What do You think about Dinosaurs In The Attic: An Excursion Into The American Museum Of Natural History (1993)?
Great book for all you museum lovers. This was a great way to learn the behind the scenes, neat stories about the history of the American Museum of Natural History and some of the exhibits and relics within. Douglas Preston's writing style and interest in the subject matter makes this a more enjoyable read. It was organized to tell a good story, rather than chronologically like a history of the museum would have been.Two things I wish 1) He had written an updated version once the Night At the Museum movies came out. Not necessarily to include movie facts and trivia, but it makes me interested to know how the museum, its layout, and its story has changed in the last 25 years. 2) I would like to find one similarly written regarding the Smithsonian museums in DC. I have never been to NYC or the Amerian Museum of Natural History, but I spent my childhood bouning around the Smithsonian Museums. I read this book assuming (correctly) that it would hold my interest and fulfill my desire for cool non-fiction/history trivia (this is like a long look into the Science, History, or Discovery Channel's hour long specials, with no commercials!)
—Julianne
This is a very well written book that takes snapshots in the building of the American Museum of Natural History and brings them to life for the reader. He documents key events in the life of the Museum and delves into the origins of much of the material that is in the Museum today. His intelligence and passion for natural history come through clearly in his prose, which captures the reader and propels them to the next item.I was attracted to Preston's work because of a movie that I loved (The Relic), which was based on a book written by Preston and Lincoln Childs. After reading it, I decided to read everything else of theirs I could get my hands on. It so happens I started with this. The book is lively, social, and engaging. I was enthralled from the first page.
—Amy
This book is a pleasant guided tour through one of the best known museums in New York. It is also a history of where I work. AMNH is a massive place with a great history, a history that isn’t as well organized as Preston’s book would let you believe. The institutional memory is spotty, and not well-organized. I have spent some days digging around old files and found some odd things myself, but not about objects that are quite as famous as the ones in this book. And so I am thankful to have this resource.Preston does a very good job in creating quick biographical portraits of the important players in the museum. I don’t know if anyone involved in “A Night at the Museum” has read Dinosaurs in the Attic but they certainly missed out on a lot of great opportunities for real characters, stories, and events, more than Teddy Roosevelt and a gum-chewing statue. I have used this book as a guide to some of the less celebrated objects that are on display. It is very enjoyable to read about an object one night, and see it the next day at work. This book puts the museum’s cursory label decks to shame, not that I blame the AMNH editorial staff (whom I work with) but rather I blame how museum artifacts are consumed. I don’t think many people would stop to read 500 words about a diorama, no matter how many people died to produce it.I’m very glad to have read Dinosaurs in the Attic, and I wish that there were a few more volumes to wander through, because, to be perfectly honest, the museum is just too damn big, and even I can’t get into all of the rooms.
—Roy
