Don Lessem
Encyclopedia
"Dino Don" Lessem is a writer of more than 50 Popular Science
books who specializes in dinosaurs. His works include many children's books on Dinosaur
s. He was the founder of the Dinosaur Society and the Jurassic Foundation, which have raised millions for dinosaur research. In recognition of these efforts, the Prosauropod dinosaur Lessemsaurus
is named after him.
Mr. Lessem is responsible for reconstructing the skeleton of the world's largest dinosaur, the 100-ton, 120 feet (36.6 m)-long Argentinosaurus
and the world's largest meat-eater, Giganotosaurus
, also from Argentina, which is 20% larger than T. rex. Mr. Lessem sponsors and participates in dinosaur excavations primarily in Mongolia
, China
and Argentina
.
Schooled in primatology (Biobehavioral Studies Post-Graduate Concentration, U. Mass/Boston 1978) and Asian Art History (B.A., Brandeis University, 1973), Mr. Lessem began his writing career as a researcher for the Smithsonian Center for Short-Lived Phenomena. For more than a decade he was a science journalist specializing in conservation issues for the Boston Globe and a contributor to Life, The New York Times, and Smithsonian Magazine.
Lessem's professional interest in dinosaurs developed while a Knight Journalism Fellow at M.I.T. in 1988. He wrote his first book, Kings of Creation, surveying current dinosaur research worldwide, in 1990.
Mr. Lessem was advisor to the Jurassic Park
film and theme park attraction, and to Dinosaur
film and Disney's Animal Kingdom
theme park. He has written and hosted Discovery Channel
and NOVA documentaries on dinosaurs and is a television and radio commentator on dinosaur discoveries.
Mr. Lessem's exhibition company, Exhibits Rex, Inc. has created several of the largest and most popular traveling museum exhibitions of dinosaurs, including Jurassic Park, The Lost World, and Chinasaurs and an exhibition of the treasures of Genghis Khan
.
Another of Mr. Lessem's companies, DKV Sponsorship, Inc. holds the sponsorship rights to the principal entry to the Great Wall of China
.
As "Dino" Don, Mr. Lessem has authored children's books on dinosaurs, extinct animals, endangered species, the Amazonian rainforest and the "Iceman" mummy. Via his monthly column in Highlights Magazine, "Dino" Don has answered more than 10,000 children's letters. He created the children's non-profit newspaper Dino Times (1981 to 1984). A special edition of 1.3 million copies of Dino Times was distributed at the opening of the Jurassic Park film at the behest of Universal Studios
.
Mr. Lessem is also the author of several humor books including: Aerphobics, Death by Roller Disco, How to Flatten Your Nose, and The Worst of Everything. His humor essays have appeared in Punch (magazine)
and The Atlantic Monthly.
The most recent of Mr. Lessem's projects is the creation of Earth Quest Adventures
, a theme park and resort north of Houston.
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
books who specializes in dinosaurs. His works include many children's books on Dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s. He was the founder of the Dinosaur Society and the Jurassic Foundation, which have raised millions for dinosaur research. In recognition of these efforts, the Prosauropod dinosaur Lessemsaurus
Lessemsaurus
Lessemsaurus is an extinct genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur named for the writer of popular science books Don Lessem. The type species, L. sauropoides, was formally described by José Fernando Bonaparte in 1999...
is named after him.
Mr. Lessem is responsible for reconstructing the skeleton of the world's largest dinosaur, the 100-ton, 120 feet (36.6 m)-long Argentinosaurus
Argentinosaurus
Argentinosaurus is a genus of titanosaur sauropod dinosaur first discovered by Guillermo Heredia in Argentina. The generic name refers to the country in which it was discovered...
and the world's largest meat-eater, Giganotosaurus
Giganotosaurus
Giganotosaurus is a genus of carcharodontosaurid dinosaur that lived around 97 million years ago during the early Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period. It included some of the largest known terrestrial carnivores, slightly larger than the largest Tyrannosaurus, but smaller than the...
, also from Argentina, which is 20% larger than T. rex. Mr. Lessem sponsors and participates in dinosaur excavations primarily in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Schooled in primatology (Biobehavioral Studies Post-Graduate Concentration, U. Mass/Boston 1978) and Asian Art History (B.A., Brandeis University, 1973), Mr. Lessem began his writing career as a researcher for the Smithsonian Center for Short-Lived Phenomena. For more than a decade he was a science journalist specializing in conservation issues for the Boston Globe and a contributor to Life, The New York Times, and Smithsonian Magazine.
Lessem's professional interest in dinosaurs developed while a Knight Journalism Fellow at M.I.T. in 1988. He wrote his first book, Kings of Creation, surveying current dinosaur research worldwide, in 1990.
Mr. Lessem was advisor to the Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park (film)
Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
film and theme park attraction, and to Dinosaur
Dinosaur (film)
Dinosaur is a 2000 American computer-animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on May 19, 2000, and is the 39th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
film and Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely...
theme park. He has written and hosted Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
and NOVA documentaries on dinosaurs and is a television and radio commentator on dinosaur discoveries.
Mr. Lessem's exhibition company, Exhibits Rex, Inc. has created several of the largest and most popular traveling museum exhibitions of dinosaurs, including Jurassic Park, The Lost World, and Chinasaurs and an exhibition of the treasures of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
.
Another of Mr. Lessem's companies, DKV Sponsorship, Inc. holds the sponsorship rights to the principal entry to the Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...
.
As "Dino" Don, Mr. Lessem has authored children's books on dinosaurs, extinct animals, endangered species, the Amazonian rainforest and the "Iceman" mummy. Via his monthly column in Highlights Magazine, "Dino" Don has answered more than 10,000 children's letters. He created the children's non-profit newspaper Dino Times (1981 to 1984). A special edition of 1.3 million copies of Dino Times was distributed at the opening of the Jurassic Park film at the behest of Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
.
Mr. Lessem is also the author of several humor books including: Aerphobics, Death by Roller Disco, How to Flatten Your Nose, and The Worst of Everything. His humor essays have appeared in Punch (magazine)
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
and The Atlantic Monthly.
The most recent of Mr. Lessem's projects is the creation of Earth Quest Adventures
Earth Quest Adventures
Earth Quest Adventures is a resort located in New Caney, Texas, approximately north of Houston that is scheduled to open to the public in 2013 or 2014. Contour Entertainment is the resort's master planner and lead designer. The planned resort will include a theme park as well as a water park,...
, a theme park and resort north of Houston.