Reviewed by Denise Treadway (Peytona, West Virginia)

Manias, C, ed. 2025. Paleontology in Public: Popular Science, Lost Creatures, and Deep Time. UCL Press. Distributed by University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. ($42.00 cloth and $24.00 paperback with 40% discount.)

Paleontology in Public is a compilation of papers by various authors exploring the relationship of the public with the science of paleontology. Humans have had an insatiable interest in paleontology since our beginning. The influences that the public had on paleontology (and likewise paleontology to the public) are innumerable. Dealing throughout in vertebrate paleontology, the book is split into two sections, bringing to mind the rise and fall of the dinosaurs and then the emergence of the age of mammals and humanity. Popular culture icons such as Jurassic Park and “dragons” and their impacts on the public’s interest in paleontology are discussed thoroughly in section one. Examinations into the public's interest in megafauna mammals and human origins are discussed in section two in great depth. The co-evolution of the media and technology alongside humans led to ever increasing interactions of the public with the science. Paleontology has proven to be an accessible science at many different skill levels. The public can and has influenced paleontology through discoveries made by amateurs and developing theories that inform scientists. A certain degree of nostalgia is evoked, especially concerning part one, as everyone with an interest in paleontology will remember their introduction to paleontology in many cases through popular culture avenues such as movies and comic books. Many a young paleontologist was inspired by the mighty dinosaurs and other exciting prehistoric life depicted in the ever-popular Jurassic Park franchise. Personally, my interest in paleontology was sparked by the Disney movie Dinosaur. Popular culture depictions are often formative in the public's interests and attitudes toward paleontology. This book chronicles many instances in which the public influenced paleontological theories. With increased public interest comes more funding for the advancement of paleontology and the possibility of new discoveries being made. One not-so-fun fact mentioned on page 21 is that the budget of the average block-buster paleo-themed movie is many times higher than any funding from any paleontological research institute. Perhaps with increased public interest and demand for new discoveries to be made, things will improve financially for paleontological research. A must-read for anyone with an interest in paleontology and it’s interactions with the public.