What do you think?
Rate this book
The Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved!
Where do dinosaurs fit in the biblical account of creation, in science, and in ancient history? When did they roam the earth? Are they even real? The widespread teaching of the theory of evolution leaves many Christians with big questions about the biblical account of creation, the age of the earth, and validity of the Bible as real history. In The Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved , Christian apologist and Creation Scientist, Ken Ham delivers scientific and historical evidence of these highly controversial and fascinating beasts. Within these easy to read pages, you will find This book is an excellent resource for religion and science classes from middle school on up. It can be used for individual study and as a reference for Bible scholars, paleontologists, teachers, and curious Christians.
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
27 people are currently reading
289 people want to read
About the author
Ken Ham
235 books358 followersDr. Ken Ham is the president of Answers in Genesis USA and is a well-known speaker and author on the subject of Young-Earth Creationism. He received a bachelor degree in applied science (emphasis on environmental biology) from the Queensland Institute of Technology, and a Diploma of Education from the University of Queensland. He has also received two honorary doctorates: a Doctor of Divinity from Temple Baptist College, and a Doctor of Literature from Baptist Liberty University.
He was a director of Creation Science Foundation (CSF) in Australia, an organization which he jointly founded with John Mackay. In 1987 he moved to the United States, still maintaining his links with CSF.
From 1987 to 1993, Ham worked for the Institute for Creation Research, and in 1994 set up what in 1995 became Answers in Genesis (AiG), a creation ministry dedicated to "upholding the authority of the Bible from the very first verse."
In 2008 Ham was described by well known atheist and evolutionary biologist PZ Myers as a "Wackaloon" for carrying out a prayer session with members of the Pentagon. Ham responded regarding the validity of that prayer breakfastand that PZ Myers and other critics were intolerant of his position.
He was a director of Creation Science Foundation (CSF) in Australia, an organization which he jointly founded with John Mackay. In 1987 he moved to the United States, still maintaining his links with CSF.
From 1987 to 1993, Ham worked for the Institute for Creation Research, and in 1994 set up what in 1995 became Answers in Genesis (AiG), a creation ministry dedicated to "upholding the authority of the Bible from the very first verse."
In 2008 Ham was described by well known atheist and evolutionary biologist PZ Myers as a "Wackaloon" for carrying out a prayer session with members of the Pentagon. Ham responded regarding the validity of that prayer breakfastand that PZ Myers and other critics were intolerant of his position.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 28, 2011
I gave this one star because the Author took this 100% seriously. I, on the other hand, don't take anything on this anti-evolutionary propaganda seriously. In fact, I read these books as comedy and I laughed myself silly page after page.
This book is only about 95 pages long; the other 95 pages are the appendix. You'd think with an appendix that long the book would have been a lot longer. I must quote another reviewer at this juncture: "I'm sure glad this non-historian wrote this book"... to teach me about history. I don't think I've read a book that has more flawed research in my entire life. The author even goes so far as to quote his previous book as proof to back up what he's saying in this one. Was he sitting there typing this up and saying to himself; "oh man, I was so right about this!" I mean really, what kind of a scholar logically would do this? If you're going to reference your own book, reference it in the main body, not in the appendix as if it's some hard fact discovery. It's not; it's your little pet theory.
I should give Ham credit in one regard that this book does have facts that are dead on in terms of dinosaurs. And he does display some sound logic at parts, such as the average size of the animals on the ark. Even though that average works out to be about the size of a sheep, doesn't discount the fact that dinosaurs are huge and actually working out space is a problem. Although he did provide a plausible theory that they could have had baby dinosaurs on board instead of full grown. I actually agreed with that, if I were to support the dinosaurs on the ark theory in the first place. At least he had a plausible explanation if dinosaurs existed during Noah's time.
I'm honestly not sure what's crazier, that this book was written, or that people actually take it as being fully correct. I looked up the part where Ham references the existing tissue in fossilized bone to support his theory. He says that this would be impossible. However, if you look up the person who discovered this you will find that she doesn't support the creationism theory. In fact, she's not a leading expert on dinosaurs, her field is genetics. So when you read these books and people say "scientists don't have a response to this" is because it's too soon in their research. And the scientist in question has said in an interview that she thinks this will help us learn more about the fossilization process, not prove that dinosaurs lived 6,000 years ago. Fossilization isn't an exact science and the variance of materials involved DOES matter. Unlike what Ham would want you to believe.
