THE PRACTICAL PALEONTOLOGIST by Steve Parker...

THE PRACTICAL PALEONTOLOGIST by Steve Parker and Raymond L. Bernor (Fireside: $14.95, illustrated). This concise how-to guide combines a basic text on Earth history with practical tips for the armchair scientist. Parker and Bernor provide a lot of useful information that many amateur guides omit: which museums around the world offer the best exhibits of prehistoric life; how to clean specimens without damaging them; how to recognize such unusual fossils as the delicate imprints ancient insects left on muddy stream banks (contrary to popular belief, fossils are not just enormous bones). The authors also stress responsible collecting and education, including volunteer work for museums and colleges that may involve assisting on a dig.