D Books

Hungry Planet is a moving look at what families of the world live on...it combines incredible photography, well chosen statistics and outstanding commentary to clearly portray the diversity and real life economic situations of our fellows on planet earth. I love this book for the way it influences my children to see compassionately and with greater gratitude (and me too!)

An through and interesting way to present the food of different cultures. The book not only shows a picture of what a week's worth of food looks like across the globe, but puts how much it costs and in USD. The book also elaborates on the eating habits, culture, and daily life of the people. There are also recipes! A great book with an eye opening perspective of people all over the world.

Everyone I have shown this book to has been fascinated. The photos are stunning.

I couldn't put this book down! I was drawn to it because it mixed my loves of both food and culture into one superb read.The photography is stunning,the cultural facts immersing and the reading about different families addictive.

this book is facinating if you are at all interested in how the rest of the world lives

This exhaustive biography of John D. Rockefeller fully explains a misunderstood man. Ron Chernow has caught the essence of the man. Mr. Rockefeller was neither entirely good nor was he the Robber Baron as depicted by Ida Tarbell. He was a man of contradictions . He was deeply religious, however in the business world he would squash his business competition like a bug.
When you think of Rockefeller you think of Oil as in "Standard Oil". However, as Chernow points out it was Mr. Rockefeller's logistical distribution system which made Standard Oil the titan of the Oil Industry. It was J.D.'s controlling of the Railroads and later the Pipelines which led to his huge monopoly in the Oil Industry.
This book explains his development of oil cartels and interlocking directorates. As he grew older he became ever so more eccentric and increasingly philantropical. He was indeed both the good cop and the bad cop.
This is an excellent book. It is well worth the reading of 676 pages. But who's counting!! In the end you"ll find the essence of a true businessman who was misunderstood.

Truly a great book from a masterful writer. Some criticisms are apt: Chernow, for obvious reasons, relies heavily on the Inglis interview with Rockefeller. Why not? What better primary source than the words from the reclusive oil Titan himself? Also, Chernow has been criticized as being a bit--but only a bit-- soft on Rockefeller. Almost all biographers begin to identify with their subjects. To some extent Chernow falls into this trap; one cannot spend years researching another human being without beginning to see things from the subject's perspective. Those small quibbles aside, what a great book! Perhaps we can never really know another human being but Chernow gives us key insights into the character of Rockefeller. As Chernow writes in his Introduction, all other biographies on Rockefeller soon revert to the oft told story of the History of Standard Oil, as if the man and the company were one in the same, and Rockefeller seems to disappear from his own biography. But Chernow gives us the man and presents an interesting thesis: the key to Rockefeller was that he was his parents' son. This means that John D. Rockefeller contained the roguish aspects of his father William Avery Rockefeller (a shameless flim-flam man) and the virtuous aspects of his long suffering, pious mother Eliza. It also explains other qualities, e.g., the fetish for secrecy. John D. grew up in a home where his father openly lived with his mistress alongside the wife Eliza. Later William Avery would take a second wife and live as a bigamist. All the while, Eliza bore stoically the humiliation. Hence, John D. grew up to become very, very quiet about his family and its scandals. Doubtless, he heard the whispers and soon he developed a deep distrust of the "crowd." "Let the world wag," was a favorite phrase. He developed a thick skin and learned to be a stoic like his mother. He made it a point for people not to know his personal life or his business. The shattered sensibility of the youth lingered into manhood. The mania for secrecy followed.
The quote from Betrand Russell that begins the books is telling: Rockefeller is among the men who created the modern world. With $4 a gallon gas, and energy needs growing, we still live with his legacy today.

I have not read the work of a biographer who has the proficiency for presenting as comprehensive an account of another's life as Chernow has given with Titan. There are sections of this narrative that are so detailed that had Rockefeller's life not been over a century ago, one might be inclined to consider Chernow had been along side him during his pursuits. Chernow has conducted extensive research that is exemplified in every chapter of this enthralling biography.

