By the nonfiction author Jonathan David Whitcomb
Introduction
The third edition of Live Pterosaurs in America is mainly a nonfiction cryptozoology book, with the vast majority of its sightings in the United States. Its first edition was almost the first book I had written about living pterosaurs, and at that time I wrote in a cross-genre of cryptozoology and Christian nonfiction. With that said, the third edition (LPA-3) is almost entirely in the nonfiction-cryptozoology genre, but with two pages entirely about religion and a few other pages with some remarks relevant to religion.
Where did this come from, this need for me to explain all this? One Amazon Customer Reviewer, Terry Betts, wrote a comment on my book on May 17, 2018, and gave his remarks the title “A look at a real Cryptid or a dissertation on Creationism?” I submit that almost all readers of Live Pterosaurs in America, third edition, will find that it is nothing remotely like a dissertation on creationism, if they are ever exposed to that title written by Terry Betts.
What reader would be happy with this book?
Theoretically, looking on the other side of it, the following two kinds of reader might be unhappy with it:
- An atheist who is unhappy with Christians
- A Biblical creationist who wants to read books only about the Bible
What I have found over the years, however, points to only the first kind of reader being offended, at least from what I get from Amazon customer reviews. Almost anyone other than an atheist appears to have no major problem with Live Pterosaurs in America.
The great majority of readers seem to be very happy with LPA-3. As of November 20, 2018, of the 17 Amazon Customer Reviews, 76% gave it five stars, 6% four stars, 6% three stars, and 12% one star. For a controversial book, it ranks very highly in that way on Amazon.
What religious elements are actually in the book?
They’re actually quite limited. Consider the following.
After setting aside 15 pages of index, Live Pterosaurs in America (3rd edition) has 138 pages of print. The Appendix has 30 pages, divided into nine short sub-sections, two pages of which are the subsection titled “Philosophy at the Foundation.” In other words, we have 108 pages of text before the Appendix begins and two pages of that Appendix relate to religious matters.
Is this really a religious book, as Terry Betts appears to have at least hinted at? I looked into several words in my book; I’d like to share what I learned from searching on a pdf copy of LPA-3.
- Bible
- Creationism
- Creationist
- Christian
- God
The word ‘Bible’ appears eight times, but only three of those are in the main body of the book, before the Appendix. The word ‘God’ also appears only three times outside the Appendix, and in that case all of those three were in quotations from eyewitnesses, not in any statement by me.
The word ‘creationism’ appears only once outside the Appendix; it is found seven times in the Appendix. ‘Creationist’ appears eighteen time, but not once is it seen outside the Appendix. The word ‘Christian’ appears only twice in the entire book: both times in the Appendix.
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Back cover of this nonfiction cryptozoology book
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Conclusion
Live Pterosaurs in America, third edition, is obviously nothing remotely like a “dissertation on creationism.” Another skeptic and critic once declared that I had tried to hide my creationist ties. That is also incorrect, according to word searching of a pdf copy of this book, as the above demonstrates.
The truth is simple: Belief in the Bible has been important to me and to many of my associates in living-pterosaur investigations, yet the great majority of my publications have been either entirely in the realm of cryptozoology or have been with a limited mixing in of some elements of Christian religion.
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Many modern pterosaurs are much larger than any bat, many with long tails, many with head crests. What about news headlines? How did these creatures avoid media attention? Get the answers from years of work by American cryptozoologists.
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Hot Spots for Pterosaur Sightings
- Shropshire, England
- Cuba (mid-20th century)
- Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea
- Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Mansfield, Ohio, USA
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Draper, Utah
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New “dinosaur” book for children
I wrote the nonfiction book The Girl who saw a Flying Dinosaur for several purposes. As a gift giver for a child or teenager, you need to know what this does and does not do and what benefits it can give to the young reader. I recommend it for readers between about the ages of eight and fourteen; for some ten-year-olds (and eleven and twelve) it will be exceptionally delightful: easy to understand yet stimulating.
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My boss and I suddenly saw . . . a flying object that was strange. . . . we knew it was quite far away, but it was as big as a regular bird would appear up close. It was gliding, with an occasional slow, smooth flap. We were talking about it, but, as it approached, words ceased, and amazement took over.
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Some call them pterodactyls or flying dinosaurs
The non-fiction cryptozoology book Live Pterosaurs in America