Presents an account of fossil discoveries and an overview of what those discoveries have revealed about early mammals and their evolution. This book features towering mammoths, tiny horses, giant-clawed ground sloths, whales with legs, uintatheres, zhelestids, and other exotic extinct creatures.
"Beasts of Eden is a wondrous journey through the vanished worlds of extinct mammals. Exciting, insightful, and accurate, it is everything that good science writing should be."-Tim Flannery, author of The Eternal Frontier
"A compelling scientific adventure story?. Peopled with colorful and larger-than-life characters, this account of the history of paleontology dramatically demonstrates how the interactions between crude but charismatic fossil seekers, ascetic intellectuals, temperamental artists, and many others have forever changed the ways in which we view life's prehistoric beginnings."-Ian Tattersall, author of The Monkey in the Mirror
"Beasts of Eden is a true delight. Each page drips with the drama and passion of scientific pursuit. Wallace is a keen observer, a learned writer, and a great story teller--this is a must read!"-Don Johanson, Director of the Institute of Human Origins
"Charming. . . . A fine survey."
