Abstract
Ian Tattersall's book, Paleontology: A Brief History of Life is a panoramic overview of life's history from the earliest conditions of Earth's formation to the appearance of Homo sapiens. It is an introductory text, and Tattersall's approachable, inviting prose makes this book a pleasure to read. The author does not begin his history, proper, until the fourth chapter. The first three chapters are devoted to setting up a framework for understanding and appreciating the significance of the history he later presents.