While Fossils Inside Out is luxurious to look at, its appeal is not limited to gorgeous photography. Wiewandt’s voice is articulate, fun, innovative, and thorough; the lessons about paleontology both broad and informative. The volume creatively covers some basics—such as the history of Earth, extinction events, and how fossils are preserved—but it also offers a wonderful array of tips that will enhance visits to the field or the museum. Readers learn the truth behind common misconceptions—such as whether there’s really such a thing as a “living fossil”—but also practical information: how to navigate land-use laws; how replicas are made; how to identify enhancements or repairs; and what to look for when buying from dealers.

This perspective makes Fossils Inside & Out both fun and uniquely user-friendly for rock hounds, fossil enthusiasts, and museum-goers—all of whom might gather at annual fossil/mineral shows to browse, buy, or trade. Wiewandt celebrates the essential scientific contribution of these shows, including Tucson’s, the largest annual gathering of mineral, gem, and fossil dealers in the world. Readers—whether amateur or professional, active fossil hunters or arm-chair lovers of natural history—will learn an array of new content, see inside the science, share space in the prep lab, and travel around the world. With a lively foreword from the American Museum of Natural History’s Mark Norell, it would be hard to find a more comprehensive and entertaining book in this subject area.

$49.95 MSRP