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Skulls: An Exploration of Alan Dudley's Curious Collection (Hardcover)
本书讲述了动物和人类头骨的迷人故事,这些故事都围绕着一位收藏家发生,他用毕生精力建立了世界上藏品丰富的私人头骨收藏。 这位收藏家艾伦·达德利出生于英国中部,在过去50年内他收藏了2000多个头骨,他的标本制作、分类的技术几乎达到了博物馆的水平。在诸如头骨收藏界这样的圈子当中,达德利非常知名,他的收藏广泛且深入,极具参考和研究价值。正是这些收藏成为了本书的"骨骼",而温彻斯特先生为它们添上了"肌肉"与"皮肤"。 温彻斯特先生在本书当中对头骨的各个部分做了入门级的介绍,并举了不同的例子,讲解了不同动物当中角、牙、喙等器官的变化。他还借皮尔当人头骨以及颅相学的例子,探讨了科学与伪科学的差异与人类演化学的进展。 除了科学,温彻斯特先生还讨论了艺术当中的头骨传统。涉及的例子从中世纪开始直达现代艺术,囊括了弗拉·安杰利科、达·芬奇等艺术家。他也描述了头骨作为符号与象征的历史,在这个历史当中,头骨的含义发生了许多变化。 在本书的核心部分,达德利收藏品当中的精品尽在你眼前,触手可及。书中展示了300多个标本,从土豚到红腹食人鱼,从美洲狮到皱盔犀鸟,每一个头骨都被精细地拍摄过,还有多角度的照片,能让你尽可能清晰、直观地观察。标本依据分类学按照门纲目科属种排序,书中提供的描述能让你了解生物的分类、习性与食性。在这个中文翻译版当中,译者还加入了大部分动物的保育等级,帮助你了解它们的珍稀程度。 本书以杰出的文字和精美的图片,带你认识动物王国当中多种多样的头骨。这本书,用温彻斯特的话来说,就是"近乎完美的调查……这本让你有点毛骨悚然但又极富魅力的书是被设计用来看,用来消遣,更重要的是,用来学习的"。
255 pages, Hardcover
First published October 9, 2012
7 people are currently reading
710 people want to read
About the author
Simon Winchester
94 books2,335 followersSimon Winchester, OBE, is a British writer, journalist and broadcaster who resides in the United States. Through his career at The Guardian, Winchester covered numerous significant events including Bloody Sunday and the Watergate Scandal. As an author, Simon Winchester has written or contributed to over a dozen nonfiction books and authored one novel, and his articles appear in several travel publications including Condé Nast Traveler, Smithsonian Magazine, and National Geographic.
In 1969, Winchester joined The Guardian, first as regional correspondent based in Newcastle upon Tyne, but was later assigned to be the Northern Ireland Correspondent. Winchester's time in Northern Ireland placed him around several events of The Troubles, including the events of Bloody Sunday and the Belfast Hour of Terror.
After leaving Northern Ireland in 1972, Winchester was briefly assigned to Calcutta before becoming The Guardian's American correspondent in Washington, D.C., where Winchester covered news ranging from the end of Richard Nixon's administration to the start of Jimmy Carter's presidency. In 1982, while working as the Chief Foreign Feature Writer for The Sunday Times, Winchester was on location for the invasion of the Falklands Islands by Argentine forces. Suspected of being a spy, Winchester was held as a prisoner in Tierra del Fuego for three months.
Winchester's first book, In Holy Terror, was published by Faber and Faber in 1975. The book drew heavily on his first-hand experiences during the turmoils in Ulster. In 1976, Winchester published his second book, American Heartbeat, which dealt with his personal travels through the American heartland. Winchester's third book, Prison Diary, was a recounting of his imprisonment at Tierra del Fuego during the Falklands War and, as noted by Dr Jules Smith, is responsible for his rise to prominence in the United Kingdom. Throughout the 1980s and most of the 1990s, Winchester produced several travel books, most of which dealt with Asian and Pacific locations including Korea, Hong Kong, and the Yangtze River.
Winchester's first truly successful book was The Professor and the Madman (1998), published by Penguin UK as The Surgeon of Crowthorne. Telling the story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, the book was a New York Times Best Seller, and Mel Gibson optioned the rights to a film version, likely to be directed by John Boorman.