John D Rockefeller has been known by many personas, both positive and negative; billionaire, tycoon, industrialist, predator, and philanthropist. No matter what one's view of him, all generally agree that his business acumen was surpassed by no one in history. Chernow provides a masterful account of Rockefeller's years from his meager beginnings with an unscrupulous father to his near unstoppable empire that forced adversaries to join or be crushed in its wake. Chernow has provided readers with an abundance of pertinent quotations directly from Rockefeller leaving one well equipped to gauge the true mindset of the man.

Many biographies will rate high merely on the appealing nature of the subject. Titan is based on one of history's most intriguing business men combined with an account that is so well written and detailed it is difficult to fully convey in a simple review. I strongly suggest this book as essential reading to anyone with an interest in business biography.

I was very impressed with the skill of Ron Chernow when I read "Alexander Hamilton". After such an impressive work I decided that I would take on "Titan" which deals with the life of John D. Rockefeller. Chernow did not disappoint, and in some ways this may be the better of the biographies.

"Titan" illuminates Rockefeller duplicity as a pious man that showed no quarter in his business dealings. Chernow does an outstanding job (in my opinion) of painting the faults of Rockefeller's business tenacity with overwhelming kindness of charitable dealing. Chernow also illustrates many examples of Rockefeller's frugalness - such as cutting firewood in 12" increments (instead of 14") in order to save resources.... This was from a man that Forbes Magazine rated as the richest EVER!

I have heard complaints that the opening 60 pages reads too slowly, and overly focuses on the life of Rockefeller's (very) eccentric father. However, I find that while tedious, this is an important aspect of how this affected Rockefeller and guided him away from the world of irrational emotion.... My recommendation... bull your way through!

Chernow is not H.W Brands and the writing is relatively devoid of humor. When deciding to read "Titan" approach it as a scholarly selection and do not expect it to be fast paced. In my opinion you will not be disappointed!

No other man in America has ever been as wealthy as John D. Rockefeller, Sr. he could have bought and sold Bill Gates three or four times. He is a very complicated man, you'd have to be the self made wealthiest man in American History. This book gives a fascinating portrait of a man who could be ruthless, but who was incredibly philathropic, the first of the great philanthropists, he didnt give away his entire fortune like his contemporary Carneige, but then again Carneige had no children and Rockefeller was so much wealthier he probably gave away as much money. The book is fair to Rockefeller, neither making him a saint nor a cypher. Rockefeller lived a long life and he instilled in his equally famous son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. a real since of philanthropy. The Rockefeller family is still very wealthy, no family in American history has ever been richer, but they have also been more philanthropic than any family in history, they gave away more than 90 percent of their wealth, since its apex. Rockefeller was a singular American, and his story is the story of the American Dream stretched to unfathonable extremes, good and bad. This is a very good book, well researched and quite impressive considering the illusive subject.

I have this book since 1984 when Tetsuko Kuroyanagi became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. I was in 7th grade at that time. I have read it over 20 times. Every time, I found joyful, happiness, and touching. But I lost it when we moved. I did get an used one. And I have read it over and over again. This book inspired me to study Japaneses. I love it. GREAT BOOK for children and for adult. READ IT if you want to find your childhood and refill your imagination.

Honestly I read this book over 25 years ago and thought that this book has long been discontinued. I guess this proves what a time-tested treasure it is. The author, a TV celebrity in Japan, recalls her childhood and the unorthodox school she went to. Absolutely adoring in the simple story of how a concerned mother tried to do the best for her daughter and how a simple man did his best to give a bright and meaningful future to the few children who comes into his life.

It is the type of book that makes you wish that there were more teachers like him and that you had a teacher like him.

