Like most things DK, this is a good reference book. If you crave short, clearly written explanations about the evolution of life in general, this is a good place to start. So it’s misleading that the book is called Dinosaur Encyclopedia.
    From 3.8 billion years ago to today, the authors organize the fundamental principles of biology. The book is laid out in a user-friendly manner, with plenty of photos, diagrams, and illustrations to make it easy to understand. Readers are even given a set of instructions on how to use the book—not a bad idea. Different animal species—fish, reptiles, dinosaurs, birds, and mammals—from ancient to modern are covered. If you want to find out about the evolution of elephants (part of a group of hoofed mammals called the proboscideans), it’s here. Or how about the appearance of our best friends? “Dogs” have been around for more than 30 million years! And the pictures of now extinct species, such as the feathered velociraptor, look very life-like. A reference section lets you step into the shoes of a paleontologist, learn about famous scientists, and shows you how fossils are freed and later reassembled. The book has one drawback, aside from the title: the accompanying CD is only formatted for Windows. Too bad!

(Originally published in the Mar/Apr 2002 issue of YES Mag.)