This is a great book for a well-rounded general knowledge of dinosaurs. The only down part is that we still do not know much about dinosaurs and are improving our knowledge every day; since this book is relatively old, some things have changed in our view of dinosaurs today. I have documented the few inaccuracies, and hope that the publishers will issue a 2nd revised edition of this awesome book. At the time it was published, it was the most up-to-date compact book of its kind, a real break-through. If you want to have a good idea of what the dinosaurs were all about, then this is the book for you. It is so complete that it covers the facts that you would learn in an undergraduate 100-level course on dinosaurs. For those of you who are interested, the following are some of the things that have changed in the 2001 view of dinosaurs:

1) The Tyrannosaurs are now viewed as more closely related to the Raptors (Dromaeosaurids) instead of the Allosaurs (or Carnosaurs).

2) Its is now known that many therapods had feathers (other than the Aves), including Tyrannosaurs, a fact that was omitted from the book.

3) Oviraptors are no longer believed to be 'egg stealers' as the embryos found inside the eggs were determined to be of the same species.

4) In the extinction explanations section, they mentioned that the Dinosaurs died out gradually. However there is a phenomenon known as the Signor-Lipps effect that states that a sudden extinction can resemble a gradual one due to the fact that evidence and fossils are so scarce (because rarer species have lower sampling rates). This means that we still do not know if their death was gradual or quick. They also mentioned that a volcano was a possible cause. Volcanic activity would have been one of the side-effects of an impact, others being acid rain, tsunamis, and tornadoes. However the two leading theories are now the Alvarez theory (Asteroid impact which leads to a quick wiping out of a species) and the more gradual extinction via ecological change (retreating seas and climate change due to tectonic plate movement), which they failed to mention. It should be noted that the Alvarez theory is more widely accepted than the other.

5) The Classification chart is, as they correctly stated, continually changing and is now different from the one printed in their book.Updated versions can be found on the web.

Apart from these errors (due to continually changing views in dinosaur study), this is a great book that I would recommend to everyone.

DK has done it again! This book is a wonderful resource for the family and the individual that is interested in dinosaurs. Why?

First, the book is compact. This means it can fit in small areas in your school bag, hip pack or even a pocket. This means you can have the book as source material on-hand without a great deal of personal imposition. If I personally was to use a pocket, I would prefer a trouser's cargo pocket. Why? Because I care about how my books age and how much damage they sustain.

Second, it is a typical DK book - in other words, beautifully illustrated. There are plenty of pictures both of actual fossils and modern science reproductions of dinosaurs.

Third, I love the silhouette comparisons between a 6ft (1.8m) tall human and the dinosaur being spoken of. I only wish that they would have more of them in this book. Between this volume and three of DK's other books (The DK Great Dinosaur Atlas also by William Lindsay and the Ultimate Dinosaur Book and the DK Guide to Dinosaurs both by David Lambert) you will get a wide variety of these silhouettes. Unfortunately, Mr. Lindsay and Mr. Lambert, despite both being from the British Museum, disagree on some of the silhouettes. Oh well, take the one you like best as gospel, eh? I do!

Fourth, it is well organized. It is divided into five sections:

Section 1 introduces the reader to dinosaurs. It speaks of what is a dinosaur, the world of the dinosaurs, the lifestyles of the dinosaurs, anatomy of the dinosaurs, the first dinosaurs, and of course, the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Sections II & III are the typical FUN parts of a dinosaur book that everyone is looking for - the parts that directly deal with the many types of dinosaurs. They are split into the traditional two categories of dinosaurs: the lizard-hipped or Saurischian dinosaurs and the bird-hipped or Ornithischian dinosaurs.

Section IV deals with the sea and air animals that many consider dinosaurs, but are not. Despite not being the stars of the book, the section does provide some good information on these.