Though Winchester still writes travel books, he has repeated the narrative non-fiction form he used in The Professor and the Madman several times, many of which ended in books placed on best sellers lists. His 2001 book, The Map that Changed the World, focused on geologist William Smith and was Whichester's second New York Times best seller. The year 2003 saw Winchester release another book on the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, The Meaning of Everything, as well as the best-selling Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded. Winchester followed Krakatoa's volcano with San Francisco's 1906 earthquake in A Crack in the Edge of the World. The Man Who Loved China (2008) retells the life of eccentric Cambridge scholar Joseph Needham, who helped to expose China to the western world. Winchester's latest book, The Alice Behind Wonderland, was released March 11, 2011.
- source Wikipedia
In 1969, Winchester joined The Guardian, first as regional correspondent based in Newcastle upon Tyne, but was later assigned to be the Northern Ireland Correspondent. Winchester's time in Northern Ireland placed him around several events of The Troubles, including the events of Bloody Sunday and the Belfast Hour of Terror.
After leaving Northern Ireland in 1972, Winchester was briefly assigned to Calcutta before becoming The Guardian's American correspondent in Washington, D.C., where Winchester covered news ranging from the end of Richard Nixon's administration to the start of Jimmy Carter's presidency. In 1982, while working as the Chief Foreign Feature Writer for The Sunday Times, Winchester was on location for the invasion of the Falklands Islands by Argentine forces. Suspected of being a spy, Winchester was held as a prisoner in Tierra del Fuego for three months.
Winchester's first book, In Holy Terror, was published by Faber and Faber in 1975. The book drew heavily on his first-hand experiences during the turmoils in Ulster. In 1976, Winchester published his second book, American Heartbeat, which dealt with his personal travels through the American heartland. Winchester's third book, Prison Diary, was a recounting of his imprisonment at Tierra del Fuego during the Falklands War and, as noted by Dr Jules Smith, is responsible for his rise to prominence in the United Kingdom. Throughout the 1980s and most of the 1990s, Winchester produced several travel books, most of which dealt with Asian and Pacific locations including Korea, Hong Kong, and the Yangtze River.
Winchester's first truly successful book was The Professor and the Madman (1998), published by Penguin UK as The Surgeon of Crowthorne. Telling the story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, the book was a New York Times Best Seller, and Mel Gibson optioned the rights to a film version, likely to be directed by John Boorman.
Though Winchester still writes travel books, he has repeated the narrative non-fiction form he used in The Professor and the Madman several times, many of which ended in books placed on best sellers lists. His 2001 book, The Map that Changed the World, focused on geologist William Smith and was Whichester's second New York Times best seller. The year 2003 saw Winchester release another book on the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, The Meaning of Everything, as well as the best-selling Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded. Winchester followed Krakatoa's volcano with San Francisco's 1906 earthquake in A Crack in the Edge of the World. The Man Who Loved China (2008) retells the life of eccentric Cambridge scholar Joseph Needham, who helped to expose China to the western world. Winchester's latest book, The Alice Behind Wonderland, was released March 11, 2011.
- source Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 1, 2012
Most people who like natural history and the outdoor world are, in my experience, entranced by skulls. We find them beautiful (assuming the stinky parts are long gone) and they tell tales about the species and the individual. The individual tales are often tragic--a horse skull with a broken lower jaw, a coyote skull with a bullet hole, a smashed skull from a road-killed raccoon. The species tales are less freighted. Teeth and sagittal crests imply how the animal made its living and defended itself.
This hardcover is a beautiful collection of Nick Mann's photos of skulls that were prepared by a private collector, Alan Dudley. Dudley came to Winchester's attention after getting busted buying an illegal howler monkey skull. He pleaded guilty, did his service and paid his fine, and the implication is that he isn't normally one to slip up in this way. I find this pretty satisfactory--he does a great job with the skulls and shares his expertise AND he serves as a lesson to other collectors not to get carried away and promote a market for slaughtering rare animals. (Replicas of many species are readily available, by the way.) Dudley gets almost all of his skulls from zoos.
Among this book's virtues are a plethora of bird, fish and reptile skulls. Photographs of mammal skulls are widely available as they are the taxonomic touchstone for mammals. The others, not so much. Partly they are less common because (I know from trying) fish and reptile skulls can be the very devil to prepare.
Of special interest: a great assortment of hornbills, odd and fragile skulls of venomous snakes, wild pigs with their seemingly self-destructive curving tusks. Be sure to take a look at the domestic dog skulls and consider what we have done to the sturdy wolf.
Most of the photos are by Nick Mann, who has done great work on other Workman Publishing science books as well, and most are excellent. Many of the smaller skulls are out of focus, however. Printing the images against a black background works very well for most skulls, but much detail is lost for black bird bills (such as the Northern Shoveler) and the black horns of some bovids.The photo of Holbein's large painting The Ambassadors lacks details discussed in the text. Most of these weaknesses are demerits for the printer, not the author or photographer.
