Bones of the Earth
By Michael Swanwick 

     Place Michael Swanick at the top of the list of authors who can combine archaeology and time travel into an absorbing story that works. In Bones of the Earth, he introduces Paleontologist Richard Leyster, who is working on a wonderful find in the Smithsonian. Into his office waltzes a stranger named Griffin with the offer of a lifetime. One that Richard plans to turn down, until he looks into the Styrofoam cooler Griffin left behind and finds the complete head of a dinosaur, complete as in the meat, tissue and bones of a freshly-killed animal.

     Leyster is intrigued, but must wait a good many years before Griffin returns with his proposal, a fantasy come true: time travel. It's a way to allow scientists to turn back time and study these animals in their own time and environment. As with any great discovery, however, there are limitations and people willing to push them.

     This book was very technical and well-researched. In fact, at times I felt like I was in a classroom and should take notes. However, the author kept things interesting enough to make sure that the reader enjoyed the book right up to the last nail-biting page.