This is one of my all-time favorite books. First published in Japan in 1981, this beautiful book depicting the true story of innocent little Totto-chan, her family, friends, and above all, the innovating educationer she befriends in the years leading up to, and during the first years of WW2, remains a national best seller in Japan to this day. I don't have any children of my own, but if I did, and if Tomoe-Gakuen (the elementary school Totto-chan attends) existed today, I would immediately enroll my children there. Since there is not, I hope I have the good luck of finding somebody like Sosaku Kobayashi to help make my child the happiest and kindest child in the world.

It was due to this book's beauty that then UNICEF Executive Director, James P. Grant persuaded those working at UNICEF to appoint the author, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (who is Totto-chan grown up), to UNICEF's International Goodwill Ambassador, enabling her to visit and help children in need all over the world.

For people who have read this book and those who have not, I also recommend "Totto-Chan's Children : A Goodwill Journey to the Children of the World" by the same author. It tells the story of Totto-chan grown up, still big-hearted as ever, striving to help children in need. Check it out!

In 1969 I was part of a group of teachers who created a school much like that featured in Toto Chan. We thought we were on the "cutting edge" of educational practices without knowing that a school in Japan had been delivering many of the same holistic, humanistic educational practices over a quarter of a century before. I'm sure many U.S. educators who thought/think they were/are in the vanguard of educational practices would appreciate this beautiful story of a dedicated educator and his students.

I have not read a better book which has made me laugh, cry, love, and ponder over is such a way! This book is awesome and worth much more than 5 stars.

Carol wrote a very heartbreaking memoir..she says on the cover Mother Mother a daughter's humorous and heartbreaking memoir..I did see some humor but I also saw a very vibrant picture of Carol's Mother. I read some--reflected--read some more--as I got closer to the end of the book I read it straight through. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has a loved one that has Alzheimer's--the beginning, middle or end of the disease and I recommend this book to anyone that has a loved one that is dying. Carol has a list of recommended reading in the back of the book and a list of many organizations that might help someone who is looking for help.

Caring for a parent with Alzheimer's must be devastating. The disintegration of personality, the abusiveness, and the confusion. It calls into question the whole notion of sanity. When Carol O'Dell's mother adopted her, she insisted that Carol would be taking care of mom when she got old. As the Alzheimer's set in, so did the promise. As mom becomes more abusive, this commitment feels almost overwhelming.

As the disease advanced, O'Dell became more immersed in her mother's daily care, but with less and less emotional reward from a mother who no longer recognized her. And what about O'Dell's husband and kids who also wanted her attention? It is strange going from the craziness of caregiving for mom to the normal concerns of kids and husband.

While most of us who are not in the situation would probably rather not think about it, this strange stew is part of the human condition. One of the reasons I read memoirs is to put myself in another person's shoes, and experience what their world is like, and Carol O'Dell's book has given me that, an intimate look at this most disturbing experience.

In addition, she has offered me a sort of hope, in a surprising direction. Carol O'Dell faced the painful situations, she used writing, both to eloquently communicate to the reader and also to contain and absorb some of her own experiences. She talks in the book about walking out to the river to center herself after an especially painful bout. I also can feel her retreating to her room and writing in her journal.

I believe the act of writing is the opposite of Alzheimer's. It doesn't cure the disease, certainly, but it helps establish or re-establish the sanity and purpose of life, so that we can stay alive, energetic, and hopeful despite such horrific and confusing setbacks. Writing about inhumane situations creates a sort of humanity of its own.

I thought "Mothering Mother" was enlightening, encouraging, humorous and heartwarming. I read excepts from it out loud to my husband and he asked me if Carol O'Dell was writing about her mother or MY mother! My Mom, the Ancient Toddler, has quite a few of the traits that Carol's Mother had. Carol doesn't pretend to have all the answers, but she does a terrific job exploring and writing about the many emotions a caregiver goes through. I'm SO glad I read this book!

