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Dinosaurs Unleashed: The True Story About Dinosaurs and Humans
This full color hardback will engage even the most discriminating young reader. Although the book is intended for children,people of all ages will be thrilled bly the gorgeous pictures.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published December 31, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 25, 2015
Things this book will teach you:
1. In Bible times, people used dinosaurs as beasts of burden.
2. Circular reasoning is the best reasoning.
3. Dinosaurs are magical, literally miraculous, creatures.
4. Dragon myths were actually descriptions of dinosaurs that lived among men.
5. Some dinosaurs were like dragons and breathed fire.
At the onset, this seems to be a kind of cool history of the discovery of fossils and dinosaurs.
However, he makes several leaps of logic here that only a small portion of the population will subscribe to.
To agree with his logic there are several implicit assumptions you have to make that he doesn't necessarily make explicit in the beginning of the book.
First, you have to assume that the Bible is the inspired word of God. This limits the book to most Christians. So, right off the bat, he is limiting his audience to those who would seem to share his faith. This seems odd for a book of science.
Second, you have to assume that the Bible was written with an intent to be taken literally. This takes things out of the realm of many Christians. There is a much smaller population of people - a minority of Christians, really - that believe the entire Bible was intended to be taken literally.
Third, you have to assume that the Bible is factually, historically, and scientifically accurate. Along with the previous assumption, there are not many Christians who believe that everything in the Bible is a actual factual literal historical account of how events transpired. Even the fundamentalists that do take parts of the Bible and suggest they are allegorical or apocryphal.
Since many Christians don't agree with all 3 of these arguments, he's completely limiting his audience from the beginning.
Using this logic that, his syllogisms would look like this:
(1) The Genesis account is literal, factually accurate, and true.
(2) The Genesis account states Adam named every single animal.
(3) Therefore, Adam literally named every single animal in existence.
Using #3:
(3) Adam named every single animal.
(4) Dinosaurs are animals.
(5) Therefore, Adam named the dinosaurs.
This is an argument that is made even before page 1.
All of this reasoning tends to come under the heading of "God said it." By the syllogism above, God said that Adam named the dinosaurs. If God says that Adam name the dinosaurs, how can we argue with that?
Evidences given are spurious, at best.
Of course, throughout the book, the best evidence for the way we find the dinosaur bones is a worldwide flood.
Three questionable comments in ancient writings are given to "prove" flying dinosaurs existed alongside men.
They then give about a half-dozen pieces of "evidence" that "proves" men and dinosaurs lived alongside each other. This is also spurious at best. Each of these pieces of evidence is a some type of art (painting, sculpture, etc.) that looks suspiciously like a dinosaur, and so gives incontrovertible proof that humans domesticated dinosaurs
And then going back to our "God said it" argument, Genesis states that God told man to have dominion over the animals - this statement proves that God magically gave man the power to domesticate dinosaurs.
Speaking of the supernatural, the authors make an interesting argument when they say scientists don't know how some of the biggest dinosaurs could have pumped blood from their heart to their head. The authors argue that "nothing is too hard for God". But if science can't explain how it does and we merely invoke the power of God, that suggests we are taking dinosaurs out of the realm of the natural and making them supernatural animals - if they can only exist by miraculous intervention of God. So I guess Kyle Butt must believe that dinosaurs are magical beings. (Which makes sense if some of them breathed fire and are where our idea of dragons comes from.)
Throughout the book, the authors points out how we continually learn new things about dinosaurs that are different than what we knew. They suggest that the belief that the dinosaurs died out years before humans is the same type of idea; something some people think that ends up not to be true. The whole point of this is to refute the idea of evolution, and thereby refute the idea that God doesn't exist. What the authors fail to realize is that these ideas are not mutually exclusive. Many, many Christians reconcile the idea of a billions-year-old earth with believing in a Creator. People like these authors think that if you deny a literal 6-day creation period, you are destroying the concept of God altogether. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In the end, Butt and Lyons don't provide evidence for biblical ideas. Instead, they assume their consequence and start with the 3 arguments that no one who is not a Christian believes, and indeed, very few Christians even believe. Given that this book is written for children, I guess it could come under the topic of indocrination.
