First Impressions

This week's First Impressions, the competition in which you have to identify a book from its opening sentence, comes from an especially "wonderful" book by a palaeontologist: "Not since the Lord himself showed his stuff to Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones had anyone shown such grace and skill in the reconstruction of animals from disarticulated skeletons."

Entries should be submitted to First Impressions, The THES, Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1 9XY, faxed to 0171-782 3300 or emailed to theschat@thes.co.uk The winner receives a Pounds 20 book token and the closing date is December 23.

The winner of last week's competition, who identified Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory, is J. Karczewski-Slowikowski of Manchester.