The photos are interspersed with text about skulls in art, history, human evolution, etc. These are interesting, written for a non-technical audience, but this is primarily a visual book--a beautiful addition to the natural history library.
This hardcover is a beautiful collection of Nick Mann's photos of skulls that were prepared by a private collector, Alan Dudley. Dudley came to Winchester's attention after getting busted buying an illegal howler monkey skull. He pleaded guilty, did his service and paid his fine, and the implication is that he isn't normally one to slip up in this way. I find this pretty satisfactory--he does a great job with the skulls and shares his expertise AND he serves as a lesson to other collectors not to get carried away and promote a market for slaughtering rare animals. (Replicas of many species are readily available, by the way.) Dudley gets almost all of his skulls from zoos.
Among this book's virtues are a plethora of bird, fish and reptile skulls. Photographs of mammal skulls are widely available as they are the taxonomic touchstone for mammals. The others, not so much. Partly they are less common because (I know from trying) fish and reptile skulls can be the very devil to prepare.
Of special interest: a great assortment of hornbills, odd and fragile skulls of venomous snakes, wild pigs with their seemingly self-destructive curving tusks. Be sure to take a look at the domestic dog skulls and consider what we have done to the sturdy wolf.
Most of the photos are by Nick Mann, who has done great work on other Workman Publishing science books as well, and most are excellent. Many of the smaller skulls are out of focus, however. Printing the images against a black background works very well for most skulls, but much detail is lost for black bird bills (such as the Northern Shoveler) and the black horns of some bovids.The photo of Holbein's large painting The Ambassadors lacks details discussed in the text. Most of these weaknesses are demerits for the printer, not the author or photographer.
The photos are interspersed with text about skulls in art, history, human evolution, etc. These are interesting, written for a non-technical audience, but this is primarily a visual book--a beautiful addition to the natural history library.
February 23, 2013
In our bodies, the framework for muscles, tendons and ligaments is the skeleton, topped by a skull, a face as unique as each creature itself. Whether it be a reptile, primate, eel, catfish, frog, newt or penguin, the skull houses the central processing unit, the brain. This powers each animal, bird or snake. Teeth highlight the jaw and in some, a prominent brow ridge or horns crown the whole in magnificent glory.
Alan Dudley was fascinated by skulls. At an early age, he found the body of a dead fox and brought it home to inspect it in greater detail. However, prepping the skull for collection proved to be a bit of a trial. Maggots, which feasted on the flesh of the carcass, were often a little overzealous, leading to damage of fine bone. The alternative was to soak each skull in water for a very, very long period of time, allowing the natural bacteria to run their course. This avenue proved to be extremely smelly, but very effective and at last, Dudley’s collection began to grow in earnest.
Unfortunately, Dudley’s zeal for collecting led him to obtain the skulls of a few endangered species, which ultimately progressed to his arrest. Nevertheless, Dudley’s collection remains one of the most detailed accounts of fauna on the planet.
Kudos to Nick Mann’s numerous photographs, too. These illustrate with brilliant clarity the extensive variations in each skull, often from multiple angles. This book is essential for zoologists and students of biology. It is also a stunning, unique gift and a perfect accent for your coffee table.
Alan Dudley was fascinated by skulls. At an early age, he found the body of a dead fox and brought it home to inspect it in greater detail. However, prepping the skull for collection proved to be a bit of a trial. Maggots, which feasted on the flesh of the carcass, were often a little overzealous, leading to damage of fine bone. The alternative was to soak each skull in water for a very, very long period of time, allowing the natural bacteria to run their course. This avenue proved to be extremely smelly, but very effective and at last, Dudley’s collection began to grow in earnest.
Unfortunately, Dudley’s zeal for collecting led him to obtain the skulls of a few endangered species, which ultimately progressed to his arrest. Nevertheless, Dudley’s collection remains one of the most detailed accounts of fauna on the planet.
Kudos to Nick Mann’s numerous photographs, too. These illustrate with brilliant clarity the extensive variations in each skull, often from multiple angles. This book is essential for zoologists and students of biology. It is also a stunning, unique gift and a perfect accent for your coffee table.
February 23, 2013
The skulls on display here range from oddly cute to the stuff of nightmares. All are fascinating. You come away with a whole new appreciation of the way in which life forms evolve and adapt to their places in the ecosystem.