The part that really killed me in his proof against evolutionary theory is that he says its possible dinosaurs may have evolved after they got off the ark. Genius! There's nothing like supporting a part of one theory to support your own. This book has endless quotable parts for humorous discussions!
If you're looking to read an excellent "scientific" comedy, then this is surely the book for you. However, keep in mind the author thinks this is all totally real and is even funding his own "dinosaur park".
This book is only about 95 pages long; the other 95 pages are the appendix. You'd think with an appendix that long the book would have been a lot longer. I must quote another reviewer at this juncture: "I'm sure glad this non-historian wrote this book"... to teach me about history. I don't think I've read a book that has more flawed research in my entire life. The author even goes so far as to quote his previous book as proof to back up what he's saying in this one. Was he sitting there typing this up and saying to himself; "oh man, I was so right about this!" I mean really, what kind of a scholar logically would do this? If you're going to reference your own book, reference it in the main body, not in the appendix as if it's some hard fact discovery. It's not; it's your little pet theory.
I should give Ham credit in one regard that this book does have facts that are dead on in terms of dinosaurs. And he does display some sound logic at parts, such as the average size of the animals on the ark. Even though that average works out to be about the size of a sheep, doesn't discount the fact that dinosaurs are huge and actually working out space is a problem. Although he did provide a plausible theory that they could have had baby dinosaurs on board instead of full grown. I actually agreed with that, if I were to support the dinosaurs on the ark theory in the first place. At least he had a plausible explanation if dinosaurs existed during Noah's time.
I'm honestly not sure what's crazier, that this book was written, or that people actually take it as being fully correct. I looked up the part where Ham references the existing tissue in fossilized bone to support his theory. He says that this would be impossible. However, if you look up the person who discovered this you will find that she doesn't support the creationism theory. In fact, she's not a leading expert on dinosaurs, her field is genetics. So when you read these books and people say "scientists don't have a response to this" is because it's too soon in their research. And the scientist in question has said in an interview that she thinks this will help us learn more about the fossilization process, not prove that dinosaurs lived 6,000 years ago. Fossilization isn't an exact science and the variance of materials involved DOES matter. Unlike what Ham would want you to believe.
The part that really killed me in his proof against evolutionary theory is that he says its possible dinosaurs may have evolved after they got off the ark. Genius! There's nothing like supporting a part of one theory to support your own. This book has endless quotable parts for humorous discussions!
If you're looking to read an excellent "scientific" comedy, then this is surely the book for you. However, keep in mind the author thinks this is all totally real and is even funding his own "dinosaur park".
May 23, 2015
Non-fiction, first book read by this author. Interesting book about creationism, with a focus on dinosaurs that was consistent and straight forward. I really appreciated the condensed facts about specific dinosaurs. There were several insights I gleaned from this book that I shared with others. Grateful for the identification of Scripture passages to reference. Now looking for a more in depth book featuring creationism or apologetics.
June 7, 2010
We received this book as a gift and I had skimmed it, but now I've finally gotten to the point of needing to have honest biblical answers for questions surrounding dinosaurs. Most of my questions were addressed and I do feel I'm now better equipped to explain the flood, fossils, and why my beliefs differ from the other 99% of the world (which includes a lot of Christians). This book contains a fair amount of facts, research and theories about dinosaurs, as well as all of the cited references. But what I really appreciate about this book is the tie in with Genesis and the discussion regarding the dangers of substituting man's science with the true record of history (the Bible).
For example, if you believe dinosaurs lived and died millions of years ago, you are undermining the gospel message which originated in Genesis - there was no death before Adam sinned (Rm 5:12-14). Not everyone will agree with Ken Ham or this book, but his true purpose is to make the reader want to study Genesis and seek the truth- "If you want to understand the meaning of anything, you must understand its origins- its basis."
For example, if you believe dinosaurs lived and died millions of years ago, you are undermining the gospel message which originated in Genesis - there was no death before Adam sinned (Rm 5:12-14). Not everyone will agree with Ken Ham or this book, but his true purpose is to make the reader want to study Genesis and seek the truth- "If you want to understand the meaning of anything, you must understand its origins- its basis."
