PREDATORY DINOSAURS OF THE WORLD

The first guidebook to carnivorous dinosaurs. Paleontologist Paul begins by sketching in our current knowledge about predatory dinosaurs, underscoring the radical developments since 1960: we now see dinosaurs as warm-blooded, swift (Tyrannosaurus Rex zoomed along at 40 m.p.h.), scaled-or, feathered ancestors to robins and sparrows. He describes the pack-hunting techniques of the big carnivores, speculates about how birds began to fly (arboreal leaping), rejects the idea that an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. Paul, who seems to enjoy controversy, also rakes the paleontological coals by blasting most current dinosaur illustrations as shabby and inaccurate. He then presents his species-by-species description of the beasts--a sort of prehistoric version of Peterson's bird guides--tremendously enhanced by his own 150 graceful illustrations based on up-to-date skeletal restorations, many of which show the beloved behemoths in their natural habitats, sipping lake water or tearing flesh. Aside from some technical material explaining genealogy and nonmenclature, this is a lively, lovely, literate guide to Godzilla and his spawn.