{"product_id":"the-dinosaur-artist-obsession-betrayal-and-the-quest-for-earths-ultimate-trophy","title":"The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth's Ultimate Trophy","description":"In this 2018 New York Times Notable Book,Paige Williams \"does for fossils what Susan Orlean did for orchids\" (Book Riot) in her account of one Florida man's attempt to sell a dinosaur skeleton from Mongolia--a story \"steeped in natural history, human nature, commerce, crime, science, and politics\" (Rebecca Skloot).\n\nIn 2012, a New York auction catalogue boasted an unusual offering: \"a superb Tyrannosaurus skeleton.\" In fact, Lot 49135 consisted of a nearly complete T. bataar, a close cousin to the most famous animal that ever lived. The fossils now on display in a Manhattan event space had been unearthed in Mongolia, more than 6,000 miles away. At eight-feet high and 24 feet long, the specimen was spectacular, and when the gavel sounded the winning bid was over $1 million.\n\nEric Prokopi, a thirty-eight-year-old Floridian, was the man who had brought this extraordinary skeleton to market. A onetime swimmer who spent his teenage years diving for shark teeth, Prokopi's singular obsession with fossils fueled a thriving business hunting, preparing, and selling specimens, to clients ranging from natural history museums to avid private collectors like actor Leonardo DiCaprio.\n\nBut there was a problem. This time, facing financial strain, had Prokopi gone too far? As the T. bataar went to auction, a network of paleontologists alerted the government of Mongolia to the eye-catching lot. As an international custody battle ensued, Prokopi watched as his own world unraveled.\n\nIn the tradition of The Orchid Thief, The Dinosaur Artist is a stunning work of narrative journalism about humans' relationship with natural history and a seemingly intractable conflict between science and commerce. A story that stretches from Florida's Land O' Lakes to the Gobi Desert, The Dinosaur Artist illuminates the history of fossil collecting--a murky, sometimes risky business, populated by eccentrics and obsessives, where the lines between poacher and hunter, collector and smuggler, enthusiast and opportunist, can easily blur.\n\nIn her first book, Paige Williams has given readers an irresistible story that spans continents, cultures, and millennia as she examines the question of who, ultimately, owns the past.\u003cbr\u003eASIN: 0316382531\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: 31UTLL002M3E_ns\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Williams, Paige\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact  including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Blue Vase Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43334758793277,"sku":"31UTLL002M3E_ns","price":7.16,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0589\/4225\/9261\/files\/0316382531-0.jpg?v=1783702032","url":"https:\/\/www.bluevasebooks.com\/products\/the-dinosaur-artist-obsession-betrayal-and-the-quest-for-earths-ultimate-trophy","provider":"Blue Vase Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}