it's a must have. If you're just casually interested, look elsewhere for more general audience-oriented books. It is quite patchy in coverage (not a unified synthesis of T. rex biology), is missing quite a few of the major living experts on T. rex, and is mediocre in overall scientific quality. The peer review of the articles, as is typical for many books, seems not very rigorous; a third rate journal would never publish most of them.

Overall it was a bit disappointing but contained enough nuggets of useful information and extreme viewpoints to engender controversy (or at least raised eyebrows that they were published in the state they're in) to make it an OK purchase. A highlight is the opening review of known T. rex specimens with historical notes and a few pictures.

Ouch! I thought I'd read it all in the science/religion fracas and then I picked up Harris's book. I've never seen an opinion quite like this, it is truly unique-- as some other reviewers note, it's hard to classify. It's just pure Sam. There are few things one cannot really deny about this book:

1. Just about anyone will find something here they are shocked by. [The Buddhist stuff at the end came out of left field, although I kinda liked it still, and I was amazed that he could support the Iraq War]

2. You'll disagree with at least one point in the book, and get angry at some points (even atheists will!), but that will vary depending on your personal bias. [I'm amazed Harris managed to pull off his argument without contradicting himself; he has reasoned himself into a unique niche.]

3. It is incredibly well written and passionate; almost every page has a well-crafted quotable phrase or two. Swift reading too. A roller coaster ride through Harris's personal views, fears, and his quest to find solutions. [A few phrases left me in fits of giggles, a few others I wished I could commit to memory to use later, and a few others had my jaw drop in amazement that he dared to say them in today's volatile political climate-- I suppose he's not on the radar of the fundies quite enough yet for death fatwas and such]

4. People should read this regardless of how they feel about the state of the world today. It's an crucial book that raises important questions, and to deny the importance of debate about these issues would show more about your own bias and dogmatism than anything else.

Fiery and clad in the armor of reason, yet not afraid to be very human and even flawed, this book in some ways is better than anything Dawkins, Dennett, or Wolpert have put out recently. Massively original, very personal and honest, and a real page-turner. I had a hard time putting it down. I rarely give books a second read but now, a few weeks later, I'm thinking of diving back in.

I had never read Dennett's work before so this was a new experience for me; I had previously assumed he was a cheap knock-off of Dawkins. I was pleasantly surprised. Dennett's book is very similar to Dawkins's God Delusion, but without the argument against God's existence, and more focused on asking questions than proselytising.

It is written as a first foray into the study of religion from a biological and scientific (evolutionary, especially) viewpoint-- how and why have religions evolved? I enjoyed the inquisitive approach- he mainly provides lists and explanations of what kinds of questions researchers in this field should be asking, although he does provide some potential answers to these, even if he does not seem wedded to them (a good thing).

Moreover, I didn't see the writing as sour or venomous in any way; it is far kinder in tone than Dawkins's work. I suppose a strongly religious (or anti-intellectual) person would find it to be sour and venomous, as they would any such book regardless of the presence/absence of kid gloves in its handling. In fact, I was almost caught off guard by the often playful, even jolly approach. He clearly is enjoying thinking about the approach he outlines and VERY carefully laying out the logic (in proper philosopher's role) behind his arguments and queries. Quite elegant and smooth overall.

It is unlikely to change anyone's views unless they're teetering on the brink (and many are...) but Dennett knows that. People that will find this interesting are those that want to know more (especially something refreshingly new; not just the tired old atheism vs. theism fisticuffs) about religion and its relationship with science and reason. It's an easy read but intellectuals will also find it quite stimulating nonetheless. I'd put it a bit above Dawkins in how much it expects of its readers; Dawkins tends to dumb things down a little further. There are nuggets of insights and unanswered Big Questions there for any reader, and the depth of research behind it shows. I liked the meme-focused perspective, which had its novel parts and some well-reasoned arguments and classifications of ideas.

This will be a classic in the field and bound to inspire deeper inquiries. It would make a great text for a college course. To see a surprisingly different book in the same area, with a less kind approach and a more direct application to modern society and it's woes, try Sam Harris's The End of Faith.

Scott is the best person to scribe such a tome; extremely qualified and knows all of the angles, not just the science. The expertise shows-- it's easy to read yet gets across the complexity of the topic very well. I felt it was well balanced and logical without straying too far into rhetoric or slanted portrayals of insidious/heroic characters.

The book would be appropriate for college-level courses, even introductory ones perhaps, on the subject, or for use as a reference in teaching evolution. I used it in such a course and got a lot out of it-- not just facts, but useful anecdotes, references, quotes, and so on. Some very telling excerpts from other books and articles (a section at the end of the book; definitely worth a look) that show exactly what has been said and where words have been twisted or just phrased as outright lies. Also the best classification + explanation I've seen yet of the continuum from extreme Creationism/Biblical Literalism (Flat Earthism!) to complete Atheism.

Great gift for your scientist friend or for a fundamentalist who needs a healthy dose of realism to wake them from their Bizarro world.

A real treasure of a book -- captivating from the first pages, if you're a music fan (especially of course a Clash/punk/reggae/ska fan) and an avid reader. I loved the rich detail. A huge amount of work went into writing this, and it shows. The author knows their stuff and has talked to everyone they could, even the bit players; not just the band and a few others. The author also knows the music well and the media (movies, new stories, etc) that have made it legend. Great photos inside, too.

One quibble, if any, might be that there are SO many names, places and such cited in this book that it's easy to get lost. My feeling though is that this is unavoidable, to capture the complexity of The Clash's story. It's a messy tale, with complex characters, and to leave out the details would give a false impression of a simple rise-and-fall sequence.

I went right out and bought a bunch of Clash CDs/DVDs I didn't have while halfway through the book, and found new love for the Clash songs I already knew so well.

The writing is good overall. Sometimes words are used too often (you'll hate me for this, but the author uses 'quiff' again and again for hairstyles, and this distracted/annoyed me), and it's not top-notch prose, but the author's passion is evident. You feel like they were right there in the thick of it, taking notes the whole time.

Really fantastic!