How to Build a Dinosaur, James Gorman
How to Build a Dinosaur, James Gorman
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How to Build a Dinosaur
Extinction Doesn't Have to Be Forever

Author: James Gorman, Jack Horner

Narrator: Patrick Lawlor

Unabridged: 6 hr 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 04/20/2009


Synopsis

In movies, in novels, in comic strips, and on television, we've all seen dinosaurs—or at least somebody's educated guess of what they would look like. But what if it were possible to build, or grow, a real dinosaur without finding ancient DNA? Jack Horner, the scientist who advised Steven Spielberg on the blockbuster film Jurassic Park and a pioneer in bringing paleontology into the twenty-first century, teams up with the editor of the New York Times's Science Times section to reveal exactly what's in store.

In the 1980s, Horner began using CAT scans to look inside fossilized dinosaur eggs, and he and his colleagues have been delving deeper ever since. At North Carolina State University, Mary Schweitzer has extracted fossil molecules—proteins that survived 68 million years—from a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil excavated by Horner. These proteins show that T. rex and the modern chicken are kissing cousins. At McGill University, Hans Larsson is manipulating a chicken embryo to awaken the dinosaur within—starting by getting it to grow a tail and eventually prompting it to grow the forelimbs of a dinosaur. All of this is happening without changing a single gene.

This incredible research is leading to discoveries and applications so profound they're scary in the power they confer on humanity. How to Build a Dinosaur is a tour of the hot rocky deserts and air-conditioned laboratories at the forefront of this scientific revolution.

About James Gorman

James Gorman is deputy science editor of the New York Times and editor of its Science Times section. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including two previous books with renowned paleontologist Jack Horner. James lives near New York City.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Joel on August 08, 2011

Book reviews, like online hotel reviews, are entirely biased by the reviewer's background. As a professor of evolutionary biology, I like to look over books that are both responsibly written, scientifically accurate and engaging for both the high school graduate and science graduate student. For me,......more

Goodreads review by bup on March 19, 2011

So much of this book is, "oh, people are going to be nervous about making a dinosaur out of a chicken," and "ethical considerations this," and "playing God that." Stop pussy-footin', Horner! We want our dinosaur chicken, and we want it NOW! We're not going to live forever, and neither are you. You alr......more

Goodreads review by Daphne on November 04, 2015

Will review more later, but wanted to mark as read. Yes, this book is super interesting, fun, and you will learn a ton from this... ...read this 100% if you like dinosaurs, evolution, pop-sci, and because you are super cool.......more

Goodreads review by Justine on March 06, 2022

4.5 stars Since I read Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, I want to know more about dinosaurs, but also about their extinction - and to read fiction books with them, but that's another question. This book seemed perfect as it deals with "reverse evolution", a concept I knew nothing about. The id......more

Goodreads review by Terry on July 11, 2009

This is a stunning example of the book contradicting its title. "Extinction doesn't have to be forever" is a sexy proposition which is addressed in the 200 or so droll pages of what's essentially a condescending conversation. The author directly indicates in the pertinent sections that he is merely......more