Dinosaurs are dope. If you don’t like dinosaurs, we don’t like you. That being said, Brusatte’s book is about more than just dinosaurs.

This book is a celebration of the grit of scientists, the power of nature, and how fucking cool dinosaurs are. We all know a lot about them from school, movies, and Jurassic Park (also, shout out to Dinotopia). But no matter how much you think you know about those lizard monsters from millions of years ago, this book will teach you something new and mind-blowing about them and the world they lived in. It will make you appreciate how truly special they were, how terrifying sharks and alligators/crocodiles are, and how cool birds are—if they’re real.

Where this book gets tricky is in its celebration of paleontologists. Steve walks through the history of paleontology up until 2018, when this book was published. There are great historical anecdotes about the Bone Wars and other interesting moments in history, but there was a bit too much of the “look-how-cool-my-friends-are” vibe in some of the sections for some people in the club.

The book’s necessary evils are both a blessing and a curse. There really is no way to write this thing without focusing more on T. Rex than on other dinos because that’s what sells. We also couldn’t figure out how he could have written the book without giving an overview that covers things most of us already knew from 5th grade and childhood. These are great refreshers, but they can also feel a bit monotonous at times. 

If you want to learn more about dinosaurs and don’t mind brushing up on some things you already knew, this is a great book for you. You will learn lots of new information along the way (we all found pre-dinosaurs and dinosauromorphs particularly fun). If you’re interested in the history of paleontology, we really recommend it. But if you’re just a casual dinosaur fan, this probably a pass. For what it’s worth, we were all happy we read it—even the folks who gave it a lower score.

Also, if you meet someone who doesn’t know about Pangea, walk away, bro… walk away.

BUY THIS BOOK