Most of the skulls in Dudley's collection are antiques or came from deceased zoo animals. However, it is easy to see how the passion for collecting could lead to unethical behavior. We read in the beginning of the book how Dudley was charged for buying a few skulls that were obviously poached. This lends a bit of sadness to the book.
Skulls is interesting from an animal welfare prospective in another way. Examining the skulls of certain pedigree breeds helps us understand just to what degrees we have changed animals' physiology in pursuit of the "perfect" look, and what unpleasant lives we may be subjecting our "beloved" pet animals to in the process. The skull of a normal domestic cat, for example, is a fascinating miniature replica of those of the mighty big cats who prowl the plains, forests and jungles. The skull of the Persian cat, however, is a sad, crushed-looking thing.
The skulls of brachycephalic dog breeds, such as the Boxer and Boston terrier, tell a similar tale of looks over comfort for the animal. The author is not afraid to speculate that these animals must have difficulty breathing. It seems that in the UK folks are not as afraid to take breed fanciers to task and demand that they create more sound animals, while the issue remains largely taboo in the US, perhaps due to breeders' groups influence in US legislatures.
Most of the skulls in Dudley's collection are antiques or came from deceased zoo animals. However, it is easy to see how the passion for collecting could lead to unethical behavior. We read in the beginning of the book how Dudley was charged for buying a few skulls that were obviously poached. This lends a bit of sadness to the book.
Skulls is interesting from an animal welfare prospective in another way. Examining the skulls of certain pedigree breeds helps us understand just to what degrees we have changed animals' physiology in pursuit of the "perfect" look, and what unpleasant lives we may be subjecting our "beloved" pet animals to in the process. The skull of a normal domestic cat, for example, is a fascinating miniature replica of those of the mighty big cats who prowl the plains, forests and jungles. The skull of the Persian cat, however, is a sad, crushed-looking thing.
The skulls of brachycephalic dog breeds, such as the Boxer and Boston terrier, tell a similar tale of looks over comfort for the animal. The author is not afraid to speculate that these animals must have difficulty breathing. It seems that in the UK folks are not as afraid to take breed fanciers to task and demand that they create more sound animals, while the issue remains largely taboo in the US, perhaps due to breeders' groups influence in US legislatures.
November 27, 2012
The skulls in this book range from the ho hum to the truly amazing and terrifying. I will never think of fishes the same way. The photographs are really gorgeous and the small blurb describing each skull provides enough information to the lay reader so that it does not become burdensome. I also appreciated the taxonomy included (all the way to the Genus level). Skulls that gave me pause were the Axolotl, the Dodo, the Atlantic Wolfish, the Triggerfish, the Pike and the Monkfish. Can you say terrifyingly fugly?
November 14, 2016
Someone please buy me this magnificent book.
I've never had a more useful photobook for painting. Never. I've never seen a more beautiful array of skeletal biodiversity in such a lovely package.
I just... Need this, you guys.
I've never had a more useful photobook for painting. Never. I've never seen a more beautiful array of skeletal biodiversity in such a lovely package.
I just... Need this, you guys.
November 7, 2012
Unique book and portrait of a fascinating collection.
January 3, 2013
Skulls are tough.
April 8, 2019
This book's title is right about one thing, and that is that Alan Dudley's collection of skulls is definitely curious. Whether or not that is a good sort of curiosity or not is up for debate, but it is a curious collection without dispute. The origins of this book are somewhat odd. Alan Dudley himself happens to be an English collector of skulls who has perhaps the largest private collection in the world, of which this book represents only about a seventh or so (some 300 of the more than 2,000 skulls in the collection). Dudley ran afoul of various English laws involving the importation of skulls of various protected animals and appears to have sought in this book some means of recovering his reputation and increasing his popularity through sharing at least some of what he has collected with a friendly audience. And if you like the macabre, as I do, there is a great deal to enjoy here. He certainly has chosen wisely in having his collection and its context narrated by Simon Winchester, although it must be freely admitted that the real stars of the show are the creepy skulls themselves.
This book of about 250 pages of lushly photographed skulls (mostly from Dudley's collection, with some supplements) begins with an introduction and some notes on the collector as well as the collection by Simon Winchester. After this there are a few pages of amphibian skulls, some frogs and newts, followed by a couple of essays. Then there are about 50 pages of pictures of the skulls of birds, a wide variety including seabirds, birds of prey, game birds, kingfighers and hornbills, toucans and woodpeckers, nightjars and swifts, flightless large birds, owls, parrots, passerines, penguins, pigeons, wading birds, and waterbirds, including essays on the Dodo as well as pseudocience. There is a lengthy chapter containing a variety of fish skulls (including eels), with essays about the iconography of skulls including the importance of skulls in Mexican culture. There is a large essay of nearly 100 pages about mammal skulls, including a wide variety of mammals, even egg laying mammals (sadly, no echidnas), as well as a lot of primates and rodents and even some oddball animals like the rock hyrax and tapir and tenrec. The last chapter contains skulls of various reptiles, including alligators and crocodiles, lizards and snacks, and various turtles and tortoises.