I can't tell you how much of an impact this book has had on me. I'm also a daughter caring for her mother and it was almost like I was reading my own thoughts. It was just so extremely comforting to know that I'm not alone with the thoughts and emotions I'm experiencing as my mom fades further and further away from me as Alzheimer's takes over. She's in the later stages of that dreadful disease now. This book was written with such honesty and raw emotion. It has greatly heartened me to know that maybe some of my own thoughts aren't so bizarre after all, and that maybe I really can make it through this without completely losing myself along the way. Thank you so much, Carol, for sharing this part of your life with us. You are truly a gem! I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I have given this book to friends and recommended it to others who are steering the difficult passage as caregiver to a parent. O'Dell uncovers moments of frustration and inspiration but above all, truth, as she exchanges roles with her mother who struggles with deteriorating physical and mental health. There's plenty of humor--like when her mother demands O'Dell wear a slip because ladies do not go outside without one--and moments of heartbreak. In a culture geared toward youth, this powerful book presents details of a parent in decline and a daughter who protects and loves her to the end. But this parent isn't dropped into a nursing home. O'Dell courageously takes her mother into her own home and tries to balance the needs of her enlarged family. For Baby Boomers, Mother Mother is relevent and poignet and I'll continue to give it to the growing number of my friends who find themselves in similar situations.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it is very informative, and accurate. we just started to apply these principals to our diets, and we have been eating healthy and feeling great.

Dr. Russell writes in a way that, to be consistent, one would have to become a 7th Day Adventist. He takes extinct Old Testament references regarding what Jews were supposed to eat and what they weren't supposed to eat, and acts as if they compose God's universal, timeless law. Poor exegesis. If he stuck to the scientific pros and cons of food I would have received him better (even though much of his data is controversial/speculative). There have to be better written books out there (I know Richard Foster does a much more thorough analysis of health and fasting).

The title of the book really says it all. God created us and gave us specific instructions on what to eat. We would be wise to follow them. I've given copies of this book to my whole family.

I have found this book to be very insightful about my eating habits. Putting biblical boundaries around my eating choices actually gives me the freedom I've been needing to say no to all types of junk food. It has also helped me learn to trust God's guideance in other areas of life. God knows His creation and wants the best for us.

This is the best book I have read with clear, easy to follow advice that will show you Bible references for all of it's tips. It has a page of foods with Bible verses to look up where the food is eaten. There are references for the unhealthy foods, too. If you want a straight forward book without a lot of the authors own "reasons why", you will be very happy. You will come away with the answers you were seeking.

Each book contains a new, exciting adventure!
The story just keeps getting better every time a new book comes out!
And i continue to love Bobby Pendragon more and more every adventure.

Starting at this book, the entire series takes on a very dark overtone. Just who is Saint Dane? Why does he want everyone dead? After his last victory, what powers has he gained? And most of all, how will this effect the very boundaries of the territories?

The book starts where the creepy ending of the last book left off. Bobby returns through the flume to see that Saint Dane had made a change of look in front of Mark and Courtney and given them Gunny's disembodies hand in a bag.

After this, Bobby is thrown into a world full of people who are DEFINITLEY not human, and where humans are nothing but poorly treated slave animals to the dominant spieces. Did I mention that a mysterious plague is going to wipe out this entire territory and the only way to stop it is to cross items between the territories, one of the biggest Traveler rules?

Will this have an effect on everything? Will Mark and Courtney have a special task from now on? Who are the acolytes? How does the mysterious old man connect to Uncle Press? All of this is answered in this book of the Pendragon Series!

I was given a gift of the first Pendragon book. I groaned because I NEVER read science fiction/fantasy. I felt I should "try" to read it because, after all, it was a gift. Keep in mind that this series is for teens and I am a grandmother! You guessed it: I couldn't put it down. I am about to start Book # Seven - The Quillan Games. These are so very entertaining. I would highly recommend them to anyone over the age of 10!

I have been a fan of fantasy and science fiction for all of my life. I stumbled upon this series and have enjoyed each of the books. As you progress with Bobby from book to book it hooks you into waiting for his next journal. The books are written for teens, but adults can enjoy them as well. The moderation is well done and consistent between each of the books so no different voices to piece together for the same character. I've found that as each book in the series builds upon each other, the storyline keeps getting better. I would recommend this series to both young adults and adults. As good does not always win in the books, as in real life, the storyline of perseverance and making hard choices parallels decisions that our youth face in their lives. A good series for anyone to read.