Section V is the reference section. This can be priceless for the person who wants to know more about dinosaurs. The main value is two pages of dinosaur museums and sites in the USA and Canada with their addresses. An improvement here would have been the inclusion of WEB site addresses and phone numbers as well. The next valuable part of this section is the cannot-do-without pronunciation guide that most parents find to be a lifesaver. I know my wife depends on it! The section also talks of dino-discovery history, dino records and myths, how dinosaurs are taken out of the ground after being discovered and contains a glossary.

What is bad about the book? Not much! Only two things come to mind, one wishful and one serious. The wishful matter is that I just wish there was even more cool information about dinosaurs in the book. But if that was the case, it probably would not be the small convenient book to carry around. On the other hand the serious matter is that it was published in 1995. That means it is approaching six years old. That means dinosaurs like the Giganotosaurus from S. America and the Carchardontosaurus from Africa are not present. Simply, it is not going to show the latest discoveries. Is this a problem? No! This book is designed to be a handy reference, not an end-all-be-all reference. As long as DK updates this book every ten years or so, this book will be an eternal handy dino guide. If you are looking for something like an end-all-be-all dinosaur reference I would refer you to three books: The Complete Dinosaur by Farlow & Bret-Surman, The Dinosauria by Weishampel, Dodson & Osmolska and Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia and its Supplement I by Glut & Bret-Surman. These are the ultimate books in the field. They are also not written for the common man. The level of writing/reading is fairly intense for the average reader. If you are looking for what would be a good introductory textbook on dinosaurs for the dino-fan with a good interest in the subject and decent reading comprehension, I would recommend Fastovsky and Weishampel's The Evolution and Extinction of the Dinosaurs. See my review of that book.

These 11 songs (One for each commandment and a very fun theme song) are real eyes openers for children and thier parents. A great way to learn not only the 10 Commandments, but to internalize thier meanings. Lots of fun and a perfect companion to DVD. (Highly recommended if you can find it anywhere.) I look forward to seeing more of this kind of product soon.

Hosted by well-known radio personality Dr. Laura Schlessinger (a.k.a., Dr. Laura), God's Top 10 is a superbly designed and presented video presentation of the Biblical ten commandments for young people, bringing to life the crucial moral guidelines with a variety of fun characters such as Delaura the butterfly, Benny the bunny, Roscoe the raccoon, and more. Divided into ten segments, one for each commandment, God's Top 10 is a video meant for adults and children to watch together, to better teach and understand God's laws. A portion of the proceeds of God's Top 10 will benefit the Dr. Laura Schlessinger Foundation for Children, which supports young survivors of abuse or neglect. Total Running Time: 75 minutes.

Like the above, I have had this book for about 7 years and it has been my 'dream bible'. I use it as a guide to help me figure out my dreams. It is extrememly informative and I only wish the authors would write and updated version.

I made great use of this book over the 8+ years I have had it. I appreciate the index of symbols with a more thorough description on each available. I also appreciate the dreams retold with symbols that help you "train" to interpret your own dreams. MOST IMPORTANTLY: This book lets you interpret every symbol for yourself. It does not say that x symbol always means y. Rather, it emphasizes the importance of the background of the individual (among other things) on the meaning of each symbol. It is a guide to help you start thinking about your dreams. I will not part with it. :)

The heart-breaking story of the Kogi indians of Colombia, who believe that their divine purpose is safeguarding the planet from the ecological holocaust caused by modern civilization. The description of the elderly shaman and the young boy, secluded in a cave high in the Andes as they enact ancient rituals in a desperate attempt to save the world, is one of the most mind-blowing passages I have ever read. A gut-wrenching, haunting, and ultimately terrifying book, the message of the Kogi people could very well contain the key to our survival as a species.

Very moving account of what is happening to the Kogi-Indians in Colombia. Makes you think about what the "white brothers" did to indigenous people in America.

