Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This book was not worth the time. The storyline was great and inventive, yet Cook used too many medical and chemical terminology that only few could understand. The book dragged on at points and the ending seemed rushed, as if he had to meet a deadline of sorts. I wouldn't recommend this book to be bought by anyone unless you get it for free somewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: Acceptable Risk
Review: Robin Cook's Acceptable Risk is a ride back in time to the seventeenth century with a few modern-day twists and complications. Cook's shocking similarity to the possibilities and ideas of today's world is quite a bit to swallow, but it makes this book all the more enjoyable. His almost "journalistic" approach to writing makes the book simple to understand and easier to apply to the real world. He introduces an interesting hypothesis concerning the Salem witch trials and its causes and he has a way of opening the reader's mind to all sorts of new outlooks on life in general. Cook's dry wit and amazing writing talents keeps you on the edge of your seats during the entire work. This book in highly recommended to anyone in high school, but it will be better understood if the reader has previously read The Crucible.
Rating: 
Summary: Just Acceptable
Review: Acceptable Risk is pretty much like all of Robin Cook's other novels. The plot is interesting, but the writing is poor. I thought the dialogue in this novel was especially trite. A good, quick read for a trip, but if you're into literature, this is one you can skip.
Rating: 
Summary: Cook Risks Varying His Formula
Review: Robin Cook's Acceptable Risk is something of a departure for this popular author, but the risk Cook took by trying something new has an acceptable conclusion. Many authors find a formula and stick with it. Their fans eagerly await each new effort with new characters filling virtually identical plots. Sometimes when these authors want to do something different they have to publish their different kind of book under a different name. Cook's previous books have not had identical plots, but they almost always have a medico, usually female, who stumbles upon a nefarious medically related scheme and at great personal risk exposes the bad guys. Acceptable Risk does involve medicine, and is based in Massachusetts, frequently the case in Cook's works. However, while there is a drug research theme, the book is really about the Salem witch trials of the 1600's-but brought forward into the present. The protagonist, Kimberly Stewart, is a surgical nurse at Mass General. She is also descended from one of the women whom the Puritans executed for witchcraft--but the family doesn't talk about it. She becomes involved with a research scientist and incidentally the two of them decide to research her family history relative to the Salem trials. They can find no evidence that her ancestress was involved, in spite of family legend. Kimberly and her boyfriend try to resolve the discrepancy, and stumble upon a possible fungus-related cause for the whole witch hunt episode--while the boyfriend stumbles upon a possible billion dollar behavior modification drug. As the story unfolds the two principals undergo their own changes, and the novel provides a subtle commentary on the trend today to treat personal and social problems with new and improved chemistry. It all comes out okay in the end, but many have to pay a bitter price for the lessons they learn. There are no real villains in Acceptable Risk --just some archetypical types who fit the general format of a Robin Cook novel. There is just as much tension and suspense as Cook usually provides, but in a different kind of vehicle.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Acceptable
Review: This book took me over a month to get through. I had to put it down to read something more realistic/enjoyable and then I had to muster the energy to finish the book. The story is about a woman, Kim, who wants to find out about her ancestor, Elizabeth, who was put to death at the Salem Witch trials. In the course of this investigation, her new love, Edward, discovers a new drug found in rye. This drug could have could cause people to act strange or abnormal (those condemned in the witch trial) but in a different form it could be the new drug for treating mental problems. So, while Edward is setting up the lab and researching the drug, Kim is going through old family documents to find out about Elizabeth. As you can imagine, the story gets somewhat dull and drawn out so we gets some new strange and wild events. Now, this is where the author could have grabbed me but the story becomes way to unbelievable and just plain silly. Unfortunately this was my first Cook book and I do believe my last.
Rating:
Summary: Sarah's thoughts
Review: Robin Cook's Acceptable Risk is a good book but has many dull places and has many medical words. The beginning and end of the book were the only parts that was exciting. The middle section drag on. The plot was about a scientist, Edward Armstrong, discovering a new drug. The drug that might have been accountable for the Salem Witch Trials. The drug was susposed to help alter ones own personality. Instead other things happen to people who took it. It was interesting to read in the book how far somebody would go just to change his/her own personality.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: When I started reading this book, I was a little dissapointed with the conversations (they seemed too made up) but the matter was too rivetting for me to put the book down . and I'm glad that I did not stop, cause the ending was superb. And I was scared to death. after my roomate had read it, we would wake up in the middle of the night and look at each other's bed, just in case. Very exciting read.
Rating:
Summary: MY FAVORITE COOK BOOK!
Review: Robin Cook is a genius and a gifted writer. His research skills are phenomenal. In this book, Cook opens with the topic of the Salem Witch Trials. One of the things I like about Robin Cook's style is the way his prelude covers a different era and is neatly entwined with the main body of the story. This book is about how the Salem Witch trials were most likely drug induced, the culprit being rye used for making rye bread. People unknowingly ate the drug and as a result were under the influence of a very potent substance. The protagonist is a likable, believable and very sympathetic character. Kim is an avid student of the Salem Witch trials because she had an ancestor named Elizabeth who was hanged during the trials. Kim's home is a treasure trove of Salem memorabilia including letters that were written by zealous, misguided magistrates during that era and by Elizabeth and her children. Eight generations later, Kim uncovers a portrait of Elizabeth and is astounded at the physical resemblance. Immediately feeling bonded to her ancestor and receiving no help from her parents who feel threatened by Salem and feel this is a skeleton in the family closet, she sets on her own quest for truth. In so doing, she uncovers a group of medical professionals who use a similar substance with devastating results. Dr. Cook brilliantly entwines the disparate studies of Salem and medical experimentation in a convining fashion. Great work!
Rating:
Summary: Best Cook book ever!
Review: This is definitely my favorite Cook book because it involved a historical portion which i found very entertaining and because it was verrrrry suspenseful and kept me reading for hours.I learned a little about the Salem Witch Trials and I learned some about biochemistry as well. I will admit it was a little predictable but the good definitely overrides the bad. But I was sad to see Kim go back to her old boyfriend. Overall this is an excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: First Cook read led to several more
Review: Acceptable Risk was my first taste of Robin Cook, and I must say that I was impressed enough to have read half a dozen since. One thing that impressed me about this book is the historical fiction element with the Salem Witch Trials, and their connections to present day medical research. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries & suspense. The only downside to the book is that to a seasoned reader, there are too many elements of foreshadow that told me much of the plot in advance, however enough surprises were present at the end to make it an enjoyable read.
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