T.E. W. (terez93) reviewed The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth's Ultimate Trophy on + 323 more book reviews
The premise of this book is a fascinating one, reminiscent of another recent "natural world expose," The Orchid Thief, by which this book was clearly influenced, in presentation and organization. It touches on a very timely topic, however. It's amazing to consider the things we often take for granted: how did the things we see on display at museums or research facilities actually get to us? Who were the players involved, and what ethical questions are raised? As an ancient historian, this debate is forefront and center to much of the research I undertake, sometimes in my field, but more often in the field of archaeology, which deals more with tangible things. People are probably familiar with the efforts of charismatic figures such as Zahi Hawass, who has labored for decades to have ancient Egyptian artifacts repatriated, citing theft and looting as the reason they were scattered far and wide to begin with. The situation is similar here: the book chronicles the exploits of various characters, weaving a narrative exposing the fossil trade, most notably in the person of Eric Prokopi, a well-known dealer who negotiates a treacherous field with regard to fossil acquisition.
Although it was effective overall, my biggest criticism is that it was excessively tangential almost throughout: the background information is interesting, and sometimes relevant, but it was often difficult to wade through all the extemporaneous material, to the degree that the main narrative was often lost. For example, regaling readers with an account of essentially the entire history of Mongolia seems more an effort to fill up pages to get a full-length book than to enlighten readers as to the motives of Mongolian officials. The book, in fact, morphed from an article written for The New Yorker, so this makes sense. A briefer, yet more detailed account of the Soviet and post-Soviet era may have been more effective, but less appealing to a broad audience. This seems to be a sin common to many of these modern journalist-novels, in fact, which sometimes read like a Hollywood script where every character has to have a complex, dramatic backstory and every thread has to be accounted for and explained, which at times almost constitutes "spoon-feeding" with little acknowledgement of the knowledge of readers who are clearly interested in this topic.
The depth and breadth of the research is impressive, however, as is the large section of references and notes. It skillfully juggles the interests of the players, including the dealers, scientists, museums, politicians, lawyers and others, while incorporating a fair amount of information about science and the natural world in an appealing way. It's an important book for those interested in the field, or even for those considering delving into the fossil collecting hobby, for business, or pleasure, or both, as it raises many vital ethical questions. What happens, as is so often the case, if a specimen is of questionable origin, and who has the right to own, study and display these pieces? For this alone, the book is well worth a read.
Although it was effective overall, my biggest criticism is that it was excessively tangential almost throughout: the background information is interesting, and sometimes relevant, but it was often difficult to wade through all the extemporaneous material, to the degree that the main narrative was often lost. For example, regaling readers with an account of essentially the entire history of Mongolia seems more an effort to fill up pages to get a full-length book than to enlighten readers as to the motives of Mongolian officials. The book, in fact, morphed from an article written for The New Yorker, so this makes sense. A briefer, yet more detailed account of the Soviet and post-Soviet era may have been more effective, but less appealing to a broad audience. This seems to be a sin common to many of these modern journalist-novels, in fact, which sometimes read like a Hollywood script where every character has to have a complex, dramatic backstory and every thread has to be accounted for and explained, which at times almost constitutes "spoon-feeding" with little acknowledgement of the knowledge of readers who are clearly interested in this topic.
The depth and breadth of the research is impressive, however, as is the large section of references and notes. It skillfully juggles the interests of the players, including the dealers, scientists, museums, politicians, lawyers and others, while incorporating a fair amount of information about science and the natural world in an appealing way. It's an important book for those interested in the field, or even for those considering delving into the fossil collecting hobby, for business, or pleasure, or both, as it raises many vital ethical questions. What happens, as is so often the case, if a specimen is of questionable origin, and who has the right to own, study and display these pieces? For this alone, the book is well worth a read.
