Toxin

Rating:
Summary: You name it, this thriller has it
Review: Well I just completed Toxin today, and I'm certainly looking at hamburger and the meat industry at a different angle now. This extraordinary, informative novel by Robin Cook takes something as simple as undercooked meat at a fast food restaurant and turns it into a frightening, everday reality that we are actually faced with in society, but don't always know about until the unimaginable happens. This very scenario is portrayed in Toxin, and every turn Robin takes brings more suspense to the story. I strongly suggest it to loyal Robin Cook readers, and novices alike.

Rating:
Summary: my review
Review: This book deals with the story of a doctor who sees his daughter infected with the E.Coli virus. Even though he cannot save her, he becomes involved in the investigation.

As usual, Robin Cook has managed to bring a very important subject into his books. E.Coli virus is today's news and he makes it possible for the reader to understand just how exposed we all are.

The plot is interesting and well thought-out as well as the characters who are well integrated into the story.

Good read and entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Cook Cooks up a barely digestible concoction
Review: I admit. I have been a big fan of Dr. Cook. In fact I will read his next book as soon as it comes out - out of habit and because he has entertained well in the past. But face it, the man is burnt out. His characters are cartoons whose dimesionality makes Bugs Bunny look 4-D! In his recent books he is pushing an agenda here or his opinion there. Well that is his prerogative. He can choose to write fiction that is fairly boring. How long his loyal readers are going to suffer...I may read his next book, but after that...well lets just wait and see. In the meantime - just buy irradiated burgers and fire up that grill.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This book was extremely well done. Cook never ceases to amaze me with his writing, and his use of recent health topics is wonderful. This book is about Kim Reggis, who is on a hunt to expose the meat industry's involvement for his daughter's death. The daughter, Becky, died of E. Coli, and it was from the meat of a fast food place. This book makes you examine the way in which the animals are slaughtered, and how safe the meat that you eat really is. I think Cook really opened my eyes to the problem of E. Coli, and hope that everyone reads this book. Cook's description and writing is one of the reasons why I love him so much, and this book was one of his best.

Rating:
Summary: How do you give negative stars!
Review: Don't bother wasting your time. The first chapter starts out realistic enough and as the book progresses the characters seem to develop superpowers to conquer the world against the evils of the meat industry. Robin Cook must have copied the pages of his favorite superhero comic book to come up with this garbage. As if it wasn't bad enough, IF you make it to the ending, the book only get worse. I wouldn't even wish this book on my worst enemy.

Rating:
Summary: This is a terrible audio book
Review: My review is of the audio book adaption of TOXIN -- which is terrible. The production is awkward at best. Lots of overly dramatic music and often in inappropriate places. It's almost as though the person responsible for the music wasn't paying attention to the script. It's truly painful.

Rating:
Summary: just a very bad read
Review: I have read a couple of Robin Cook books and thoroughly enjoyed them but this is the first one I actually purchased. Extremely disappointed after his other efforts. This book is dull with very little in the way of believability. The main character drives the reader away with his irritating manner and no other character steps up to endear the book to the reader. Avoid this one and pick up one of his better efforts.

Rating:
Summary: Most unbelievable book I've ever experienced
Review: Besides using exaggeration to the point of absurdity (eg, Americare's unwillingness to treat patients in anything but a robotic, uncaring manner), Cook has not the faintest idea of how parents react to the loss of a child. I have worked in a hospital for over 5 years - I deal daily with the Managed Care fiasco AND families in grief. There was NOTHING realistic about either of the many scenarios he presented. The only reason I gave the book 1 star is the description of meat processing - I am again a vegetarian.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good, but the ending made me throw the book down!
Review: This was a good book, but it definitely had three problems. 1- The multi-personality doc was unbelievable, resembling a whiny superhero. 2- The writing was so contrary. Cook has a large vocabulary, even sometimes he's too perfect with the grammar in the conversation. Yet, most of the dialogue is followed by "Tracy said, Reggis said, Tracy said, Becky said, Kelly said". Does Cook know of any other word to use besides "said" after quotation?

And the third problem was the ENDING! It ruined the book AND cost the book two stars on my rating. My hand was turning the pages at a mile a minute and then stopped at the ending. The story just fell into an empty space, not resolving the problem, no conclusion, nothing. UGH! I threw the book down in disgust.

Now you're asking why did I rate it with 3 stars. I couldn't put the book down (until the end, explained earlier). Cook's use of setting, conflict, and description was phenomenal. I really felt like I was in the scenes. The author merged a narrative medical drama with expository information about the steer-to-hamburger process. The "bridge" that melded the two and made the story work was the conflict of: the doctor's attempt to uncover E. Coli contamination versus the USDA and beef industry alliance's attempt to keep the contamination secret, in order to maintain their profits. If an ending was included in the book, it would be worthy of five stars.

This won't be the best book you'll ever read, but it's nonstop action and exploration through the beef industry will make you think next time you take a bite into that Big Mac.

Rating:
Summary: SHOCKING!
Review: Even though it's fiction, you are not catching me eating anymore at Fast Food stops. I am very careful where and what type of Hamburger I eat. This book open my eye's up to what could happen.