The first time I started reading "The Merchant of death," I loved it. I thought how could it get much better than this. Well, it just did. Black Water is the most "Spiff" book yet. When Bobby Gets to Eelong, he is instantly engulfed in exciting adventures and risks being eaten and killed in pretty much any way you could imagine all to stop Saint Daine from sending the territory in to chaos. This is a great book you'll love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mitch Huckaby

Cute as can be! This is about Sarah's first day at a new school. However, it was a hilarious twist that reminds teachers and students alike that they are all in the same boat.

I enjoyed reading this book and used it in a training session for teachers this August.

I am a retired teacher who has experienced many a case of "First Day Jitters." I purchased this book for a young friend who had just gotten her first job teaching kindergarten a week before school started. I was familiar with the story and thought she would enjoy it on her first day in a brand new school. I delivered the book to the school office two days before the start of school. Since she was busy getting the new classroom in order, my friend didn't read the book until the first day of school with her new class. She read it aloud, not knowing the ending. Both she and the children were surprised and excited to find out that the main character was the new teacher.
This book is well written and covers all the anxieties of starting school, even if you're the teacher. It shows children that they aren't the only ones with apprehensions. It is a great book for all elementary grades and especially for teachers facing a new class.
First Day Jitters

The kids were so surprised by the ending and it helped them understand that their first day of school feelings were normal - even the teacher has them! :)

I read this book to my middle school students at the start of every year. They just love it! They giggle and laugh about my use of a picture book, then they really get into it. It's a wonderful icebreaker!

Very humorous account of our dogs less than civilized behavior. Great little gift for the novice dog owner.

This is a great book for animal lovers. If you have a dog you may not miss Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet. You can lern so much about dogs behaviour, etc. Very much recommended reading. I also liked
The Dog Who Rescues Cats: True Story of Ginny, The

This book not only taught us things about our dog, it did it with a laugh. There were so many different things stated in the book that my husband and I were suprised. Where I live sometimes there is a lot of thunder. The book explained to make the noise of the thunder game time so our dog does not get scared. We do that now. It is great. Whe does not get scared and we do not lose that much sleep. If it was not for the book, she would still be a little freaky about thunder type noises. We appreciate the humor of the book and the education it offers.

This book has helped me understand my dog, and I think he is happier too!

Marty Becker, DVM, combines his encyclopedic knowledge of dogs and a great sense of humor into a book that is both funny and useful in informing us of why dogs do and don't do certain things. The reasons for their different behaviors are explained in simple and easy to understand terms, but in a way that amuses us while it informs us. This book makes a great gift or Christmas present for yourself and the dog lovers in your life.

So much serious stuff has been written about this famous novel that first-time readers may be surprised that the first of the two parts of the book is actually an easy read with a light touch and plenty of humour despite the utterly gloomy and sad premise: a group of cancer patients in a decrepit, impoverished cancer hospital. Not much action, but vivid and touching dialogues abound. The second half of the book is a bit more demanding, with lengthy philosophical reflections on life and humankind. But it's worth it: some of the most haunting and moving passages of modern writing are found here. When Solzhenitsyn lets his protagonist compare life to the rivers of Siberia "running into the sand", he may just have created the most beautiful metaphor of life ever put on paper. Please, do read this book.

This book is written in the true Russian style. It's poignant and shocking and hard to put down.

The forward explains how the writer was treated in Tashkent for cancer while serving a sentence of forced labor exile. Post World War II Tashkent was cosmopolitan. The story takes place in February and March 1955 in a city like Tashkent. By then Stalin had died, Beria had been executed, and Malenkov had fallen from office.