May 9, 2021
Always helpful to come back to this stuff to refresh my mind on where these people's thinking is. Perplexing though to think about all the work it would take to unravel this thought world and help people in it move towards what I consider a more healthy ways of understanding the relationship between science and faith
January 8, 2012
I learned so much through this book! Not just about Dinosaurs but about Creation too. This wasn't a book that argued with evolution, but it simply stated the facts about what the bible says. If we as believers take the Word literally, than we need to make it our number one source for truth. I no longer have questions surrounding the subject of dinosaurs, they're existence, behavior, food sources, or extinction, etc.
June 2, 2009
This book was amazing. I have a family member who was recently asked if she believed in Dinosaurs. I have always believed in dinos, but the question always left some holes in my thinking. This book clearly defines all questions related to this in relation to Biblical Creation. This book was so inspiring that I bought a children's book to discuss dinosaurs. Great Read and I suggest it for you.
July 18, 2012
This book was a very good book for someone who is just starting to try to understand dinosaurs and the creation. However, the appendix in the back is great for a lot of deep research. That appendix alone makes up for the very surface level teaching that Ken Ham brings out in the book if you're needing something deeper to study.
July 15, 2014
Informative
Informative
Gives very good ideas on tough questions about dinosaurs and how they fit in the bible. I would recommend this book to anyone who has questions.
Informative
Gives very good ideas on tough questions about dinosaurs and how they fit in the bible. I would recommend this book to anyone who has questions.
February 5, 2021
Excellent book that gives logical, scientific answers about what happened to the dinosaurs, why we can trust the Bible history of creation, and where the evolutionary myths are totally off base. Extremely interesting and faith building.
April 18, 2013
Answers all of those question you had about Dinosaurs and the Bible.
July 20, 2015
Utter trash. Total fiction. Inflammatory and totally unbiblical arrogance with zero scientific credibility. This is total trash.
April 18, 2021
Very interesting read and really makes me rethink everything I learned about Dinosaurs and what I've been teaching my boys too.
October 9, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! It is really helpful to see the evidence presented that fully supports the scriptural account and timeline of how life on earth has progressed from creation to now. There have been several people I’ve encountered recently that are Christian’s but don’t believe in dinosaurs and I think this makes one less credible. I love how Ken Ham is ready to embrace science and the scriptures and stow how they work in harmony with each other. I am fully convinced dinosaurs were created by the Lord and lived alongside mankind. I especially loved how he points out that there are Hebrew words for both hippopotamuses and elephants as the newer versions of the Bible often interpret the references to behemoth but neither word was used in the original because it wasn’t referring to a hippo or a elephant but a dino.
November 5, 2014
According to Ham, dinosaurs not only lived with and among humans, but Noah brought a pair of every kind of dinosaur in the ark. How did such large creatures fit in the Ark? Noah took baby dinosaurs.
Central to Ham’s literalist worldview – that the Earth and all creatures are only approximately 4,000 – 6,000 years old – is the rejection of the technique of “radiometric dating.” Radiometric dating is how scientists measure the age of the earth and other objects in the millions or billions of years. Ham calls radiometric dating an “indirect dating method” that “cannot even be trusted.”
There isn’t much leeway here. It’s true evolution and dinosaur theory remain only that--theories. Still, they are theories that are based on our best understanding of the evidence. If you reject radiometric dating, you are also rejecting wholesale much of modern science.
One thing I would not call into question is Ham’s sincerity. Best I can tell, in his heart of hearts he believes what he says. At the end of his book he takes a break from dinosaur theory to share the gospel message and a call to faith. It’s clear at least to me that Ham wants his readers to accept Jesus Christ. And I think rather than dismissing him outright or calling him names, there is room to love fellow believers who have his worldview. Also, I will give him credit for his thoroughness and attention to detail particularly in citing references to various journal and news articles.
