Milson, C. & S. Rigby. 2004. Fossils At A Glance. – Oxford, Blackwell Publishing

Abstract

This is going to be a problematical book review. Normally, a book serves a purpose, has an aim and a proposed readership and as a rule such books are worth buying. There may be certain flaws, authors may have missed a point or two, the editor may have overlooked a couple of typing errors, but the book is still worth sitting on your bookshelf. ‘Fossils At A Glance’ is not such a book. After close inspection I still wonder about its aim; I do not know what the readership is supposed to consist of; I wonder why the editor has overlooked a lot of noteworthy typing errors (Bocene for Eocene; Lagarstätte for Lagerstätte); but most of all I am astonished about the amount of serious mistakes the authors managed to incorporate in this rather condensed text.

The title ‘Fossils At A Glance’ supposes a general introduction to palaeontology for the layman/layperson. If that would indeed have been the intended readership the book should have been more colourful and less technical in its details. But I think it is meant as an introductory text for fresh biology and/or geology students, in which case the black–and–white design with many technical drawings seems more appropriate. The authors read palaeontology at, respectively, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Edinburgh, UK. They specialise in, respectively again, crinoids and graptolites. The latter information explains the extraordinary attention paid to graptolites (eight pages) compared to echinoderms (10 pages), brachiopods (eight pages) and corals (10 pages). So far, so good, every author, including yours truly, is entitled to posses ánd utter a couple of idiosyncrasies, but the overall result should remain balanced. Read more...