It's a pity that there is no picture to accompany this listing as the illustrations (vivid, yet simple collage-type) are one of the best things about the book! It's also a bit bigger than most books, so the illustrations really stand out. My son (who just turned four) is obsessed with vehicles, especially vehicles that assist or rescue others, and this book really covers them all -- from the obvious ones (fire engine, ambulance, tow truck) to the less obvious ones (search-and-rescue helicopter, fire-fighting plane, flood raft, breakdown train, snowplow, traffic police motorcycle). Each double-page layout is devoted to one type of vehicle and situation. The last pages show all the vehicles in the places where they "sleep" for the night in a kind of overview of the town. This is perfect for reading at bedtime because of these last pages. (What's also nice about this illustration is that some of the vehicles are partially hidden or tucked away and so my son can "find" them each time.) The book is ... is hardcover and printed on heavy stock, so it's a keeper.

If you have a two year old who loves trucks like mine, this is the book for you. I do not tire of reading this book over and over. The pictures are bright and exciting. We love this book.

I'm a teacher and I find the Eyewitness books highly educational. I like the way the concepts are presented in a form without backgrounds. This gives clear facts to the reader without over taxing the attention span. The books are highly informative, presenting difficult concepts in comprehendable chunks that stimulate interest. I have almost the whole collection for my own children and they LOVE them!

DK eyewitness books are some of the greatest non-fiction books around. The distinctive white background and high-quality photography gives this book an edge over any other nonfiction picture book. And -- these pictures are real! They're beautiful photos of all things related to shipwrecks, accompanied by informative captions and text.

Learn about sunken treasure, lighthouses, ships, rescues-at-sea, and many other shipwreck-related topics (all augmented by museum-like photos).

If you know someone (young or old) who is fascinated shipwrecks, then you must introduce them to this book! It's a visual crash course in shipwrecks, and it's excellent!

We bought this book for ourselves and our children; gave it to them to read (when they were pre-adolescent) and to discuss with us. They did. We also know they shared it with some of their friends. We were confident that their friends got FACTS about sex and sexuality and its role in life and living. Exceptionally excellent at taking into account the values of family, community, religious orientation, etc. Also excellent at encouraging discussion between parents and child. Although it is dated regarding AIDS, especially, it is still excellent. One would wish it were republished with updating. We would hope that our children are able to give the book to their children.

I bought this book in 1978 when I was 13. It opened my eyes to sexuality in a away I never thought before.

The book is illustrated with drawings so realistic you would swear they were photographs. The drawings are of children clothed and nude, in sexual situations or just having fun.

The information is very liberal given the times and it pre-dated AIDS so no mention is given to the subject.

I doubt that this book could be published today as the drawings are very frank, but if you can find it read it. It is currently in the Vancouver Public Library.

I bought this for my 6 year old. She loves to read and really loves to write stories. She can use this book, but it will also grow with her. She should benefit from this one for several years. In the meantime, we have a lot of fun as she's learning "what another word for___?"

This is the best young Thesaurus we have found. It's organized similar to "the big boys" and is easy to read and use.

If I had Book Three in my hands today, it still wouldn't be soon enough ... I'm hooked.

If you're a fan of Alex and Merissa you will not want to pass this up. I've only had the book for a week and have read it twice already. Get ready for another great read. I will be anxiously waiting for book #3

It was a 23-year-old graphic designer who invented the illustrated album cover for phonograph records in 1939: before that they came in plain wrappers. For The Record documents the life and work of Alex Steinweiss, gathering over a hundred of his original graphics and providing a lavish color display of his works along with a history of his involvements in the music industry.

This book does credit to a great man. Steinweiss was a true artist and a pioneer. The man created the concept of album cover as art. McKnight-Trontz does a masterful job of celebrating the artist through dazzling illustrations and informative, entertaining narrative. The casual reader will enjoy this book, as will the academic: it's all there between the brilliant covers (Steinweiss design - of course); it is the individual reader's choice as to how deep he or she wants to delve into this fascinating subject of a true twentieth-century art form.