How to Build a Dinosaur

{{short description|2009 book}} {{Infobox book | italic title =  | name = How to Build a Dinosaur | image = How to Build a Dinosaur.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | authors = Jack Horner James Gorman | title_orig = | orig_lang_code = | illustrator = | cover_artist = | country = United States | language = English | subject = | genre = Science | publisher = Dutton Penguin (first edition) Plume (paperback edition) | publisher2 = | pub_date = March 19, 2009 (first edition) February 23, 2010 (paperback edition) | english_pub_date = | published = | media_type = | pages = 246 | isbn = 0525951040 | isbn_note = | oclc = | dewey = | congress = | native_wikisource = | wikisource = }} '''''How to Build a Dinosaur: Extinction Doesn't Have to Be Forever''''' is a 2009 book by paleontologist Jack Horner and James Gorman. The book outlines Horner's theory for being able to resurrect a maniraptoran dinosaur by altering the genes of a chicken embryo. In 2010, a paperback version was published under the title '''''How to Build a Dinosaur: The New Science of Reverse Evolution'''''.

==Summary== Paleontologist Jack Horner describes evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) and outlines his theory for being able to resurrect a maniraptoran dinosaur from a chicken embryo, by activating and deactivating certain genes to restore dormant dinosaur characteristics such as a tail, claws, teeth, and a snout.<ref name=Black/><ref name=Booklist/> Horner also discusses paleontology in the book.<ref name=PW/><ref name=Kirkus/>

==Background and publication== Horner's idea for the "Chickenosaurus" project came from "a pretty good script" that was written for ''Jurassic Park IV'' early in its development.<ref>{{cite news |first=Nick |last=Collins |title=The Jurassic Park scientist who plans to turn a chicken into T Rex |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/dinosaurs/8847499/The-Jurassic-Park-scientist-who-plans-to-turn-a-chicken-into-T-Rex.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=October 25, 2011 |accessdate=January 19, 2015}}</ref> The film's story, at that time, was expected to involve genetic engineering of dinosaurs.<ref name=Interview/> Horner was planning the book with co-author James Gorman in spring 2005.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Horner |first1=John R. |first2=James |last2=Gorman |title=How to Build a Dinosaur: The New Science of Reverse Evolution |edition=2010 Plume |year=2010 |publisher=Plume |location=New York |isbn=978-0525951049 |oclc=233549535 |pages=193–194 |quote=Let's use the ivory-billed woodpecker as an example. […] it is generally thought to have gone extinct […] although there have been many claims of sightings, including one that was published in ''Science'' on June 3, 2005. Earlier that spring […] I was planning this book with my coauthor, Jim Gorman […].}}</ref> Gorman was deputy science editor for ''The New York Times'', and had previously co-written Horner's 1990 book, ''Digging Dinosaurs''.<ref name=Kirkus/>

Horner and his publisher planned for the book to come out at the same time as ''Jurassic Park IV'', to serve as a scientific companion volume;<ref name=Interview>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw7fSAzv4EU|title= Interview with Dr. Jack Horner|date= April 13, 2017|website= Jurassic Outpost|access-date=May 3, 2017|at=24:50–26:44}}</ref><ref name=Black2>{{cite web|url= https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-do-we-keep-going-back-to-jurassic-park-117247927/|title= Why Do We Keep Going Back to Jurassic Park?|last= Black|first= Riley|date= October 25, 2011|website= Smithsonian|access-date=June 2, 2021|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20210125083926/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-do-we-keep-going-back-to-jurassic-park-117247927/|archivedate= January 25, 2021|url-status= live}}</ref> however, the film was delayed.<ref name=Interview/> Horner's book, in hardcover form, was ultimately published by Dutton Penguin on March 19, 2009,<ref name=Amazon/> without the accompaniment of the film.<ref name=Interview/> The book was initially published with the title ''How to Build a Dinosaur: Extinction Doesn't Have to Be Forever''.<ref name=Amazon>{{cite book |title= How to Build a Dinosaur: Extinction Doesn't Have to Be Forever|isbn= 978-0525951049|last1= Horner|first1= John R.|last2= Gorman|first2= James|year= 2009|publisher= Penguin}}</ref> A paperback version was published by Plume on February 23, 2010, with the title ''How to Build a Dinosaur: The New Science of Reverse Evolution''.<ref>{{cite book |title= How to Build a Dinosaur: The New Science of Reverse Evolution|isbn= 978-0452296015|last1= Horner|first1= Jack|last2= Gorman|first2= James|date= 23 February 2010|publisher= National Geographic Books}}</ref>

==Reception== ''Publishers Weekly'' called the book "provocative but frustrating", writing that aside from the main concept, "Much of the rest of the book offers background, but often digresses, for example, into hunting for DNA from 68-million-year-old dinosaur bones or the surfing habit of the man who discovered the polymerase chain reaction or how genetically close humans and Neanderthals are—none of which advances the book's central argument."<ref name=PW>{{cite web |url= http://secure.publishersweekly.com/978-0-525-95104-9|title= How to Build a Dinosaur: Extinction Doesn't Have to Be Forever|date= January 26, 2009|website= Publishers Weekly|access-date=May 3, 2017}}</ref>

Kirkus Reviews wrote that the book "has a comfortable, intelligent flow," but noted that Horner first "wants to tell a story—and it's a good one, though at times meandering—about paleontology […]. Horner digresses about skinheads, Ted Kaczynski and chicken carcasses, but his main idea is reverse evolutionary engineering."<ref name=Kirkus>{{cite web |url= https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/Jack-Horner-75227/how-to-build-a-dinosaur/|title= How to Build a Dinosaur|date= January 1, 2009|website= Kirkus Reviews|access-date=May 3, 2017}}</ref> Gilbert Taylor of Booklist wrote, "Straight from the scientific frontier, Horner's work should excite anyone who's dreamed of walking with dinosaurs."<ref name=Booklist>{{cite book |url= http://staging.booklistonline.com/How-to-Build-a-Dinosaur-Extinction-Doesn-t-Have-to-Be-Forever-Jack-Horner/pid=3244338|title= Booklist Review: How to Build a Dinosaur: Extinction Doesn't Have to Be Forever|last= Taylor|first= Gilbert|date= February 15, 2009|via= Booklist|access-date=May 3, 2017}}</ref>

Riley Black, writing for ''Smithsonian'' said, "The importance of ''How to Build a Dinosaur'' does not lie in Horner's wish to create a dinochicken. That makes up only a small part of the book. Instead the slim volume indicates how paleontology is becoming more of an interdisciplinary science where studies of development and genetics are just as important as fossilized bones."<ref name=Black>{{cite web|url= http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/book-review-how-to-build-a-dinosaur-40954950/|title= Book Review: How to Build a Dinosaur|last= Black|first= Riley|date= March 19, 2009|website= Smithsonian|access-date=June 2, 2021|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20210126075508/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/book-review-how-to-build-a-dinosaur-40954950/|archivedate= January 26, 2021|url-status= live}}</ref> Jeff Hecht of ''New Scientist'' wrote that Horner "is at his best" in the book, which he called "provocative yet firmly grounded in science."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126972-100-review-how-to-build-a-dinosaur-by-jack-horner-and-james-gorman/|title= Review: How to Build a Dinosaur by Jack Horner and James Gorman|last= Hecht|first= Jeff|date= February 25, 2009|website= New Scientist|access-date=May 3, 2017}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Non-fiction books about dinosaurs Category:2009 non-fiction books Category:Science books Category:Dutton Penguin books Category:Works based on Jurassic Park (franchise)