Rating: 
Summary: Toxin made me not want to eat hamburgers for a week
Review: This book makes you think about the burgers and where they come from. Would you want to eat something that came from a sick cow? I think this book is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Who Could put this book down?
Review: For the people that criticized this book down and dirty like "read so and so he's a much better writer" Obviously dont know a good book when they read one or perhaps they dont understand what they are reading. I read this book in 2 days, it was one of the most intriguing books I have read, yes the ending did sort of leave you hanging, but the first and middle parts made up for it, as for the characters being exaggerated, not so, there are many people that are just like Kim Regis and the other characters as well. I am Robin Cooks' biggest fan, I've read almost every one of his best selling novels, and I have loved everyone of them. This book is a real look into the meat industry and should make you think about what you're really eating, it did me. Because e.coli is real folks and this could happen.
Rating: 
Summary: Toxin
Review: Cook suffers from an inability to write dialogue. This was the worst. How could we feel sorry for Kim and change our own meat-eating ways, as was obvious that Cook was trying to do, when we could in no way ally ourselves with the main character. As are many of Cook's characters, he was brash, rude, arrogant, and totally unbelievable. It's time for Cook to quit preaching and start writing.
Rating:
Summary: Tells the Truth in an Engrossing Manner
Review: If you're the type of person that does not have the time to read Laurie Garrett's BETRAYAL OF TRUST: The Collapse of Global Public Health (Hyperion, 2000), at 754 pages a real challenge, then this book, and the other books in the series, are a very worthwhile means of exploring real truths in an engrossing manner. The fact of the matter is that we are creating an increasingly dangerous environment for ourselves, with cross-contamination, increasingly resistant strains of difficult to diagnose diseases, and so on. The naive will lambast the book for scare-mongering, and they will be wrong--if this book gets you through an airline flight, or an afternoon, and causes you to think just a tiny bit about the reality that we can no longer trust our government to protect the food supply and preparation process, and to think just a tiny bit about how you might protect your children from inadequate "due diligence" by the food service industry, then you will be richly rewarded. The author himself recommends the non-fiction book by Nicols Fox, SPOILED: What is Happening to Our Food Supply and Why We Are Increasingly at Risk (Basic Books, 1997 or Penguin, 1998). The bottom line is that this novel is for serious people, and chillingly worthwhile for those who like to learn while being entertained.
Rating:
Summary: Poor execution, poor characterization, poor ending
Review: I'm sure I've read worse books than this one, but not many. The characters in the book were so exaggerated they were unbelievable, and their actions totally unrealistic. I forced my way to the end, hoping it would redeem the book somewhat for me, but the ending was the worst part of all. Talk about lack of resolution. The book also suffers from poor research. I'm surprised he hasn't been sued by the beef industry for his representation of them in this book. If things were really as bad as he makes them out to be, people would be dropping like flies. If you want to read a good medical thriller, try Michael Palmer. He is a much better writer.
Rating:
Summary: Worst book I've read in years
Review: This was the first Robin Cook work I've read, and if it'sindicative of his work, it will be the last. The book starts out introducing us to stereotypical TV-movie characters in equally stereotypical dialogue: the rich, self-absorbed doctor argues with his airhead bimbo girlfriend/former secretary while driving his Mercedes, then argues with his whiny teenage daughter who hates the girlfriend, then argues with his estranged wife... Once the real story gets going, the doctor behaves in totally unrealistic ways constantly. The "story" is mainly an attack on the meat industry, and we're deluged with gross-out scenes and intricate gory details which do nothing for the plot, but appear to be intended solely to nauseate the reader. Characters spout statistics and news-story-type facts instead of dialogue, and implausible plot elements follow each other in rapid succession. Finally, the first unexpected plot twist happens -- and the book suddenly ends! No wrap-up of story lines, no resolution of relationships, it just... stops. The audio tape tries to make the story suspenseful by using a LOT of "dramatic" background music, without success... I was amazed this book even got published -- if it had been a new author's first submission, it would never have seen print. Do yourself a favor, and skip this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed Feelings
Review: I have been an avid follower of Robin Cook since middle school. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of his books, but this one left me a tad cold. On the one hand, he does a thorough job of indicting the meat packing industry and managed health care. It is very interesting to see how neatly he intwines these two industries and shows the relationship between them. On the other hand, I did not like the protagonist, Dr. Reggis or his brat of a daughter. I felt Becky was rude to adults and had a very fresh mouth. The only thing I did like about her was her realistic view of figure skating -- if she went pro or went national, it would spoil the fun. I also liked Kim's estranged wife. I felt she was level and together and had a lot on her plate having to put up with him and cope with the subsequent death of their daughter to E. Coli from bad meat. One character I really liked was David, the doctor who called Kim on his bad behavior in the waiting room when Becky was first admitted. He was stern, he was adult, he was reasonable. I really liked him and felt he was thoroughly professional. I agree with other readers that the ending is a bust. Does Caroline, Becky's skating peer develop the E. Coli? If so, does she survive?
Rating:
Summary: Character development
Review: I applaud a writer who can develop character and tell a story that isn't held together by graphic and lengthy sex scenes or non-stop vulgarities meant to sell the book. Well done, Dr. Cook! You're the best!
Rating:
Summary: A chilling and frightening masterpiece!
Review: Some people say that the ending leaves the situation unresolved. And, in a way, it does. But, that's the way the world works; especially with the meat industry. You can't just bring all the dirty, behind-the-scenes deeds to a close, once and for all! Those kind of things are always going to be a fact of life, and that's what Cook was trying to show. The book as a whole is my favorite Cook book I've read yet. Masterfully penned, hauntingly real, and a real page turner! The only downer was the character of Kim Reggis was a little over-done. Come on! No one has a personality THAT hyper! The guy flips out if he doesn't get his way after asking once! His character could've been better written. But, as I said, Robin Cook has written a positively surreal thriller, and one that will surely make you think.
Rating:
Summary: Where's that ending, am I missing some pages?
Review: I was literally looking at my book wondering if I was missing pages between the end and that stupid epilogue. You are left wondering more about what happened than wondering how someone like that can even be published. They start a story line and then say I'm done I can't write no more. I was really disappointed by this book. It had no character depth and was very unrealistic. I was wondering how that arrogant doctor thought that he should have special privileges in the ER. They should wait with the rest of us. And he is in jail twice in the same week and is still let out to run amongst the rest of us. I could barely get passed the fact that the main character a male was named Kim. I guess since I didn't get to know the person of Kim I was always having to remind myself it was a man. It could have been a good book but it needed to go back to the drwing board for lots and lots of revisions. A teacher would say that it has potential but you can't turn in that without lots of work. Most of the plot was just bad and the ending was even worse. I don't know how people could give this book 5 stars it definitely deserved only one, if that.
|
