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The Science of Jurassic Park and The Lost World. Or How to Build a Dinosaur. ROB DESALLE and DAVID LINDLEY. BasicBooks, New York, 1997. xxix, 194 pp., illus. $18 or C$25.50. ISBN 0-465-07379-4.
Dinosaurs aren't all bad. Anyone who educates children already understands their value. Young eyes may glaze at the announcement of a study module on "The Scientific Method," but let the subject be dinosaurs and kids can't get enough. Never mind that their devious docent is really teaching them spelling, geography, geology, physics, astronomy, arithmetic, biology, physiology, or ecology. Dinosaurs sugarcoat the pill of knowledge. The subject of dinosaurs is a natural invitation to learn deeply about the natural world and its riches.
I am not disturbed by the success of Michael Crichton's novels and their realization on screen by Steven Spielberg. We are sophisticated enough to understand that the novelist's purpose requires a certain suspension of disbelief. A page-turning novel or a smashing summer flick by its very nature cannot be a primary source of reliable scientific knowledge. Rather it can provide an invitation to learn. Authors DeSalle and Lindley take up the challenge of examining the scientific premises of Jurassic Park and...