Spirit Whales and Sloth Tales

I am pleased to let you know that my latest book, which I co-authored with Liz Nesbitt, is now on sale. Spirit Whales and Sloth Tales: Fossils of Washington State is the first book to highlight the stories of the half billion years of plants and animals that have lived in the state (or what is now the state). It also contains ecological reconstructions and amazing fossil photos—most of which were retaken by volunteer Michael Rich. And, I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that Spirit Whales owes its existence to Liz, who is the retired Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology at the Burke Museum; the book was inspired by her passion for fossils and her desire to make their science and human history accessible.

Although the state is better known for its geology, no matter where you wander in Washington, you are never very far from the past and the fossil evidence of those that came before. You can find trilobites near the Idaho border, primitive horses on the Columbia Plateau, exquisite flowers in Republic, giant bird tracks near Bellingham, and curious bear-like beasts on the Olympic Peninsula. With abundant and well-exposed rock layers, Washington has fossils dating from Ice Age mammals only 12,000 years old back to marine invertebrates more than 500 million years old.

At the heart of the books are twenty-four profiles. Organized with the youngest profile first, they allow the reader to dig deeper and deeper, unearthing stories, strata by strata. Each profile focuses on a specific plant, animal, or environment, often weaving in human history and geology, and always with a goal of fleshing out details necessary for a deeper understanding that will help make the fossils come to life. Ultimately, our goal is for you to come away with a more thorough appreciation of the spectacular paleontology and geology of Washington State.

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Events for the book. Liz and I will be at all of these events.

November 8 - 7pm - Burke Museum - Our book launch. This will be exciting as we share some of the backstory of the book as well as some of the highlights. This will be an excellent opportunity to celebrate and get the book signed by both of us. An RSVP is necessary.

November 11 - 4pm - Quimper Geological Society - Baptist Church in Port Townsend

November 12 - 3pm - Port Townsend Marine Science Center - Ft. Warden Chapel, Port Townsend

We will have more Seattle area events in 2024.

If you order the book through the Press and use the code WELCOME23, you will get a 40% discount and free domestic shipping through October 31.

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A few highlights from the book.

As they still do, salmon migrated and died on rivers on the Olympic Peninsula 900,000 years ago.

I think this is the most beautiful fossil found in the state.

Crabs in concretions - darned cool and darned alliterative.

Back in the day, when some kick butt, big old birds ruled coastal roosts. These birds may have stood more than six feet tall.