I think there are certain people who, for whatever reason, are predisposed to needing a profound sense of certainty in their lives. Much more so than the rest of us. Maybe they’re just born that way. Maybe it’s caused by life events. For such individuals even the slightest degree of uncertainty or doubt poses a great risk to their fundamental point of view—whether it be a religious or secular one. Such people have been with us throughout human history, and in some tragic cases they have been the catalyst for great evil. Because their rigidity is ultimately motivated by fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear or failure or rejection. Fear of the slippery slope. Another less benign but still real and unfortunate consequence of this rigid need for certainty is that these individual will very often have no choice but to accept what the rest of us believe to be pure fantasy. That the earth is the center of the universe, for instance. That the earth is less than 6000 years old. Or that dinosaurs lived among us.
Central to Ham’s literalist worldview – that the Earth and all creatures are only approximately 4,000 – 6,000 years old – is the rejection of the technique of “radiometric dating.” Radiometric dating is how scientists measure the age of the earth and other objects in the millions or billions of years. Ham calls radiometric dating an “indirect dating method” that “cannot even be trusted.”
There isn’t much leeway here. It’s true evolution and dinosaur theory remain only that--theories. Still, they are theories that are based on our best understanding of the evidence. If you reject radiometric dating, you are also rejecting wholesale much of modern science.
One thing I would not call into question is Ham’s sincerity. Best I can tell, in his heart of hearts he believes what he says. At the end of his book he takes a break from dinosaur theory to share the gospel message and a call to faith. It’s clear at least to me that Ham wants his readers to accept Jesus Christ. And I think rather than dismissing him outright or calling him names, there is room to love fellow believers who have his worldview. Also, I will give him credit for his thoroughness and attention to detail particularly in citing references to various journal and news articles.
I think there are certain people who, for whatever reason, are predisposed to needing a profound sense of certainty in their lives. Much more so than the rest of us. Maybe they’re just born that way. Maybe it’s caused by life events. For such individuals even the slightest degree of uncertainty or doubt poses a great risk to their fundamental point of view—whether it be a religious or secular one. Such people have been with us throughout human history, and in some tragic cases they have been the catalyst for great evil. Because their rigidity is ultimately motivated by fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear or failure or rejection. Fear of the slippery slope. Another less benign but still real and unfortunate consequence of this rigid need for certainty is that these individual will very often have no choice but to accept what the rest of us believe to be pure fantasy. That the earth is the center of the universe, for instance. That the earth is less than 6000 years old. Or that dinosaurs lived among us.
July 18, 2021
I've never really seen the appeal of media dinosaurs, I liked land before time and dinosaur train when I was little and I like to see skeletons in museums and fossils, but I've never been interested in other media about it
It is true that even dinosaur train, a show for preschookers, is thick with evolution and I think this is a good way to counter that.
If your one of those Christians obsessed with calling dinosaurs fake because of how much they are usually tied in with evolution...
One of those Christians who kind of accept the evolutionary reasons for dinosaurs even if you've not admitted it aloud...
Or just a christian parent with a kid who really really likes dinosaurs
This book is for you
It is true that even dinosaur train, a show for preschookers, is thick with evolution and I think this is a good way to counter that.
If your one of those Christians obsessed with calling dinosaurs fake because of how much they are usually tied in with evolution...
One of those Christians who kind of accept the evolutionary reasons for dinosaurs even if you've not admitted it aloud...
Or just a christian parent with a kid who really really likes dinosaurs
This book is for you
May 17, 2019
Jesus in the Jurassic
This is a clever text that clearly illustrates how we can make a mystery out of the obvious. Like many I once upon a time disassociated the creation of the dinosaur with the biblical text. I just didn't think about it. What I like about the book is that it clearly states when ideas and arguments are speculative. It rests on the basic fundamental statement of all life; Genesis 1:1.
This is a clever text that clearly illustrates how we can make a mystery out of the obvious. Like many I once upon a time disassociated the creation of the dinosaur with the biblical text. I just didn't think about it. What I like about the book is that it clearly states when ideas and arguments are speculative. It rests on the basic fundamental statement of all life; Genesis 1:1.
June 2, 2008
THE GREAT DINOSAUR MYSTERY SOLVED! is a great book about what we know, what we assume, and what we wonder about dinosaurs. It is definitely a book to read for anybody who doesn't understand how dinosaurs could be less than billions of years old. It is also something to read for Christians who want to know more about Creation Science.
