Dinosaur Theory

Gerard and my friend Kelly have convinced me to share my somewhat wacky dinosaur theory with everyone and so I do so now.   Dana, you might ask, why do you have a dinosaur theory and what is it?  Well, when you think about it, dinosaurs are everywhere and very popular right now – on TV, in museums, in movies, etc.  How much do you really know about dinosaurs?  They lived millions of years ago and no one knows why they’re not around now. Sure, there are theories (asteroid, cold weather, cigarette smoking a la Gary Larson), but it doesn’t seem like a settled area of science.

       Over the years, I have had several doubts about the details of these extinct creatures and exactly how correct our understanding is.  I’m not saying that I don’t believe in the existence of dinosaurs, I’m just saying let’s stop and think about this for a minute.   

       Supposedly, they existed millions of years ago. Just on the face of it, it seems that accurate information would be hard to come by on anything that old. I understand about carbon dating and fossils, but scientists come out with brand new information or theory about dinosaur habits and habitat – the dinosaur lifestyle, if you will -- every 30 years or so. I’m not doubting that scientists and others have really found these bones, I just wonder if the bones are put back together wrong. Case in point: the brontosaurus, which was found in 1975 to be a mixed-up skeleton with an Apatosaurus body and a Camarasaurus skull. There is a funny article about why the brontosaurus isn’t around anymore at http://www.unmuseum.org/dinobront.htm  

       The most recent evidence of the oldest dinosaur is based on a fossilized footprint, not even a bone itself.

       If scientists are using bones and bone fragments to tell us about these ancient animals, how do they know what colors dinosaurs were? Are the skeletons so well preserved that bits of skin or hide remain to tell us that T-Rex is kind of orange/red with some striping, or did the creator of Jurassic Park make that up?  Back in the 1960s and 1970s, dinosaurs were depicted as being shades of either grey or green or brown.   (Does anyone remember the Land of the Lost TV show?)  Currently, dinosaurs are depicted as having stripes and some have very bright colors like yellows and oranges and pinks.                                                                                               

      

       I wonder how much marketing affects the science of dinosaur discovery.  There is no other scientific discovery that lends itself so easily to the sale and marketing of children’s toys and TV shows.  Off the top of my head, I can think of three dinosaur shows currently on TV: Barney (shudder), Dinosaur Train (dinosaurs ride on a train with a dinosaur conductor to visit and learn about other dinosaurs that live in other dinosaur eras, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me), and Dino Dan.  The Dino Dan show has a paleontologist on staff to check the accuracy of its facts, as we wouldn’t want to lead our children astray on dinosaur history.  There are movies about dinosaurs, numerous toys and dinosaur figurines; there is even a dinosaur breakfast cereal (Quaker Oatmeal Dinosaur Eggs).  I can think of no other animal that does not exist that has captured our imagination so much.

So, for me, dinosaurs are relegated to the category of creatures such as dragons and Hobbits and the Loch Ness Monster and maybe Big Foot.  Things that are depicted in print, on screen, and that capture our imagination.  But scientific accuracy? Not so much.

Books, books, and more books

Can we talk about books for a moment? First, the bad. What was the last book that you started reading and intentionally did not finish? Mine is The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton. She was writing it when she died and I felt like I was dying while reading it. I like Edith Wharton, but this one was BORING.

Has someone ever given you a book as a gift and you disliked it or didn't finish it, and then pretended you had read the book or liked it when the gift giver asked you about it? It's a little like being set up on a blind date and then the guy comes to the door and you think "why in the world did my friend think I would like this guy?" For me, the book was A Prayer for Owen Meany. Gift-giving friend shall remain nameless. I just didn't like it. Sorry, nameless friend. At the time, I didn't want to hurt your feelings by telling you that the book you loved was not loved by me.

Have you ever been so disgusted by a writer or character in a book that you threw the book across the room? In my case, the book that hit the wall was Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Sure, maybe some of that had to do with my own sleep deprivation at the time, but it was an annoying and unhelpful book. I know several in my book club were spectacularly disgusted with Humbert Humbert, the main character from Lolita.

And now the good.  I have taken a look back and wish to recognize the best books I have read in the past year. These books didn't necessarily come out in the past 12 months, but that's when I read them. As usual, I have created my own categories.

Best Gift or Coffee Table Book: Awkward Family Photos by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack. I gave this to my dad but secretly wish I had a copy for myself. If you're not familiar with this book, please, please go to the Awkward Family Photos web site after you finish reading this post.

Best Mystery: I am generally not a mystery reader, but my book club recently read Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason and it was excellent. It's the fifth book in the series but you don't need to have read the previous books. The mysteries are set in Iceland and it makes me cold just thinking about it.

Best Historical Fiction: March by Geraldine Brooks.  Set during the Civil War. Very well written and the historical details seem accurate without making it a less compelling story.

Best Nonfiction: Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick.  I can't say enough about this book or tell enough people about it. This may be the best book I read all year. North Korea is fascinating, especially when you read about it from an insider's point of view. This is nonfiction that reads more like a great newspaper feature story or even like fiction in terms of writing style. I didn't know much about the country and this book has sparked my interest in learning more.

Best Short Stories: a tie between Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones or In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin.  If you like stories about urban Washington D.C. go for the first. If you want stories about rural Pakistan, take the second.

Best Fiction with a Love Story:  Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo.  There are multiple love stories in this book and I like how the couples mature from teenagers to old folks and how their love changes over time.

Most Realistic Depiction of the Immigrant Experience: Little Bee by Chris Cleave.  If you like light, uplifting books, this is not the book for you. However, this is one of those stories that stays with you for a while. You want to tell others about it, but you can't tell too much or it ruins the story.

Best Poetry: Does anyone else out there read poetry? Check this one out -- Good Poems for Hard Times, edited by Garrison Keillor. I bought this to give to someone as a Christmas gift but kept it for myself.  Ha.

If you are looking for a book store in Atlanta where everyone knows your name, I highly recommend the Blue Elephant Book Shop in Decatur. The staff members are good at listening and asking questions before making book recommendations. They really care about good books and give the book buying experience a personal touch, which is rare these days. And they let my book club meet there and gracefully tolerate our quirky book orders, so thanks to the Blue Elephant.