Ultimately, it is not clear whether or not this book succeeds at its purpose of making Alan Dudley and his immensely creepy collection of skulls, some of them in very excellent condition, more appealing to the wider public. This is not necessarily the fault of either Winchester or photographer Mann, as the photography in this book is amazing in its detail and sensitivity and Winchester turns in his customary work of putting the creepy skulls in a larger context including discussions of anatomy as well as the cultural and symbolic importance of skulls within history. Overall, this book appears mainly a chance for Dudley to share some of his more notable finds, for Winchester to wax eloquent on them, and for Mann to take some amazing photographs of them. And if you happen to like skulls, there is a great deal to appreciate even if one does find them occasionally a bit off-putting. For the most part, the book does seek to present Dudley as an ethical skull collector, and it is likely that he will be viewed as merely eccentric and not as a risk to threatened and endangered animals after this particular book, which is likely for the best.
This book of about 250 pages of lushly photographed skulls (mostly from Dudley's collection, with some supplements) begins with an introduction and some notes on the collector as well as the collection by Simon Winchester. After this there are a few pages of amphibian skulls, some frogs and newts, followed by a couple of essays. Then there are about 50 pages of pictures of the skulls of birds, a wide variety including seabirds, birds of prey, game birds, kingfighers and hornbills, toucans and woodpeckers, nightjars and swifts, flightless large birds, owls, parrots, passerines, penguins, pigeons, wading birds, and waterbirds, including essays on the Dodo as well as pseudocience. There is a lengthy chapter containing a variety of fish skulls (including eels), with essays about the iconography of skulls including the importance of skulls in Mexican culture. There is a large essay of nearly 100 pages about mammal skulls, including a wide variety of mammals, even egg laying mammals (sadly, no echidnas), as well as a lot of primates and rodents and even some oddball animals like the rock hyrax and tapir and tenrec. The last chapter contains skulls of various reptiles, including alligators and crocodiles, lizards and snacks, and various turtles and tortoises.
Ultimately, it is not clear whether or not this book succeeds at its purpose of making Alan Dudley and his immensely creepy collection of skulls, some of them in very excellent condition, more appealing to the wider public. This is not necessarily the fault of either Winchester or photographer Mann, as the photography in this book is amazing in its detail and sensitivity and Winchester turns in his customary work of putting the creepy skulls in a larger context including discussions of anatomy as well as the cultural and symbolic importance of skulls within history. Overall, this book appears mainly a chance for Dudley to share some of his more notable finds, for Winchester to wax eloquent on them, and for Mann to take some amazing photographs of them. And if you happen to like skulls, there is a great deal to appreciate even if one does find them occasionally a bit off-putting. For the most part, the book does seek to present Dudley as an ethical skull collector, and it is likely that he will be viewed as merely eccentric and not as a risk to threatened and endangered animals after this particular book, which is likely for the best.
May 16, 2017
This is a very interesting book. As promised, it explores Alan Dudley's skull collection from five vertebrate classes. It also contains longer sections between the photographs exploring skulls from biological, historical, anthropological, and cultural perspectives. Even if you don't have time for the longer sections, the photography provides an engaging flip through.
There is a disclaimer in the beginning that the photographs are not to scale; however, I think some graphical indication of scale should have accompanied each photo. I also felt that each class should have had its own introductory section (i.e. for fish, here's where the gills are; for birds, here are a description of some beaks typical of different families), which would help reorient us after a potentially lengthy side discussion. There was also no conclusion, just reptiles and then glossary. While I appreciated representation from all the major vertebrate classes, as usual birds and mammals were a bit over-represented.
There is a disclaimer in the beginning that the photographs are not to scale; however, I think some graphical indication of scale should have accompanied each photo. I also felt that each class should have had its own introductory section (i.e. for fish, here's where the gills are; for birds, here are a description of some beaks typical of different families), which would help reorient us after a potentially lengthy side discussion. There was also no conclusion, just reptiles and then glossary. While I appreciated representation from all the major vertebrate classes, as usual birds and mammals were a bit over-represented.
June 29, 2018
This book is gorgeous! The collection is amazing, and the photography is beautifully done and well lit. The skulls are on a black background, which seems to intensify the details. I was afraid there wouldn't be many photographs, but the book is jam packed with them. The collection is diverse and the skulls are in great condition. Two people who couldn't care less about skulls or bones were fascinated. I can't wait for the weekend to get here so I can sit down and spend some serious time with it. A very exciting find!
July 17, 2017
Really interesting survey of a collection. There's such a variety of skulls explored with facts about the animals and personal blurbs from Alan Dudley. The photographs of the skulls are beautifully rendered.
September 25, 2017
Despite how extensive the collection depicted is, I wanted more - more sculls, more comparisons. A fascinating book.
November 30, 2018
It was okay. One thing that turned me off is that one of the photos didn't match the skull listed. Would be a good flip-through, coffee table book.
August 4, 2020
Creepy and fascinating.
April 3, 2022
I cannot do better than the book description.
February 24, 2013
This ebook is about every type of skull you can possibly think of! I enjoyed how the types of skulls were in alphabetical order. However, it was difficult for me to figure out how to escape from a close up view. If you clicked on the skull, you could spin it in 3D or learn more facts about the type of species. Not only does it show the skeleton, but it shows the life-like view of the creature as well. This is a great ebook with tons of information!
I noticed that this book allowed you to spin the 3D skull very fast, slow, or paused. I thought it was very interesting to view the full skeleton of some species. For example, the monkey and the human compared were very similar. I gave it a four-star rating because it is very interesting and full of information, but it can be complicated to use in certain situations.
For class, I would give each group an iPad and an animal. They will have to search facts and new information they learned about the species. After they have found at least five facts about the species, they will have to share it with the class. By doing this activity, the students will learn: about the species, how to find information about a species from the ebook, and to communicate with their group. The students will have to agree on the facts they will share with the class, as well as write the information down.
This ebook did not have a lexile or guided reading level, however I think the lexile would be 760 and the guided reading level would be around a P. I think the interest level would begin around first grade, but I would not expect a student to use this ebook independently until around fourth grade.
I noticed that this book allowed you to spin the 3D skull very fast, slow, or paused. I thought it was very interesting to view the full skeleton of some species. For example, the monkey and the human compared were very similar. I gave it a four-star rating because it is very interesting and full of information, but it can be complicated to use in certain situations.
For class, I would give each group an iPad and an animal. They will have to search facts and new information they learned about the species. After they have found at least five facts about the species, they will have to share it with the class. By doing this activity, the students will learn: about the species, how to find information about a species from the ebook, and to communicate with their group. The students will have to agree on the facts they will share with the class, as well as write the information down.
This ebook did not have a lexile or guided reading level, however I think the lexile would be 760 and the guided reading level would be around a P. I think the interest level would begin around first grade, but I would not expect a student to use this ebook independently until around fourth grade.
March 20, 2013
Skulls tell the story of the skull in the human and animal world. This electronic book states that skulls are symbols both of existence and of former existence. Skulls tell about life, death, and afterlife of good and evil. This book talks about all different aspects of skulls and skulls of art along with the general nature of skulls and its component parts. This book’s illustration really gives the reader a great understanding of skulls it provides variety and hands on learning for the students.
This electron collection of skulls reminded me of my high school biology lab only better. Although you cannot get the hands on experience with the Skulls book, they had a lot of things in common. There were a variety of different skulls you are able to look at, and it provides you with additional information. I think this is why the book was so appealing because of the movements of the skulls, and it was something I have already touched on in school.
This book would be great for a science lecture, or if the children were doing a project on a certain animal and needed to provide information about the skull. I would use this as a source of information for the students, and walk them through the book and all the contents it provides. This way if I were to give them a project that asked for them to draw a picture of a certain animal’s skull and provide some information the students would know where to go to attain this information.
There was no lexile score for this book, but children should be able to read this book independently by fourth grade just because some of the word content could be a little hard to understand for some of the younger classes.
This electron collection of skulls reminded me of my high school biology lab only better. Although you cannot get the hands on experience with the Skulls book, they had a lot of things in common. There were a variety of different skulls you are able to look at, and it provides you with additional information. I think this is why the book was so appealing because of the movements of the skulls, and it was something I have already touched on in school.
This book would be great for a science lecture, or if the children were doing a project on a certain animal and needed to provide information about the skull. I would use this as a source of information for the students, and walk them through the book and all the contents it provides. This way if I were to give them a project that asked for them to draw a picture of a certain animal’s skull and provide some information the students would know where to go to attain this information.