The number of the cancer ward is thirteen. An official is to be treated for a tumor at the hospital. He resents the squalor of his surroundings. He consents, nonetheless, to undergo treatments. Dr. Dontsova has three residents. They call her Mama.

The bureaucracy insists that Dontsova dismiss indeterminate cases, cases where there is no improvement. Dontsova is troubled herself by stomach pains. Guilt she feels, though, is triggered by the existence of radiation sickness since she is an oncologist and radiologist. She cleans and shops and cooks for her family consisting of her husband and son.

One evening the male patients have an argument about moral perfectionism. It is claimed that Gorky, Stalin, and Lenin all thought that Tolstoy's doctrine was dangerous. Continuing their discussion, the male cancer patients are happy to think of traditional peasant remedies. Illness levels. The functionary and the exile are similarly situated.

Sickness provides respite from work and citizenly duties. Centers for treatment draw a cosmopolitan mix of people. Many people had lives interrupted in war service. Fairly detailed descriptions of the soviet medical system are given. Shortages of cleaning rags and other dysfunctions are common. Attempts to rationalize procedures and safeguard limited resources slow progress and create inefficiencies.

Oleg Filimonovich Kostoglotov, one of the points through which consciousness flows in the novel, resides in Ush-Terek, a virgin lands territory, and is a topographer but works as a land surveyor. The Ministry of Internal Affairs required that he live there. He was administratively exiled.

Pavel Nikolayevich Rusanov, the official being treated, strives to be optimistic as Gorky couseled. He looks forward to the visits of his wife, Kapitolina Matveyena. At first a geologist, Vadim, thought that Oleg Kostoglotov was a rude loud-mouth. (Vadim was collected, proud, and polite.) He saw that Rusanov was a standard sort of bureaucrat. Later Vadim discovered that Oleg was not arrogant. In fact, he was even generous.

Oleg discovered that after the world of the camps, exile could not be cruel. He was thirty-four and now too old too obtain a university education. He felt he could be content in exile if only he had his health. Oleg's good friends in Ush-Terek were a pediatrician and his wife. Oleg admired the chief surgeon at the facility. He had worked in the camps. Oleg picked up this piece of biography through the surgeon's choice of words. Oleg accused Rusanov of not being patriotic, of not having a love for country, but rather of wanting a fat pension.

Someone cites a writing of Lenin that an official should be paid a wage equal to the amount paid to a good worker. An older man tells Oleg that with his history he is fortunate since he has had to lie less. The man, a scientist, had been forced to follow the faulty teachings of Lysenko.

Dontsova had dealt with the ailments of other for thirty years. Now she has been diagnosed. She is to take sick leave and proceed to the Moscow Institute She makes her final rounds. Rusanov is released. He believes that he is cured. Oleg is discharged to recover from the treatment and to return to Ush-Terek. This is a masterpiece.

No one writes a fat, sprawling, old-fashioned Russian novel quite like a Russian. To the ranks of Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, you can add Solzhenitsyn and to novels like *The Brothers Karamazov* and *Anna Karenina* you can add *Cancer Ward.* In fact, *Cancer Ward,* like Tolstoy's slim but immensely profound *The Death of Ivan Illych* begins in much the same fashion: a married, middle-aged career man is suddenly confronted with the most immediate and terrifying thing of all: his own mortality.

Although in *Cancer Ward* instead of the self-absorption of bourgeoisie society, the setting is Soviet Russia in the two years after Stalin's demise. It's still a world of repression, imprisonment, suspicion, fear, lies, exile--and, most of all, the ever-lurking presence of death. These conditions are allegorized in the cancer ward itself, in the doctor's who must have faith in their largely ineffective treatment and--all appearances to the contrary--who never tell their patients the truth about their condition...which leads to the absurdity that Solzhenitsyn uses as the title of the first chapter of *Cancer Ward*: a patient sent to the cancer ward assured by his doctor that he has "no cancer whatsoever."

What is allegorized is a people who've been systematically brutalized into the deepest self-denial, terrorized into ignoring the cancer destroying their society.

