Dinosaurs in the Attic: An Excursion Into the American Museum of Natural History

Douglas Preston is simply a marvelous writer!! He wrote this book in the 1980's and his style captures you and keeps you - at that early stage of his career. Mr. Preston's love of the museum is so evident and makes you want to learn more about the history involved in this amazing museum in NYC.Dinosaurs in the Attic was fact filled, thought provoking, entertaining NONSTOP. This book is a treasure and I highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys a great tale of adventure and history. It was so entertaining, even though it is nonfiction, Preston made me want to read more and THEN(unfortunately) it was over. Wanted it to go on and on.What a great friend Douglas Preston is to the museum - great book to read before going to American Museum of Natural History.

I read this book after reading Tyrannosaurus Canyon (a good read).I quickly went back to the museum that I visited so many times in the past with new eyes. How enjoyable. This is a must read for anyone planning a visit to the museum. The insight to how exhibits and items came to be makes one marvel at the perseverance of man. Now each corner of the museum holds a story and its fun to walk through and try to place events with locations (although after Relic, I look at the stairways a bit different). Don't miss this informative, yet very entertaining read.

The book was in relatively good condition. However, when I clicked on the copy that I wanted I selected “Buy New”. The book is not new. It is a preowned copy or at the very least a “new” book with damage. The good thing is that it isn’t warped or stinky. Just a little misleading.

Apparently reviews have to be at least twenty characters long and I can't just have a star rating. I'm not great at describing things but I thought the book was amazing. I really enjoy his other works and this does not disappoint either. A great read filled with lots of interesting science and adventure. I definitely need to find more "arm chair tours" of museums and historical sites.

This book is an extraordinary look behind the scenes at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. The first half looks at the development of the museum and the explorers who returned with materials from various expeditions. The second half looks at the collections and the stories of how the collections were put together. Readers who are interested in museum collections and early 20th century explorers will want to read this book. There are some wonderful photos of the early buildings, assembly of dinosaurs and mounting of other specimens. Douglas Preston is known for taking a real life incident and turning it into great fiction. This book takes real life and makes it read like fiction!