Collecting Fossils: Hold Prehistory in the Palm of Your Hand

An excellent reference book and an easy read for the more serious fossil collector.This book helps answer the question: "What do you do when all the shoe boxes are filled with fossils?"Detailed enough for the educator dealing with class credits and important learning standards. Expansive enough to cover the range of collecting, identifying, preserving, storing and displaying a wide range of fossil specimens.Excellent photography and written in an easy-to-read-yet-serious style.Great addition to an expanded paleo library and and a solid reference for field and prep work.The only caution - this is a hard-bound book that needs to be handled with great care. Suggest not taking it into the field. And, make sure it's protected from dusk or vapors around a serious prep or work area. Well worth the price, especially since the information will never go out of date. This will be one of those books we'll see in collector sales during the next century!

Very nice introduction to the subject of collecting fossils. It has a beautiful layout and photos and is a well organized book. A few more specific details in some of the sections (like on cleaning your finds) would enhance an already fine book.

"Collecting Fossils: Hold Prehistory in the Palm of Your Hands", by Steve Parker, is an excellent book for the beginning fossil collector. Each page has a thoughtful layout with beautiful photographs and/or illustrations which aid in visual understanding. This book discusses the fossilization process and describes the link between prehistoric remains and the past. It also includes all the basic knowledge on collecting fossils; from hints on recognizing rock types which usually contain remains, to tools, equipment and "hunting" techniques. The topics of proper conservation, storage and documentation are also included to enhance and preserve one's collection.