Regarding reading material

[Savvas]

As I am new in the world of paleontology and fossil collecting and eager to learn as much as possible, I was wondering if those books here are any good to have as I found them all in a nice lot from a clearence. Thank you all in advance.

1. Stratigraphical Palaeontology by E. Neaverson, published in 1955

 

2. Invertebrate Palaeontology and Evolution by E.N.K. Clarkson, 1989

 

3. Principles of Paleontology by David Raup and Steven Stanley, 1971

 

4. Wonderful Life, The Burgess Shale and the Nature History by Stephen Jay Gould, 1990

 

5. Wonders of Fossils by William Matthews, 1970

 

6. The Amateur Geologist by Peter Cattermole, 1973

 

7. British Palaeozoic Fossils, 1983

 

8. The Elements of Palaeontology by Rhona Black, 1975

 

9. Scottish Journal of Geology, Volume 4 Part 4, 1968

 

10. British Fossils by Duncan Forbes, 1965

 

11. The Story of Fossils in Search of a Vanished Worlds

 

12. Amber The Natural Time Capsule by Andrew Ross

 

13. Some Tertiary Molluscs from Southern Florida by W. C. Mansfield, 1931, journal paper

 

14. Molluscs From The Aspen Shale of Southernwestern Wyoming by JOhn Reeside and A. Allen Weymouth, 1931, journal paper

 

15. In Prehistoric Seas by Carroll Lane Fenton and Mildred Adams Fenton, 1964

 

16. Fossils of the World, A Comprehensive, Practical Guide to Collecting and Studying Fossils by Y. Turek, J. Marek and J. Benes, published in 1988.

 

17. The Fossils of the Burgess Shale by Derek Briggs, Douglas Erwin and Frederick Collier, published in 1994.

 

18. Life's Dawn on Earth by J.W. Dawson, 1875

 

19.Our Common British Fossils and where to Find Them by   John Ellor Taylor the original 1885 first edition

Edited May 1, 2023 by Savvas

[Andúril Flame of the West]

I also have relatively limited experience with paleontological and geological literature, but I would suggest seeking out books that fall into your fields of interest. I have viewed some of your posts regarding the authenticity of trilobites and other fossils that are available for sale online. If you are interested in purchasing fossils of a certain kind of organism, say a trilobite, or are simply interested in learning about a certain class of extinct creature I’d recommend searching for literature on that specifically. For example, if you happen to be interested in trilobites, Travels with Trilobites by Andy Secher is a nice reference book with images and descriptions of diverse trilobite fossils that have been found across the globe. If trilobites don’t happen to be your main interest, then there are many other texts available about other organisms. 
 

Now, in giving this advice I am assuming that you are interested in purchasing fossils. If you are also interested in collecting fossils yourself this can be more complex but still very rewarding and worthwhile! From this standpoint I would definitely look into some literature that would allow you to gain some background knowledge on geology. Personally, I have not elected to purchase too many books and have been more interested in scientific papers that relate directly to the formations I desire to hunt. If you are looking to hunt for fossils in your area, I would recommend searching for journal articles (scientific papers) that deal with the stratigraphy, geology, and fossils in your area. What papers you decide to focus on would depend on the fossils you are interested in finding. To find journal articles I would recommend searching on Google Scholar and going from there or if you happen to attend an institution that has access to ScienceDirect, JSTOR, Taylor and Francis, or Cambridge CORE those are phenomenal resources for locating publications. Regardless of whether you are interested in going out and collecting fossils, expanding your collection through purchases, or simply learning about the science, I would strongly recommend finding scientific papers that relate to extinct creatures that interest you. Many publications are available that are open access and they can provide you with an assortment of valuable information aside from simply being fascinating to read. 
 

What I have outlined above would be my suggestion as far as exploration of literature. I  am not familiar with any of the books that you included in your post but I did notice that many are very old. While they can still provide useful information, some of it may be outdated. To add one more thing, I’d definitely suggest checking out a library if you have one nearby. Although they are unlikely to have the richest selection of paleontological and geological literature, there is a likelihood they might have something that could introduce you to that class of literature and help you determine what you may want to look into in the future. I apologize that this is quite a long post and, since I am quite inexperienced myself, I would definitely suggest listening to the input of more knowledgeable members of the forum. 

[erose]

I would add a geological dictionary and get a copy of a recent college geology intro book such as The Earth Through Time (there are new ones every so many years , find a used one).

 

2 cents