1. In Bible times, people used dinosaurs as beasts of burden.
2. Circular reasoning is the best reasoning.
3. Dinosaurs are magical, literally miraculous, creatures.
4. Dragon myths were actually descriptions of dinosaurs that lived among men.
5. Some dinosaurs were like dragons and breathed fire.
At the onset, this seems to be a kind of cool history of the discovery of fossils and dinosaurs.
However, he makes several leaps of logic here that only a small portion of the population will subscribe to.
To agree with his logic there are several implicit assumptions you have to make that he doesn't necessarily make explicit in the beginning of the book.
First, you have to assume that the Bible is the inspired word of God. This limits the book to most Christians. So, right off the bat, he is limiting his audience to those who would seem to share his faith. This seems odd for a book of science.
Second, you have to assume that the Bible was written with an intent to be taken literally. This takes things out of the realm of many Christians. There is a much smaller population of people - a minority of Christians, really - that believe the entire Bible was intended to be taken literally.
Third, you have to assume that the Bible is factually, historically, and scientifically accurate. Along with the previous assumption, there are not many Christians who believe that everything in the Bible is a actual factual literal historical account of how events transpired. Even the fundamentalists that do take parts of the Bible and suggest they are allegorical or apocryphal.
Since many Christians don't agree with all 3 of these arguments, he's completely limiting his audience from the beginning.
Using this logic that, his syllogisms would look like this:
(1) The Genesis account is literal, factually accurate, and true.
(2) The Genesis account states Adam named every single animal.
(3) Therefore, Adam literally named every single animal in existence.
Using #3:
(3) Adam named every single animal.
(4) Dinosaurs are animals.
(5) Therefore, Adam named the dinosaurs.
This is an argument that is made even before page 1.
All of this reasoning tends to come under the heading of "God said it." By the syllogism above, God said that Adam named the dinosaurs. If God says that Adam name the dinosaurs, how can we argue with that?
Evidences given are spurious, at best.
Of course, throughout the book, the best evidence for the way we find the dinosaur bones is a worldwide flood.
Three questionable comments in ancient writings are given to "prove" flying dinosaurs existed alongside men.
They then give about a half-dozen pieces of "evidence" that "proves" men and dinosaurs lived alongside each other. This is also spurious at best. Each of these pieces of evidence is a some type of art (painting, sculpture, etc.) that looks suspiciously like a dinosaur, and so gives incontrovertible proof that humans domesticated dinosaurs
And then going back to our "God said it" argument, Genesis states that God told man to have dominion over the animals - this statement proves that God magically gave man the power to domesticate dinosaurs.
Speaking of the supernatural, the authors make an interesting argument when they say scientists don't know how some of the biggest dinosaurs could have pumped blood from their heart to their head. The authors argue that "nothing is too hard for God". But if science can't explain how it does and we merely invoke the power of God, that suggests we are taking dinosaurs out of the realm of the natural and making them supernatural animals - if they can only exist by miraculous intervention of God. So I guess Kyle Butt must believe that dinosaurs are magical beings. (Which makes sense if some of them breathed fire and are where our idea of dragons comes from.)
Throughout the book, the authors points out how we continually learn new things about dinosaurs that are different than what we knew. They suggest that the belief that the dinosaurs died out years before humans is the same type of idea; something some people think that ends up not to be true. The whole point of this is to refute the idea of evolution, and thereby refute the idea that God doesn't exist. What the authors fail to realize is that these ideas are not mutually exclusive. Many, many Christians reconcile the idea of a billions-year-old earth with believing in a Creator. People like these authors think that if you deny a literal 6-day creation period, you are destroying the concept of God altogether. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In the end, Butt and Lyons don't provide evidence for biblical ideas. Instead, they assume their consequence and start with the 3 arguments that no one who is not a Christian believes, and indeed, very few Christians even believe. Given that this book is written for children, I guess it could come under the topic of indocrination.
March 10, 2015
This book should come with a disclaimer.
Warning: This is not a serious book of science. It is a book written by a christian apologist about the bible and not about science.
I am serious. It isn't scientific...at all. I am guessing that is because it was written by a preacher. I was really disappointed in what was considered fact in this book. There really isn't any type of serious argument presented here. Butt took great liberties with exceptions to the rule concerning dating and ran with it. The facts are that dating works. Psst, no one tell Butt we used carbon dating on the manuscripts that are in the bible. He either glosses over or doesn't know the Jewish mythology concerning the leviathan. He tells the story as if it is an animal that Job has seen and is trying to tell us about. I looked up the infamous boot and to no one's surprise you can't find any real tests that have been reviewed by scientists. And so forth and so on.