Read
February 4, 2010Basic facts regarding fossils, footprints and creatures from a Biblical worldview. I really enjoyed the perspective of this book regarding the logic and wisdom of taking the Biblical account of creation at face value rather than trying to mix it with the theory cell-to-creature-to-man evolution. Our 10 yr son old loved it too.
March 4, 2019
ok... i want to be very clear about something. EVEN THOUGH I READ THIS BACK WHEN I WAS A CHRISTIAN, I WAS ABSOLUTELY NOT TAKING IT SERIOUSLY. i read it to make fun of it with a bunch of similarly more scientifically-inclined christians. it provided us with quite a bit of entertainment.
Read
February 11, 2010Amazing! Don' tell me that the Bible is not accurate just because it doesn't say the word "dinosaur"!
March 15, 2017
A simple book that I immensely enjoyed.
January 14, 2016
A really good, basic book for anyone who doesn't understand where dinosaurs fit into the Bible and a Christian worldview. Good science and clear explanations.
January 14, 2017
lots of innuendo. no facts to back anything up
Read
November 26, 2025can i be honest? i never truly left my dinosaur phase as a little girl
October 4, 2018
Excellent overview of dinosaurs from a creationist perspective, while addressing several evolutionist theories concerning these creatures, such as how many species/kinds of dinosaurs there actually are and the idea that birds "evolved" from dinosaurs. Nearly a third of the book consists of an appendix giving notes and sources for specific statements in the book.
January 11, 2010
Not so helpful...very surface and basic, but it does go in the right direction.
January 24, 2019
I found this book for $0.25 and bought it purely for comedic value, and it did not disappoint. Just 100% entertainment all the way through.
July 4, 2021
Havent read it but I bet you anything its that they discovered they used cell phones.
Read
September 10, 2021This book represents a chunk of my life I'll never get back.
June 12, 2025
This is a great book for understanding the biblical Christian worldview, and it articulates the world of dinosaurs and the gospel very clearly. It’s logical, has an extensive bibliography, and is very reasonable (not aggressive or brash) tone.
This book is geared more for teaching/discipleship; but if you have an advanced reader and a nature/creation enthusiast, then it is totally readable for him or her.
🦕My son shared the gospel at the park a few weeks ago using dinosaurs and the days of creation, never would I have thought to do such a thing—he constantly blows me away with his deep seated trust in the Lord.
🦖Dinosaurs is my favorite thing to teach mainly because I have a biology degree, worked in a lab teaching comparative anatomy, and yet it wasn’t until I became a mom that I was FORCED to wrestle with biblical narrative and that of secular textbooks. How could I make dinosaurs fit❓Could they fit❓ Is it that big of a deal to believe dinosaurs died out millions of years before humans❓ Surely it wasn’t that big….and then, to my Jurassic Park loving delight, I had a toddler fixated on dinosaurs and ALL the questions began. I was now responsible for teaching this child Truth, so I needed to know. And that is when my deep dive into giving two cents about the origins of dinosaurs began. Here we are, nearly 10 years later and I’m still just as fascinated—perhaps even more so—with the goodness of God, the beauty of his Word, and his kindness in creation.
This book is geared more for teaching/discipleship; but if you have an advanced reader and a nature/creation enthusiast, then it is totally readable for him or her.
🦕My son shared the gospel at the park a few weeks ago using dinosaurs and the days of creation, never would I have thought to do such a thing—he constantly blows me away with his deep seated trust in the Lord.
🦖Dinosaurs is my favorite thing to teach mainly because I have a biology degree, worked in a lab teaching comparative anatomy, and yet it wasn’t until I became a mom that I was FORCED to wrestle with biblical narrative and that of secular textbooks. How could I make dinosaurs fit❓Could they fit❓ Is it that big of a deal to believe dinosaurs died out millions of years before humans❓ Surely it wasn’t that big….and then, to my Jurassic Park loving delight, I had a toddler fixated on dinosaurs and ALL the questions began. I was now responsible for teaching this child Truth, so I needed to know. And that is when my deep dive into giving two cents about the origins of dinosaurs began. Here we are, nearly 10 years later and I’m still just as fascinated—perhaps even more so—with the goodness of God, the beauty of his Word, and his kindness in creation.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews