Rating: 
Summary: Good research; awful writing
Review: As all the magazine reviews have said, there's a lot of valuable research and privileged information in this book. But what may not be clear, except in the quotation from (of all places) "Entertainment Weekly", is that the writing is quite bad -- as if a very bright scholar or journalist had taken a night-school course in writing an "airport thriller", then talked a friend into publishing it without bringing in a co-writer or a good editor. (An editor is credited, if that's the right word here; I would have withdrawn my name if I were her.)The plot is a little about forensics and epidemiology, new and interesting to most readers, and a whole lot about silly chases through tunnels and shafts, more like the script for a video game than a silly TV movie. What's missing, despite a few tries, is any insight into the only interesting character -- who is, as usual, the Bad Guy, not the Lovely Doctor or the Brave Agent. Worse, by making him a lone madman with a fixed address, rather than a resourceful and rational group, the entire plot becomes "Catch the Serial Murderer", his weapon almost irrelevant, rather than "Defeat Bio-Terrorism", without which there's no reason to publish or read this particular piece of fiction. The bookstores are already full of cops-versus-psycho novels. At the sentence level, Preston's style is full of incorrect syntax, idiom, and semantics; mangled metaphors; pointless brand-names and jargon; jarring shifts between action and exposition -- sometimes within a single paragraph. It's like a poor imitation of the clumsily didactic novels of James Michener or Leon Uris. Perhaps there's something infectious about bio-terrorism as the theme of a bad novel. Tom Clancy's "Rainbow Six" has a very similar theme; the Big Bad Guy and his gang have the same technology and the same motivation (pruning, not profit or political change) -- and it's Clancy's most pointless and poorly-written novel.
Rating: 
Summary: A book that is hard to put down.
Review: The book was thrilling. I found it almost impossible to put it down. It makes you wonder if there is really a chance of that happening. I'll think twice when I get sick again. The Cobra Event was a great book. The plot was wonderful and well thought. Though I loved the book I would not reccomend it to anyone who does not enjoy graphic details. For anyone who does, go for it.
Rating:
Summary: Scariest book of the year
Review: The book that scared the president, that's all I have to say. A killer virus which is actually a combination of a group of viruses is being released and tested on humans before the huge outbreak ocurs. The victims actually start to eat themselves and have violent convulsions before they break their own backs and die in an arched position. Very vivid and graphic accounts of autopsies and the actual deaths of the victimms. The book is very hard to put down and makes me think twice every time I get pink eye or feel sick of what really could be happening to me.
Rating:
Summary: A boring Virus Story
Review: Richard Preston has no ability to create a story that really keeps the interest of the reader. I love to read about anything and the central point of this book - biological warfare - could offer a great book. But that's not the case of Cobra Event. Extremely gore and galore in some points (like the suicide of Dr. Dudley), dull and heavy in other parts, Cobra Event is a book that neves takes off. Preston has a mamoth style of writing and it doesn't help to lift up the reader expectative!
Rating:
Summary: The Cobra Event should be required reading.
Review: The Cobra Event by Richard Preston should be required reading for everyone. The true details of biological warfare are given in frightening detail. Knowing that such an event could actually happen is certainly an eye opening experience. Perhaps if everyone read this, more attention would be given to peace seeking instead of mindless plots to rule the world.
Rating:
Summary: Good journalism, bad literature
Review: Preston's skill is in presenting factual material in a dramatic way. But this talent is dissipated in fiction because it's very difficult for the reader to know what's real and what he's just made up. Add to this a complete inability to evoke character and creaky dialogue and you have a rather unsatisfactory novel. I much preferred his New Yorker articles to anything in this effort.
Rating:
Summary: Scary entertainment - I loved it!
Review: Great book about a New York terrorist with biological warefare. This could really happen folks! The author did his homework. I coudn't put it down which doesn't happen often.
Rating: 
Summary: Yuck!!!!!!!
Review: I had to give up on this one!! How anyone could stand reading the autopsy of Kate, I'll never know. It was too much for me. Totally disgusting and boring book!!
Rating:
Summary: A bioterroist sheds an evil disease on New York.
Review: I thought the book was excellent.Richard Preston is one of my favorite authors!He writes in such detail.I love this book and reccommend it to my friends and family,if they like gorey books!Two thumbs up I also read the Hot Zone which was great also.
Rating: 
Summary: Compelling scenario that has bite
Review: While the development of characters may not be exceptional and some dialogue is stiff and lacking the free flow of "real people" speaking, the book is so compelling in its story content, that all is more than forgiven for the imperfections. Overall, this is exceptional entertainment.
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