Written in Stone – Reviews, Interviews, and More

ByRiley Black
November 03, 2010
4 min read

The finished copies of Written in Stone should be rolling off the presses within the next few days, and I am glad to say that the book continues to gain positive reviews as it finally makes its way to bookshelves.

Listed below are the reviews, interviews, excerpts, and other book-related tidbits which have been released so far. I will update the list as they continue to accumulate.

Reviews:

“In delightful prose, [Switek] . . . superbly shows that ‘[i]f we can let go of our conceit,’ we will see the preciousness of life in all its forms.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Highly instructive . . . a warm, intelligent yeoman’s guide to the progress of life.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Switek seamlessly intertwines two types of evolution: one of life on earth and the other of paleontology itself.”—Discover Magazine

“Armchair scientists and general readers interested in evolution will enjoy this informative book. Highly recommended.” – Library Journal

Leonardo Ambasciano presents a glowing review of my book at Geomythologica (in Italian).

Judy King says, “There is history, drama, and all the major players – the fossils themselves – telling the stories that are much larger, and much more interesting, than merely a tale of ‘missing links.'”

At The Intersection, Sheril Kirshenbaum writes “[Written in Stone] is not only as good as I expected–it’s better[Written in Stone] is not only as good as I expected–it’s better[Written in Stone] is not only as good as I expected–it’s better.”

Scicurious has been a strong supporter of Written in Stone from the very start, so I was thrilled to see her review in which she says “I ended each chapter amazed at how many new things I had learned, and ended the book with even more respect for evolution and all of its nuances than I had before.”

“Those who are interested in the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of evolutionary history and paleontology could hardly find a better book to delve into these secrets,” says GG of Skulls in the Stars.

A wonderful review by one of my favorite authors, Deborah Blum – “Switek’s elegant tale reminds us that knowledge, like life, is ever evolving and not always by a predictable path.”

One of my former ScienceBlogs neighbors, Christie Wilcox, says “You might expect a book about bones and rocks to be boring or dull, but Switek makes the fossil record come alive.

Friend, fellow writer, and science writing superstar Ed Yong has an exceptional review of the book,  concluding “This is science narrated with maturity, reverence and grace.

Judy King wants to know how I fell into science writing.

In Episode 59 of their series, I chat with the ‘Science… sort of’ guys about the book, the annual Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting, and marine reptiles. (podcast)

Bora, one of my biggest supporters since the time I started blogging, asks me a few questions about how I came up with the idea for my book and how blogging played into the process.

On SUPERBUG, fellow author Maryn McKenna asks me about science blogging and the book-writing process.

Excerpts and Articles:

The National Center for Science Education presents an excerpt from my chapter on the origin of birds, “Footprints and Feathers on the Sands of Time.” (PDF)

At the Guardian science blog, I express my frustration with “naked dinosaurs” and explain why we should be seeing more feathery, bristly restorations of these prehistoric creatures.

Events:

Saturday, November 13th – A lecture about the book and what the fossil record tells us about evolution at Trenton’s New Jersey State Museum. (Details)

Thursday, November 18th – A presentation and reading of Written in Stone at the NYU bookstore. (Details)

Stay tuned for more.

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