At any rate, I think the real danger is that Butt presents quick, comfortable answers to questions that we should all take time to explore. It is a foolish endeavor indeed to seek for evidence once your mind is made up. What else would you expect to find? We should seek the truth period. It reminds me of a quote "certainty is the enemy of truth". If you're certain that creationism is real then why even read this book. What do you hope to gain?
Warning: This is not a serious book of science. It is a book written by a christian apologist about the bible and not about science.
I am serious. It isn't scientific...at all. I am guessing that is because it was written by a preacher. I was really disappointed in what was considered fact in this book. There really isn't any type of serious argument presented here. Butt took great liberties with exceptions to the rule concerning dating and ran with it. The facts are that dating works. Psst, no one tell Butt we used carbon dating on the manuscripts that are in the bible. He either glosses over or doesn't know the Jewish mythology concerning the leviathan. He tells the story as if it is an animal that Job has seen and is trying to tell us about. I looked up the infamous boot and to no one's surprise you can't find any real tests that have been reviewed by scientists. And so forth and so on.
At any rate, I think the real danger is that Butt presents quick, comfortable answers to questions that we should all take time to explore. It is a foolish endeavor indeed to seek for evidence once your mind is made up. What else would you expect to find? We should seek the truth period. It reminds me of a quote "certainty is the enemy of truth". If you're certain that creationism is real then why even read this book. What do you hope to gain?
June 1, 2012
I read this with my 2nd grader for science. Both of us thought it was eye-opening; it's a very strong and informative creationists view explaining away questions regarding dinosaurs that we all have or have had at one point.
The first half of the book teaches about different kinds of dinosaurs; the second half answers questions about dinosaurs. I highly recommend.
The first half of the book teaches about different kinds of dinosaurs; the second half answers questions about dinosaurs. I highly recommend.
January 9, 2017
A good case for young earth ideology with respect to dinosaurs. And lots of fun facts too.
December 30, 2011
I read this book aloud to my children.
I am thankful for books like this that explain the history of dinosaurs from a creation, rather than an evolution, perspective. Butt quotes passages from the Bible that confirm the existence of dinosaurs during biblical times and explains how dinosaurs could have been taken on the Ark.
Lavoie's illustrations are fabulous!
MY RATING: 5 stars!! Loved it!!
I am thankful for books like this that explain the history of dinosaurs from a creation, rather than an evolution, perspective. Butt quotes passages from the Bible that confirm the existence of dinosaurs during biblical times and explains how dinosaurs could have been taken on the Ark.
Lavoie's illustrations are fabulous!
MY RATING: 5 stars!! Loved it!!
March 15, 2011
A great description of the different dinosaurs told from the perspective that they did NOT live millions of years ago. It inserts scripture and other evidence that God created dinosaurs during the creation week.
February 25, 2025
I really love dinosaurs 🦖. I really enjoyed the part when it is talking about the great flood. I also loved the part when they talked about the dinosaur 🦕 fossils, that was cool. I really recommend this book. 📕
May 18, 2013
a fascinating read about dinosaur fossil discoveries, the variety of dinosaurs that walked the earth, and evidence of dinosaurs living alongside man.
April 24, 2019
Good book for kids giving a creationist's perspective on dinosaurs.
February 25, 2025
I like this book because it shows that the dinosaur was with humans!🐶
August 23, 2025
I bought this book for a nephew and couldn't resist reading it myself. While obviously intended for kids, I still found it interesting; very nice that kids get to learn about dinos without all that evolutionary garbage that gets tossed around in most "science" books nowadays.
The most problematic section for evolutionists should be all of the human artifacts showing dinosaurs, which obviously shouldn't be possible if evolution is true. When are they just going to give up and admit that evolution is a belief, not science?
The most problematic section for evolutionists should be all of the human artifacts showing dinosaurs, which obviously shouldn't be possible if evolution is true. When are they just going to give up and admit that evolution is a belief, not science?
June 22, 2011
I thought this book had some interesting ideas, but my kids were bored by the way these ideas were presented... I think we'll choose another book to learn about dinosaurs.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews