Richard Fortey came across a room full of objects which don't quite fit anywhere, but which no one could bring themselves to throw away. But that isn't what this book is about. The room reminded Fortey of the sort of memories which come from working in the such a place for several decades. In Dry Store Room No. 1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum he tells us of some of these memories.

We hear about some of the characters who made their mark in museum life, during Fortey's time and before. There's the eradication of the new world screw worm fly from Africa, and the unmasking of the Piltdown forgery. There's the reclassification of truffles and the analysis of meteorites from Mars. And there's all sorts of after hours goings-on (especially in Dry Store Room No. 1). Fortey also tells of his fears regarding the direction in which museums may be going. As the competition for research funding gets tougher, museums find it harder to do the vital work of investigating and classifying species, and there is the tendency for museums to concentrate more on entertaining visitors.

Some people might feel that the chapters are rather too long and rambling, but I thought that it was a fascinating book and is well worth reading, whether you are interested in the natural history aspect or just in a behind the scenes look at a great British institution."; include "amazinf.php"; ?>