Ebook: Quest for the African Dinosaurs: Ancient Roots of the Modern World

A enterprising editor might have boosted sales of this fine book using a different title. Steve Gould's Panda's Thumbs and Flamingo's Smiles do well. Jacobs' depiction of his search for African dinosaur fossils deserves no less. Along with a fine account of his field work in Malawi and Cameroon, Jacobs' assessment of fossil composition and what it tells us about past life is illuminating. As it happens, the structure of a crocodile's nose tells us whether it lived on land or water. This seemingly dry fact relates to how our own skulls are organized, and why. Deftly woven into his story of seeking dinosaur fossils, tracing the movement of continents over the face of the globe and the status of Malawi's culture in today's world, are the threads of his research. Evolution's had a busy time of it, and Jacobs explains how to read the record of its workings.

Jabobs' travels and observations demolish the image of the austere scientist who cares only for his research and status within his guild. The title isn't "The Dinosaurs of Africa" - he's done that before. Here, he's relating his journey to make those finds, updating information on what he's found. The broader approach means learning of the travails experienced in locating the fossils, what it's like to work a dig, and how he and his team dealt with their host countries. He leaves a valid image of a broadly caring person, untrammeled by his own cultural heritage. Jacobs is adept at bringing the reader into his world. That world has a long time span, with unceasing change the only constant. He traverses millennia more easily than countries. Justly so - there're no border guards at century boundaries.

African dinosaur fossils are elusive in popular science writing. The notoriety given "the Bone Wars" in 19th Century North America have kept interest and funding largely curtailed to that region until recently. Jacobs was among the first to bring the African fossil picture into view. Although finds are being announced from that continent with increasing frequency, few of the scientists have produced a record as readable as Quest for the African dinosaurs. Nor has there come to light other examples of the follow-up in developing local expertise Jacobs has undertaken in Malawi. It's an inspiring story and one of interest far beyond fossil analysis. The final chapter, "The Good of Dinosaurs" demonstrates how a serious scientist can express awareness of his host country and act to improve desperate conditions, even if only marginally. "One small step . . . "

As a reissue, this book requires an editor for more than just a title. Jacobs has a propensity for short, choppy sentences, or else some editor has betrayed him. As it stands, many of these random statements break up the idea he's conveying. Perhaps it's a trick to get the reader to review the prior material. Sometimes it works. Fortunately, it doesn't detract from Jacobs efforts to convey a picture of a shifting, changing Mesozoic world and its inhabitants. He covers ground [more than geographical] rarely addressed by others. He's a good read and a valuable human being. More of you should learn about him from this book. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]