Rating: 
Summary: *gag*
Review: 1 million processor super computer?Please. Database purposefully not connected to the internet but mirraculously connected? (...) . Someone needs to beat some sense into this author. He knows nothing about anything he writes, and his idea of fiction based on non-fiction with heavy-borrowing from the latter is repulsive to any fiction fan. If its going to be fiction, please make it DIFFERENT from the truth, not the same but horribly inaccurate. I think I'll write a book on how evil children are, and give a whole bunch of facts like how they don't care about anyone else but themselves because Dr. Jimmyhat, Ph.D. said so, and also because they have a third nipple!! It's true!! I stated it as fact and I'm the master of facts! (roll eyes) I read this book in one day (I'm a fast reader) and was able to return it to my buddy at the book store for a full refund. Score. If you were unable to return it for a refund, I hear it burns funny colors. (...) Also, I knew what nuclear fission was when I was in 8th grade. It's not something only those at the Manhattan Project will understand... people are generally smarter than they were back in the day.
Rating:
Summary: Digging up the trash
Review: This book, which I picked up at an airport,after reading the DaVinci codes, is a poorly disguised attempt to sell the public an inferior product on the coattails of a more succesful one. The plot is so thin it's transparent with unlikely scenarios and poorly defined characters. Mr. Brown knowledge of Spain, Catholic ritual, Code encryption and computers is only outstanding because of his ignorance. I believe the book deserves a minus star as a very poor attempt at literature. I thought the Da Vince Codes were just fair (despite its best seller status) and I doubt I will ever read Dan Brown's work again.
Rating: 
Summary: worth the effort
Review: Having been introduced to Dan Brown through the DaVinci Code, I wasn't expecting the suspense in government stuff. But I really liked it. The beginning is a bit slow, but half way through I couldn't stop until it was done. take the time
Rating: 
Summary: Actually really good!!!
Review: I don't know why everyone else is giving this book such a bad review. I really liked it. Granted, I didn't bother researching to see if all the facts are correct, but I wasn't buying NONFICTION here. Anyway, it's very fast paced, lots of twists, and overall a very enjoyable read. I wasn't surprised by the main thrust of the ending, but there were lots of little quirky things along the way that weren't expected. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Dan Brown. HOWEVER, if you want another Divinci Code with symbols and religion, this isn't it. But if you want a suspenseful book that's fast paced, fun, and surprising, then this the way to go.
Rating: 
Summary: cynical
Review: DIGITAL FORTRESS involves an NSA cryptographer and a professor, also lovers, serparately looking for the key to an "unbreakable code". The book is loaded with action and twists, and while some may find it perfect beach fare, it's full of holes and improbabilites. Part of the plot involves an untrained professor being sent on a secret mission by the NSA, and some of the mistakes made by NSA staff seem ridiculous.
The book is full of paranoia about the government tapping into our email and other communications. Many people's views on these things have changed since DIGITAL FORTRESS came out in 1998, which lends the book an unfortunate dated quality, as f it had been written in the '60s..... not as good as DA VINCI
Rating: 
Summary: Brown's least enjoyed novel
Review: Not up to Brown's par. To be fair this was written in 1998 and I read it in 3/04. The computer references are dated relative to now. Plus I get the sneaking feeling that Brown is writing about material that he is not entirely comfortable with. Nonetheless a good plot and a good book.
Rating:
Summary: Short on reality
Review: I've read three of Dan Brown's books (Digital Fortress, Angels and Demons, and The DaVinci Code). All three have technological flaws that make the stories hard to swallow. In the Digital Fortress at the end of the book, the big problem is preventing all of the Internet hackers from getting into the NSA's massive database with all of the world's secrets. As the security is slowly breached, nobody can figure out how to prevent the hackers from getting in. Anybody think about disconnecting from the Internet? This is a "national crisis" so keeping out the good guys is not as important as keeping out the bad guys. The other problem I have with Dan Brown's characters is that they are brilliant in the beginning of the books and then half way through they can't figure out the simpliest problem. This is especially true in Digital Fortress and the DaVinci Code. The stories are fast moving and engrossing as long as you're willing to accept Brown's flawed premises.
Rating:
Summary: Come On !!!
Review: If I were Dan Brown, I would covertly buy all copies of Digital Fortress and burn them at my back yard. Digital Fortress is one of the worst techno-thriller books I've ever read. In fact I was so disappointed with this book, that I simply left it in the drawer of my London hotel - maybe someone else would enjoy it (although I highly doubt it). I don't think Dan Brown is a very bad writer. I read Deception Point (a classic airport novel - good pace, interesting twists, passable science) and I'm half way through the Da Vinci Code. But Digital Fortress is completely off the mark. I've managed to guess each and every plot turn, the "riddles" are simply bad, and even when remembering that the book was published in 1998, the encryption and web technology covered in the book is laughable and lacks the minimum amount of vision you would expect from a techno writer. In short - don't waste your time here.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the Time
Review: Not being a computer person, I do not know what is inaccurate in this book. Having read Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, I do take novels from Dan Brown with a grain of salt. He puts forth interesting ideas deviating from the mainstream that are fun to read. Digital Fortress is not as well written with the depth of the later books. I also found the answer to the identity of the mystery character to be obvious quite early in the story-line. That being said, Digital Fortress is well worth reading and has a nail-biter of an ending. As with the other books, I enjoyed observing watching the characters work at solving a puzzle. If this was Brown's most recent work, I may have been dissappointed. However as a first effort it is a definite thumbs up and demonstrates his growth in the last several years.
Rating:
Summary: If you have nothing else to do
Review: This book is a good "airplane book" . You can read it from New york to LA and never miss anything. There are many inaccuracies that a good Software Engineer can point out, but the one that bothered me most is that there are no stairs in the Giralda. Did Dan Brown really spend time in Seville?
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