Toxin

Rating:
Summary: Interesting till Cook got tired near the end
Review: I had trouble sympathizing with the good surgeon and his whining about billings and HMO's. However, Cook did portray the prima donna aspect of the surgeon quite well. And I know of what if speak as I work in a hospital (although a Canadian one). However, several bits at the end troubled me and made me think Cook was eager to finish this book off (maybe his beeper went off?) The ending was unsatisfying, not in the way his characters handled everything, but in how several plot lines disappeared. And how was the good surgeon and his ex-wife going to escape the country after the news was released? And how come no one cared about what happened to the veterinarian? And why did Cook tar the entire legal system (and hence justify the surgeon's reluctance to go to the police) with a quick throw away line about the O.J trial? Next time, turn your beeper off and finish the book.

Rating:
Summary: Good Subject, Poor Storytelling
Review: Mr. Cook had a good subject when he set out to write this book. Unfortunately, he could not offer a complete story. As always, Mr. Cook offered good attention to detail in telling this story. I grew up in a beef producing state (Nebraska) and his description of the slaughter process is accurate. Mr. Cook's main point in the books seems to be that the USDA does not have an incentive to monitor the meat industry because of a conflict of interests. However, after Mr. Cook makes this point, it seems that he did not know what to do with his characters, Dr. Kim Reggis and his ex-wife Tracy. The premise that a member of the American Beef Alliance would hire a hit-man to squelch bad publicity went from the absurd to the ridiculous. Hopefully, Mr. Cooks next book will have an ending.

Rating:
Summary: Well Researched with an Impact
Review: This book is an excellent read. I really learned something about the hamburger industry, about how E. Coli ravages the body, and about managed care! These subjects were deftly woven in the story and it all made sense to me. By the way, this was the first Robin Cook book I've read. READ THIS BOOK!

Rating:
Summary: Bad execution of a good plot
Review: The plot to this book had terrific potential. While I am not squeamish, I felt that the some of the graphic descriptions where not necessary. Dr. Regis' character was arrogant while his actions were predictable for most of the book. This book ends abruptly without letting the reader know what happens to the main characters.

Rating:
Summary: revolting and boring
Review: How can you possibly expect us to enjoy a book when the main source of the "thrills" come from gore-severed heads, etc.-and cheap, underexecuted and hard to believe violence? You never know quite what to expect from the charactors, because they are always changing, and most of them are just plain annoying. No loose ends were tied up, and no one who reads this book will eat for months. It's simply disgusting. Not only that, but depressing and not worth the time spent reading it.

Rating:
Summary: It was disappointing
Review: It seemed to be hard to tell what the main point of the story was. The book starts off railing against managed health care,then switches gears and goes after the USDA and the beef industry. The main character is obnoxious and hard to like. Not the best book I've read lately.

Rating:
Summary: Start on one topic, shift to another, don't complete either
Review: Cook starts two different stories tied trogether with a tragedy. Enter a meltdown by the lead character. Grow tired of writing and stop before you finish either story. There is a faint reference to some sort of resolution at the end of the story but no clear determination as to what the story ending is. A bad book of a good story.

Rating:
Summary: A medical-thriller thats so close to reality it's scary.
Review: Robin Cooks "TOXIN" is an exciting medical-thriller that has you turning page after page through all the twists and turns. A generic Robin Cook in the sense that you can't put it down. A must reader for all medical personnel and thrill seekers.

Rating:
Summary: Cook turns out sour dish
Review: Good idea gone awry. First 150 pages were sluggish. Middle was better but the ending stunk. Characters did not stay consistent thoroughout the story and many aspects of the story were implausible based on how the characters were written in the first 100 pages. Good idea with poor execution. The last 50 pages got silly.

Rating:
Summary: Another great Robin Cook book!
Review: I did not want to put the book down. It was very graphic in describing the meat industry and I do not want to eat hamburger ever again. It was a little disappointing in places but never the less an engrossing book.