These are happy hunting days for lovers of dinosaur paraphernalia. As such, the Macmillan encyclopedia has something for everyone: colored reconstructions of the animals matched with a text whose style is accessible to most enthusiasts but whose content is extensive enough for more serious students. Both newly discovered and classic fossil animals are included, and there is background information to put each animal in time, place, and taxonomic perspective. The book's strongest feature is its inclusion of vertebrate animals other than dinosaurs. The variety of fossil fish and mammals should convince the skeptical that dinosaurs had no monopoly on bizarre structure.

 This new encyclopedia from Macmillan offers another option in the popular field of death reference works. The 327 signed entries, written by scholars and expert care providers, range in length from a few paragraphs to several pages. The focus of the entries is on exploring "the place of death in contemporary life," although the encyclopedia also aims to provide a historical perspective of death and dying through the ages. Types of entries include causes of death (Assassination, Cancer, Drowning); practices surrounding death (Cryonic suspension, Pyramids, Sympathy cards); individuals and events that have influenced the way we think about death.