Read ‘The Last Days Of The Dinosaurs’ With The SciFri Book Club

Riley Black writes about the days, years, and centuries after disaster strikes in ‘The Last Days of the Dinosaurs.’ Read it with us this May.

illustrated stack of books with text "scifri book club"

Welcome to the SciFri Book Club about The Last Days of the Dinosaurs. There’s lots of ways to participate: Read the book, listen to our interview with the author, join our online community space, or send a voice message at (646) 767-6532 or on the SciFri VoxPop app.


book cover for "the last days of the dinosaurs" by riley black, with a dark green jungle background

This May, the SciFri Book Club will read all about what happened to the dinosaurs—and the biodiversity of the Earth 66 million years ago—after the catastrophic asteroid impact with Riley Black’s The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World. Published just last month, the book takes readers through the days, years, centuries, and millions of years following the end of these charismatic kings of the world, and how those moments set the stage for the world we currently inhabit.

Black reveals the surprising facts about this time that you might not have learned about in school, and gives us a deeper appreciation for the Earth they left behind—even if their ancestors, the birds, walk amongst us today. Get your copy from your local bookstore or Bookshop.org.

This Book Club season kicks off Monday, May 9, and you can read along with us! We’ll be (loosely) following this schedule:

  • Before The Asteroid: Introduction + Chapters 1-3 (May 9-15);
  • The First Few Years (Geologically Speaking): Chapters 4-7 (May 16-22);
  • The Beginnings Of Our World: Chapters 8-10 + Conclusion (May 23-29);
  • A Post-T. Rex World: Book Club wrap-up (May 30-31).

Plus, Riley Black will be stopping by Science Friday on Friday, May 13 to talk about her book! Make sure to listen to the show live from 2:00-4:00pm ET on your local radio station, on our website, or download the episode after we’re live wherever you get your podcasts.

There are so many ways to dive in and participate! You can grab a copy of the book (and support the author and SciFri), read an excerpt from The Last Days of the Dinosaurs, join the discussion in our online Book Club community, sign up for a weekly email newsletter, or come to our upcoming Book Club meeting. Check out all the details below.

Grab Your Own Copy

If you’d like to purchase a physical copy, we encourage you to start with your local bookstore! If they don’t have the book in stock or you’d rather purchase online, you can support Science Friday by buying your copy on our Bookshop.org page.


Join Our Community Space

And as you start reading, join us on our online community space: the Science Friday Book Club is now on Mighty Networks, a platform where we can gather, read and discuss science books together. We’ve built this community space because you told us you wanted a better way to be connected with other SciFri Book Clubbers, and we hope you’ll join us there!

Join Our Community


Read An Excerpt

Not sure this is the book for you? Want to read an excerpt before you commit? We’ve got you covered.

Macmillan Publishers, the publisher of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs, has offered SciFri Book Clubbers an excerpt of the book! You can read this sample on our website.

Read The Excerpt



Save The Date: SciFri Book Club Meeting

Want to meet other SciFri Book Club members, talk about the book selection, and find more resources for deeper learning—all without leaving your home? Our community meetings are the place for you!

RSVP for May 31

This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in The Last Days of the Dinosaurs. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about ancient creatures and the Earth 66 million years ago!



Meet the Writer

About Diana Plasker

Diana Plasker is the Experiences Manager at Science Friday, where she creates live events and partnerships to delight and engage audiences in the world of science.

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