There was no lexile score for this book, but children should be able to read this book independently by fourth grade just because some of the word content could be a little hard to understand for some of the younger classes.
April 13, 2013
This is an amazing photographic record of Alan Dudley's private collection of animal skulls. An avid collector, Dudley has been collecting skulls for years, buying them or preparing them himself when he comes across a dead animal.
But more than just a record of his collection, this book, courtesy of author Simon Winchester, delves into the enduring human fascination with skulls and what they represent. What skulls have historically symbolised, how they have appeared in art, how they are celebrated (Mexico's Day of the Dead), their component parts, and how they have been studied (phrenology anyone?) are all covered.
The photographs of the skulls of Dudley's collection are also amazing. How some animals have adapted and what their skulls look like are truly breathtaking. Some are beautiful, some are bizarre, and some barely seem to represent the living animal. For example, the elephant, sans trunk and ears, is unrecognisable. Lion, tiger and grey wolf skulls are incredibly similar, and there is the poignant inclusion of the dodo skull. Not part of Dudley's collection, but included from a museum as a reminder of what has been lost.
Although you would think that such a collection would be morbid, you come away with an even greater respect and appreciation for the living animals that the skulls represent. I was introduced to some animals I had never even heard of, facts about ones that I had, and for those already quite clued-up on animals, the entire genus of each animal's skull is specified. A magnificent book.
But more than just a record of his collection, this book, courtesy of author Simon Winchester, delves into the enduring human fascination with skulls and what they represent. What skulls have historically symbolised, how they have appeared in art, how they are celebrated (Mexico's Day of the Dead), their component parts, and how they have been studied (phrenology anyone?) are all covered.
The photographs of the skulls of Dudley's collection are also amazing. How some animals have adapted and what their skulls look like are truly breathtaking. Some are beautiful, some are bizarre, and some barely seem to represent the living animal. For example, the elephant, sans trunk and ears, is unrecognisable. Lion, tiger and grey wolf skulls are incredibly similar, and there is the poignant inclusion of the dodo skull. Not part of Dudley's collection, but included from a museum as a reminder of what has been lost.
Although you would think that such a collection would be morbid, you come away with an even greater respect and appreciation for the living animals that the skulls represent. I was introduced to some animals I had never even heard of, facts about ones that I had, and for those already quite clued-up on animals, the entire genus of each animal's skull is specified. A magnificent book.
November 9, 2013
This is a somewhat peculiar book because it displays the collection of a private British skull collector who at times surrendered his moral compass to his collecting fervor.
Nevertheless, I give it 5 stars, a thing I rarely award, for its excellent photography.
It gets about a 2-star rating for its writing.
The written portions divide neatly into two categories: a few larger expositions on the subject of skulls in general and a lot of small bits that are basically identifiers and captions for the photos.
The captions can't help but be repetitious sometimes, dealing as they do with limited subject material. There are only so many things a person can say about sagittal crests, mandibles and zygomatic arches. Mr. Winchester loses no stars for that.
The larger pieces suffer from sheer eccentricity of subject choice, repetition (again) and vacuousness...and the reader suffers along with them. Really- very poor work. Someone had space to fill and didn't bother to find good material to fill it with.
I still recommend the book, if you are interested in the subject, on the strength of its photos- but don't feel compelled to read it.
Nevertheless, I give it 5 stars, a thing I rarely award, for its excellent photography.
It gets about a 2-star rating for its writing.
The written portions divide neatly into two categories: a few larger expositions on the subject of skulls in general and a lot of small bits that are basically identifiers and captions for the photos.
The captions can't help but be repetitious sometimes, dealing as they do with limited subject material. There are only so many things a person can say about sagittal crests, mandibles and zygomatic arches. Mr. Winchester loses no stars for that.
The larger pieces suffer from sheer eccentricity of subject choice, repetition (again) and vacuousness...and the reader suffers along with them. Really- very poor work. Someone had space to fill and didn't bother to find good material to fill it with.
I still recommend the book, if you are interested in the subject, on the strength of its photos- but don't feel compelled to read it.
January 21, 2013
This was a fascinating book. An odd book, but fascinating. It is a both a scientific/biological book, and an expose on a very unique private collection. The pictures of the skulls are beautifully shot, and they are always partnered with a photograph of the living animal, showing how the bone relates to the shape of the head in life.
I will say, though, that I have a few concerns in regards to ethics. The collector has quite a few skulls from endangered animals, and there was not nearly enough information on provenance for my taste. I doubt any are illegal per se, but legality != ethics, in many cases.
