Dr. Donald R. Prothero has been awarded the 2013 James Shea Award by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers

Hey, check this out:

Dr. Donald R. Prothero recently retired from his professorship at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA after 27 years of teaching in order to concentrate on his writing and consulting. Dr. Prothero is an indefatigable advocate for geology and paleontology, which he combines with a passion for communicating science to the public. Notably, he has served as a consultant for Discovery Channel, History Channel and National Geographic specials. He frequently gives public talks and presentations to groups interested in Earth science, including presentations to the NYC Skeptics, The Bone Room in Berkeley, CA, Bay Area Skeptics, and the Natural History Museum of L.A. County. Dr. Prothero is a prolific writer; he posts a weekly blog at “Skepticblog” and has published over 30 books. His talks and blogs focus on debunking pseudoscience and defending the science of evolution and climate change. He has made numerous contributions to advancing his fields of expertise by publishing in technical journals. He has authored and co-authored 259 papers, including papers in the following peer-reviewed journals: Nature, Paleobiology, Geology, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, Journal of Paleontology, Journal of Geology, Science, Journal of Geological Education, Palaios, Paleoceanography, and Geotimes to name a few. Prothero has served as a reviewer and editor throughout his career. He served as adjunct editor for Paleobiology and he has also served on the editorial boards of Skeptic magazine and for Geology. In addition, he has served as technical editor for Journal of Paleontology and as a consulting editor for the McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology. In recognition of Dr. Prothero’s exceptional contributions in the form of writing and editing of Earth science materials, NAGT is proud to award him with the 2013 James Shea Award.

See also: Greenhouse of the Dinosaurs and Donald Prothero Radio Interview.

And, some of Donald Prothero's other books:

Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters

Rhinoceros Giants: The Paleobiology of Indricotheres (Life of the Past)

Abominable Science!: Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids

Reality Check: How Science Deniers Threaten Our Future

After the Dinosaurs: The Age of Mammals (Life of the Past)

Catastrophes!: Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Tornadoes, and Other Earth-Shattering Disasters

Bringing Fossils To Life: An Introduction To Paleobiology

Sedimentary Geology

The Evolution of Artiodactyls

The Terrestrial Eocene-Oligocene Transition in North America

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I hope the good doctor took proper measures to protect himself and his students from the Gorn that are known to lurk in that area. Fortunately, there is an abundance of surface minerals that can be used to produce makeshift firearms.

Loved his book: Evolution: What the Fossils Say...

By David Kirtley (not verified) on 05 Jun 2013 #permalink

If I had to say anything bad about Professor Prothero, it's that the writing in "Greenhouse of the Dinosaurs" is exceedingly mannered and irritating. Besides that, he's a national treasure. His latest book on evolution is bold and gorgeous.

I really enjoyed his book Evolution: What the fossils say. What really "endeared" him to me is that he learned Koine Greek and Hebrew so he could better understand the bible, and by extension, what christians, may believe. You have to understand the beliefs if you want to refute ideas based on those beliefs. People are more inclined to listen to you if you show an understanding of their position.

That's a lesson Dawkins could have used---he didn't even bother to learn enough to pass a first year course in religious philosophy so made a fool of himself because he didn't know the arguments, didn't know his arguments were refuted (often centuries ago), and misunderstood the arguments in the first place. His knowledge of christianity was, if possible, even weaker.

Prothero, on the other hand, took his role as educator seriously enough to put in the hard time required to learn the languages.

hm, now I have an urge to reread his book again. Been a couple of years now.

By Dan J. Andrews (not verified) on 07 Jun 2013 #permalink

Donald Prothero writes a great skeptical blog, too.

His recent book, "Reality Check: How Science Deniers Threaten Our Future" is really quite dreadful and is a denial of scientific enquiry.

By harbinger (not verified) on 22 Oct 2013 #permalink

harbinger, I doubt that. I've not read the book yet, but I've seen parts of it.