I've long been a fan of the art of Ray Troll who specializes in drawing realistic but whimsical representations of fish and prehistoric creatures. This book is written by Kirk Johnson, a paleontologist from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science who teams up with Troll for a fossil-gathering road trip through the Rocky Mountain states. Johnson does a good job of balancing the roles and importance of academic and museum work with commercial diggers and fossil collectors, showing respect and admiration of all. The journey detailed by Johnson visits many beautiful and awe-inspiring locations that are richly illustrated with Troll's art and photographs. It's a great book for anyone interested in paleontology, travelogue, and popular art. ( )

A paleobotanist and an artist team up for a 4000 mile road trip to all of the famous fossil localities in the American West. This book is as close as one can get to going in the field without getting your feet dirty. The pictures are both whimsical and enlightening, and the writing is a perfect accompaniment. This book is a must for anyone who never fully outgrew their love of dinosaurs and trilobites.

This book is so cool, I couldn't put it down- what terrific art, what a neato mosquito story. Man, do I wish my son and I could take a trip like these guys did ( )