This aside, this would make a unique book to have on your coffee table when guests arrive... scare them or fascinate them, it's a conversation starter.
I will say, though, that I have a few concerns in regards to ethics. The collector has quite a few skulls from endangered animals, and there was not nearly enough information on provenance for my taste. I doubt any are illegal per se, but legality != ethics, in many cases.
This aside, this would make a unique book to have on your coffee table when guests arrive... scare them or fascinate them, it's a conversation starter.
January 29, 2016
Some of these fantastic images will live on in my nightmares. Thank you, Alan Dudley.
Best skulls belong to birds, reptiles, and snakes. Wait, are snakes reptiles?
This would've gotten 5 stars had the blurbs on each skull included just a BIT more detail. For instance, I was fascinated by the skulls of alligators and crocs because of the mottled and pitted texture of the bone. I read every blurb hoping for information on WHY the texture of those bones was so different from most of the hundreds of other specimens in the book, but I didn't find what I was curious about. So, on to Google. Still, included some really cool information in a beautifully photographed volume. Way better than just looking up skulls online.
Over all, this was a really fun flip.
Best skulls belong to birds, reptiles, and snakes. Wait, are snakes reptiles?
This would've gotten 5 stars had the blurbs on each skull included just a BIT more detail. For instance, I was fascinated by the skulls of alligators and crocs because of the mottled and pitted texture of the bone. I read every blurb hoping for information on WHY the texture of those bones was so different from most of the hundreds of other specimens in the book, but I didn't find what I was curious about. So, on to Google. Still, included some really cool information in a beautifully photographed volume. Way better than just looking up skulls online.
Over all, this was a really fun flip.
June 13, 2016
First I have to clarify that I own the interactive iPad version of this book, so my review is predominantly for the digital version made by Touch Press. As for anything made by those guys, it's amazing! The interactive versatility of the digital version is so outstanding, you can gain a thoughtful insight on skulls, various animal groups, domestication, form and function, and many other aspects related to skulls without reading one sentence from the book! It's possible to compare, group and turn the skulls around for a 360 view. As for the text by Simon Winchester, it's also enjoyable and informative, it can be biological, cultural and everything in between. There is also audio notes by Alan Dudley, the amazing skull collector who made this book possible, on some of his favorite skulls!
June 10, 2014
Incredibly interesting. Winchester takes us on a guided photographic tour through the macabre collection of skull-enthusiast Alan Dudley. Absolutely fascinating, and if you don't marvel at the complexity of our planet after reading this, I don't know what can be done for you. My only caveat is that occasionally Winchester repeats himself when writing about similar organisms--a slightly heavier editor's hand might have been in order. Beautifully photographed, charmingly written, scientific intrigue with a hint of darkness . . . my perfect coffee table book. I'll buy this one, too.
July 27, 2014
I bought this mostly as a reference book. I have enjoyed looking at all the lovely photos, but haven't read all the articles/text. To me books like this are not something I read cover to cover. They are books I turn to when I need to find info to help ID a particular skull, or to discover new skulls I would like to eventually add to my collection.
February 15, 2016
Fascinating books about the skull collection of Alan Dudley, a resident of England who has a private collection of 2,000 skulls of various creatures, from mice to Gaboon vipers. The amazing diversity of skull type and shape from species as various as the toucan to the grizzly bear is fascinating. With commentary by Simon Winchester.
February 7, 2013
What an amazing, informative book about the world's largest private collector of skulls, and his incredible collection. Great trivia, wonderful pictures, and cool anecdotes.
I got it at the library, and just HAD to own it. Thanks, Amazon!
I got it at the library, and just HAD to own it. Thanks, Amazon!
March 21, 2013
What a fun and interesting book, seriously. Fact-filled text combines with stunning photography to give us a book that should appeal to a wide variety of persons.
Some of skulls jump out as possible inspirations for H.R. Giger's design for the movie, "Alien."
Some of skulls jump out as possible inspirations for H.R. Giger's design for the movie, "Alien."
October 11, 2013
I would highly recommend this book just for the amazing photography. It is a very beautiful collection. They did a great job picking a variety of specimens, and in addition to the beautiful pictures there is a lot of interesting factual information.
August 11, 2013
I have been using this book for my warm-up paintings each morning. I enjoy the variety of shape found within each of the different kinds of skulls. The photography and layout is well-done. A fun book to experience over and over.
November 29, 2013
Beautiful photographs, well written essays on a variety of skull-related themes. One can only take in so many skulls, however, and the essays tend to read like homework assignments, however nicely composed.
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