My Beloved Brontosaurus, by Brian Switek (3.5 stars rounded up)

[KateNZ]

This was available on audiobook in the library and, after a slightly shaky start, I found myself really enjoying it.

Freelance science writer Brian Switek (now called Riley Black) is a self-confessed dinosaur nerd, who uses the book to explore a wide variety of themes, trends and changes in the history of paleontology. This includes naming: for instance, how the name 'brontosaurus' in the title was abandoned in favour of 'apatosaurus' but how the name resolutely clung on in the public imagination and even in some museum labelling for many decades after the official change was made. The author covers such widespread other topics as how the heck huge dinosaurs could physically have mated (how does a diplodocus get that tail out of the way??!); how they walked; whether they cared for their young; how they might have seen, smelt and heard; how they changed in shape as they got older; why some grew so big; the fact that modern science defines birds as dinosaurs (so the dinosaurs that we are most familiar with are 'non-avian' dinosaurs); dinos in popular culture; the debate about what caused the mass Cretaceous extinction; how the bone beds were created; and the history behind some of the main US dinosaur excavation sites (it would have been interesting if there was also more information about sites elsewhere in the world, which tend to be mentioned only in passing).

There was a fair bit of repetition early on in the book, which grated a bit, particularly as I was listening to the author read it - their voice was a little monotonous at times which didn't help. I think I'd have given it a solid 4 stars in print. But I soon forgot about any annoyance: their writing is quirky and often humorous, and their enthusiasm is infectious. Plus I have never outgrown dinosaurs myself, so what's not to love?!

Incidentally, Riley came out as trans and non-binary a couple of years ago, and has also written very interestingly in "Nature" on the challenges that that can pose out on paleontology digs, particularly with the macho, Indiana Jones aura that the field tends to cultivate. Well worth a look.