Rating:  Summary: great hook, poor book, Review: I was attracted to this book after reading a review that mentioned its "countdown" hook and eclectic Y2K/SETI/archeological components. But the book itself was tedious. Once it became clear that the characters were no more than cartoonish stereotypes, I lost all interest in what was happening. And what was happening wasn't much: the plot was formulaic and in great need of subtlety and humor. The author is also no wordsmith. Among other annoying habits, he is addicted to packing his nouns with stiff or hackeyed adjectives ("the tall and stocky operative") that make the prose a constant uphill read. And did you notice? -- everyone in this book is "seasoned." Everyone. And I do mean everyone. This adjective is so overused, one of my few joys in the book was to play the game of waiting for its next appearance. (If you're going to read this book, it might be fun to do an actual "seasoned" count. Better yet, if you haven't read the book, my advice is: don't.)
Rating:  Summary: An exciting, fascinating, satisfying book. Review: This book is hard to put down. Interesting characters. Much info regarding the Mayans, although I don't know how much is true. At the same time it's a search for a mystery computer virus and contains lots of specific hacker tricks. The computer detail is overwhelming. It even includes computer printouts. You'll be trying to solve the code mysteries before the characters. (They beat me every time.) The finale is satisfying, albeit fanciful. Be warned, though, that there is extremely graphic violence scattered trhoughout. (Perhaps added to sell to the movies?) All in all a very good read. It left me planning to read more from Pineiro.
Rating:  Summary: TERRIBLE Review: This book is a whale of a contrived story that is written only to capitalize on the 01-01-00 logo. The author admits that up front. Other reveiwers seem to think it starts out well. I don't. It never did capture my attention, let alone maintain it. This is a book you can put down and never miss it. Trust me, there is better stuff out there. I note that one reviewer compares this guy to Crichton. What a joke. Crichton's worst story was a quantam leap better than this thing. Pass it up.
Rating:  Summary: I LOVED IT!!! FAR BETTER THAN THE BEST OF CRICHTON Review: If you love action, suspense, mystery, and extraordinary characters, this is the book for you. This is Pineiro at his finest, quick paced, exhilirating. A must read!!
Rating:  Summary: A Millennium thriller with a very different twist Review: I wrote 01-01-00 with the intention of breaking away from my previous computer thrillers. I categorize this novel as a sort of Indiana Jones meets Contact and The Net. It has plenty of action woven with computer technology, the Mayan civilization, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. I'm glad to see the positive feedback from the majority of the readers and most book reviewers. Many thanks for your support and remember that I always welcome direct feedback. Your e-mails will not go unanswered. Cheers!
Rating:  Summary: I could have been a contender... Review: The information on the Mayans is interesting, if true, but the overall story is so cartoonish that I am not quite sure if one should believe it. The story hangs together by a thread and is poorly written. How does the Japanese couple from South America fit in? And more importantly, why? The ending? No wonder there was an epilogue. The editor did a disservice to the author and to the buyers of this book.
Rating:  Summary: Interesting ideas and beginning, terrible writing. Review: Starts out interestingly enough, espcially with the Mayan angle and coincidental calendars, but gets bogged down with trying to unravel number codes based on their numbering system. It may be clever, but it gets old fast. Many number grids throughout the book, Crichton-style, but of no use, especially the many binary grids, which seem more like filler - all you can do with them is wait till the computer figures it out at the end.Other annoyances: Constant "Mayans good, Europeans bad" theme (it's hard to reconcile the book's almost nauseating fawning over the supposed advanced civilization of the Mayas with their barbaric, bloodthirsty rituals); the simplistic, heavy-handed characterization and stereotyping, which ultimately makes the characters seem one-dimensional and cartoonish; the overuse of pet phrases ("He was angry"; "blood pooled on the ground/between his legs"). Of course, the usual (required) "tough" heroine, who quickly falls head over heels for ... you get the idea. Reading the "thought processes" of the two hero(ine)s as they fall for each other was quite sickening for its cookie-cutteredness. See, I've had to invent a word. Oh, and does "Antonio" sound like a KGB name? And, unfortunately, the Mayan angle ultimately flops, climaxing to a whimper, sort of like the ending to "Highlander."
Rating:  Summary: the convergence of the maya and gregorian calendars Review: This book shows how a hacker can produce results that were unintended. Consider the potential problems before acting - a good note for all - not just hackers like Bloodaxe. The book does a disservice when indicating that hackers can strike a deal with the fbi. It is a long bet that a hacker can deal away criminal activity. Don't count on it. I really liked the reference to the Maya. Compassion and intelligence are the very being of the Maya war chief.
Rating:  Summary: Fast paced, entertaining from cover to cover! Review: A wonderful blend of today's computer world and ancient Mayan mysteries! Thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end.
Rating:  Summary: A first-rate thriller Review: Once is a long while comes a book where not only the action is terrific, but also has extraordinary characters, and a very original plot. 01-01-00 captivated me from the opening scene and kept me turning the pages all the way to its climatic ending.
|