Toxin

Rating:
Summary: Cook's worst book. Horrible ending to a feeble story.
Review: This book is nothing more than a rip off. It could and should have been better. Dr. Cook should stop preaching and go back to writing. The ending was the pits. It's like Cook became tired with the story and quickly ended it. Not his best but possibly his worst.

Rating:
Summary: Robin Cook, you are getting tiresome
Review: I am growing quite weary of reading Robin Cook's expose on managed health care. The first half of the book dwelt on managed care and that a physician's daughter should get preferential treatment in a hospital emergency room. Dr. Cook, welcome to the rest of the world and face the problems the other 99% of the workforce faces---layoffs, long waits in doctor's offices, etc.

Rating:
Summary: Lignten up - it's only a novel
Review: Robin Cook's Toxin is and always was just a novel. It was not intented to be a documentary just pure entertainment. As that, it was a great read - interesting and fast. I read it in less than a week which is unusual for me. What it did do for me was to make me think about what could happen in the "real world". It gave me enough knowledge to make me think twice about eating another fast food hamburger. But more important, it makes me want to look into more "real facts" and "statistics" to enable me to make an educated choice. But as a novel, I thought the book was great. Anything that makes one "think twice" can't be all bad.

Rating:
Summary: Good Idea,but poorly written
Review: Okay, so I don't think I'll eat fast food burgers for a while! This was definitely not one of Dr. Cook's best. He does not do a lot of plot development and the main character, Dr. Reggis certainly does not ilicit my sympathy! I mean, what a jerk! Also, the USDA inspector is a very interesting character and she doesn't even make it to the end of the book. I would have like to see what Michael Palmer could have done with this same story idea.

Rating:
Summary: Great book ! I've sworn off fast food burgers!!!
Review: I had a hard time stopping the tape to go to work. The graphic details were so profound, I find myself never desiring ground beef again. This book keeps your heart beating. I can't wait for the next adventure.

Rating:
Summary: Attend to the message, not the medium¿GET the N. Fox book!
Review: A pretty typical Cook novel written with his particular formula style. The most important thing for me was Cook's suggestion, at the end of the book, to read Spoiled-A Food Chain Gone Haywire. There really are problems with food borne pathogens. Cook gets our attention, but Fox does an excellent job of documenting and writing about them.

Rating:
Summary: Very well written, and very terrifying
Review: This, in my opinion, is by far, the best novel by Robin Cook. I think what actually made it the best was the very real threat of the E. coli virus in our world today. It honestly made me stop and think "Hey, this really COULD happen to someone that I love". His background in the medical field lends some professional insight into all of his novel topics. I finished the book, put it down, and swore I would never touch hamburger again. With the movement of managed health care, such a crisis is bound to touch at least some of us in the course of our lifetimes. Scary, isn't it??

Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining. Always a joy to read Mr Cook's material
Review: Went to the library and within five days completed this book. I enjoy reading Mr Cook's novels. After you get through the technical jargon, his material really started to move and kept me on the edge of my seat. Have always and will continue to enjoy Mr Cook's works.

Rating:
Summary: NOT THE BEST ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE BEEF INDUSTRY
Review: Robin Cook's "Toxin" is the latest in a long line of fine medical thrillers,but not his best. His description of the beef processing industry is enough to turn you vegan and what he thinks of managed care makes you long for the days of Dr. Welby.However, his main character is weak and the plot predictible. The ending left me dissatisfied. I wish there had been more closure.

Rating:
Summary: Good idea, poorly writen
Review: I have read all of Robin Cook's books, and have noticed quite a decline in the past few titles. However, Toxin certainly is the worst written in quite a while. An interesting and potentially fascinating look at the subject matter is lost by poor character development, dispicable dialogue and irrational actions. Along with the revealing information on E. coli and the meat processing industry, this book is also a commentary on the American medical system. Obviously, the author is not pleased with its current direction, but he does not use realistic examples to get the point across. Perhaps Dr. Cook should take a breather; I wouldn't mind waiting a few years for his next title if it could be well written.

Bottom line: a struggle to finish.