But for all the allusions--evident or oblique--to the secret police, the Gulag, and the totalitarian state, as well as the impassioned outcries against Stalinism, *Cancer Ward* is about the universal and timeless problems of death, of faith, of freedom, and of how we should live our lives and what might give them meaning.

Like all the greatest Russian novelists, Solzhenitsyn tackles the biggest questions. *Cancer Ward* is a philosophical novel in the best Dostoyevskian sense of the term. Filled with passion, pathos, humor, and heart, as well as a vivid cast of memorable characters to embody every idea, every human emotion, *Cancer Ward* is a masterpiece and Solzhenitsyn a writer rare in our age who still dares to deal with serious things seriously and compels you, by the sheer unquestionable moral force of his conviction, to take them seriously, too.

This is perhaps the best book I've read in recent memory. Don't miss it.

It is almost unbelievable how the liberal elite in America covered Stalin's crimes until Solzhenitsyn's prophetic writings emerged. And not to be outdone, President Ford and Henry Kissinger refused to welcome the greatest writer of the 20th Century in order to placate the Soviets. May Solzhenitsyn rest peacefully in the assurance that one honest man changed the world. And may his literary works live forever.

Outstanding look at new palaeontology and dinosaur work. Taking the various papers that Bakker wrote for scientific journals and converting them to a book that is slightly more understandable to the public. The basic premise is that dinosaurs were not cold-blooded lizards, but warmer blooded and quite fast at times. See Jurassic Park for an example of the theories in action. Really great work.

Bob Bakker book describes so brilliantly why Dinosaurs were so successful and ruled the Earth for 150 million years. The Dinosaurs were so successful that mammals throughout this time never grew larger than 1 meter long and many were rat sized. If it wasn't for a giant asteroid that hit 65 million years ago, they would be still around and we would not.

Bakker in this book describes how the Dinosaur's warm blooded metabolism was integral to their success and how cold blooded animals like reptiles back then as now were limited. He also goes to show us how Dinosaurs were fast growing, dynamic animals that were constantly changing, how bird evolved from dinosauts and how dinosaurs were key the spread of flowering plants.

A book you must read before you die.

In the second half of the twentieth century the current thinking about dinosaurs completely changed, so that they are now accepted as warm blooded, vigorous alternatives to the mammals, and in fact the ancestors of birds (though not all that bright, whereas birds can be). Bakker was a major player in this change of views, and offers some fascinating anecdotes on how various experiences led to insights which permitted proper interpretation of the fossil evidence. The reader comes away not only with an understanding of the dinosaurs, but with many insights into evolution in general, and all the types of reasoning and analysis necessary to glean the truth from fossil evidence. Bakker has a lively style, giving detail without getting bogged down (well, I occasionally skimmed a bit, but that is because I have little interest in anatomy). There are many illustrations, but I was not always happy with them. Some illustrations serve as hand drawn alternatives to Power Point slides, and are very good. However, the drawings to illustrate anatomy were often not simplified enough for me to better understand the point. I do wish Bakker had speculated why, in the world of the dinosaurs, it was the mammals who apparently occupied all the really small ecological niches, comparable to current day mice and squirrels. Also, his final chapter on the demise of the dinosaurs was stimulating, but not as well thought out as the rest of the book. He points to the development of land bridges (as water levels dropped) which permitted worldwide migration of larger animals, and the consequent extinction of many species which could not compete, and also the spread of pathogens and parasites. Interesting, but competition would not eliminate all species, and no arguments are presented as to why small animals, e.g. mammals, would be more likely to survive than large animals (great numbers?). While this book was published in 1986, I read it based on Richard Dawkin's recent recommendation, and I do not believe it is outdated.

This book talks about new theories(at the time) of dinosaurs and their extinction, ranging from warm-bloodedness all the way to dinosaurs evolving into birds. There are five parts to this story.

