In ten essays united by a common theme, acclaimed author Peter D. Ward shows how paleontologists use time machines to probe the distant past. The machines may be as simple as a rock hammer, as humble as a magnifying glass or as esoteric as a mass spectrometer, but when powered by the imagination of scientists willing to take creative risks, each takes us on a fascinating journey to long-ago worlds. In the tradition of Loren Eisley and Steven Jay Gould, these essays present fascinating profiles of the past and the people who are making it come alive.