Part I:The Conquering Cold-Bloods: A Conondum
Basically this part describes reptiles and their advantages/disadvantages when it comes to either cold blooded or warm blooded animals. It even compares mammals to reptiles. It talks about how cold blooded and warm blooded reptiles/mammals how active and how their eating habits are different. Also talks about dinosaurs if they were warm or cold blooded. Here is a short excerpt from this part. "Ornitholestes was an impressive little dinosaur, and even the diehard defenders of orthodoxy yield a little to admit that perhaps Ornitholestes and its kin might have had high metabolism. Such a concession, however, would lead to yet another incosistency in the theory of mass homeothermy. Big dinosaurs, all of them, evolved from small-dinosaur ancestors. The idea that little ancestors had high metabolism and their bigger descendants didn't, would be tantamount to arguing that evolution reversed itself"(Bakker 98).

Part II:The Habitat of the Dinosaurs
This section discusses dinosaurs with their habitat and how their diet/body features adapt to their environment. It discusses dinosaurs who helped use gastroliths for digestion. Also talks about the evolution of plants in relation to dinosaurs. Here is a short excerpt from this part. "Brontosaur teeth, moreover, confirm the heretical idea that they ate a tough vegetable diet. If the brontosaurs dined only on soft water plants, then very little wear would appear on their teeth. But infact the teeth of Camarasaurus, Brachiosaurus and their kin manifest very severe wear, which could only have been produced by tough or gritty food"(Bakker 136).

Part III:Defense, Locomotion, and the Case For Warm-Blooded Dinosaurs
The third section discusses the locomotion of dinosaurs in comparison to lizards,crocodiles,etc. Discusses dinosaur defense, like Triceratops' horns and the "boneheads" of the Pachycephalosaurs. Also talks about Pterosaurs. Discusses Archeaopteryx and it's feathers helping to support warm-bloodedness.
Here is a short excerpt from this part. "Anchisaurs' tails were stoutly muscled and they could easily have reared up, foreclaws at the ready, to face their enemies. Anchisaur hind claws, especially the one located on the large inner toe, could lash out with even more powerful blows than the foreclaws"(Bakker 256).

Part IV:The Warm-Blooded Metronome of Evolution
Talks about dinosaur sex, with threat displays of intimidation. Discusses growth in dinosaurs who were probably warm blooded. Talks about dinosaur lungs, heart, and large brains. Here is a short excerpt from this part.
"How can the dinosaurs' growth be measured? An accurate estimate can be derived from the texture of the fossil bone. A thin slice can be cut from a fossil-bone chip and glued to a glass plate"(Bakker 350).

Part V:Dynastic Frailty and the Pulses of Animal History
This final section discusses the Kazanian Revolution. During the Kazanian Revolution, warm blooded animals exploded in population. Discusses the dinosaur extinction and the animals who died along with them. Talks about the evolution of the Dinosauria and that they should be in their own class. Here is a short excerpt from this part. "A truly scientific skeptic would start assuming neither cold-bloodedness nor warm-bloodedness, and then reevaluate the evidence without prior terminological bias. So long as the DInosauria remain stuck in the class Reptilia, this type of analysis is impossible. Let dinosaurs be dinosaurs. Let the Dinosauria stand proudly alone, a Class by itself. They merit it"(Bakker 462).

Overall, this book is excellent. Bakker did all his own illustrations(which are very artistic) and even assumed dinosaurs were feathered even before they were discovered. Even though some of his theories may be outdated now, I still recommend this book to anyone. I read it back in seventh grade and it took me a while, but reading this book is surely worth the time!

Incredibly compelling book about the possible evolution of velociraptors into birds.

Dinosaur Heresies goes beyond mere dinosaur evolution, however. As an enthusiastic gardener, I was bemused and delighted to learn of the powerful link between Cretaceous herbivorous dinosaurs and the rise of flowering plants, how it was BECAUSE of these saurian herbivores that we have flowering plants instead of a world of gymnosperms (aka pines, cycads, ginko, etc.).

It was a FUN read!