Rating: 
Summary: A "Mind Meets Machine" Story
Review: I listened to the unadbridged taped version of this book, and though I wavered between giving it a 3 or a 4, I decided on the 4 because it kept my attention, unlike many books on tape I listen to. This is a "mind meets machine" story, and reminded me of the movie "Frequency", in which Dennis Quad hears his long-dead father over the radio, and "Matrix" in which the minds of people are living in cyberspace. In this story, Scott's son Tyler has a terrible head injury, and Tyler lies in a coma, as the doctors attempt a never-before-tried procedure to salvage Tyler's mind with the assistance of a computer which seems to take over Tyler's life force.Rather than dwelling on the plot, I'll comment that for me, the story was interesting, though rather predictable. What I really missed was the point of view of Tyler, the son. I wanted to know where his mind was throughout the story. To me, that would have been more interesting, to know what he was thinking and "doing" in the netherworld as he watched the adults dealing with his situation; but Tyler remained "silent" throughout the story. The reader did an acceptable job, and for the most part was easy to listen to, except when trying to give expression and voice to some of the characters. In trying to sound like the women characters, his voice took on a whiny, simpering tone, and some of the doctors and scientists took on an overly "diabolical" or "nerdy" tone. These interpretations were somewhat annoying. My final comment is that yes, the taped version was entertaining enough to keep me listening, but I'm glad I only listened as I went about my work, and didn't spend precious time dedicated to reading the book.
Rating:
Summary: A "Mind Meets Machine" Story
Review: I listened to the unadbridged taped version of this book, and though I wavered between giving it a 3 or a 4, I decided on the 4 because it kept my attention, unlike many books on tape I listen to. This is a "mind meets machine" story, and reminded me of the movie "Frequency", in which Dennis Quad hears his long-dead father over the radio, and "Matrix" in which the minds of people are living in cyberspace. In this story, Scott's son Tyler has a terrible head injury, and Tyler lies in a coma, as the doctors attempt a never-before-tried procedure to salvage Tyler's mind with the assistance of a computer which seems to take over Tyler's life force. Rather than dwelling on the plot, I'll comment that for me, the story was interesting, though rather predictable. What I really missed was the point of view of Tyler, the son. I wanted to know where his mind was throughout the story. To me, that would have been more interesting, to know what he was thinking and "doing" in the netherworld as he watched the adults dealing with his situation; but Tyler remained "silent" throughout the story. The reader did an acceptable job, and for the most part was easy to listen to, except when trying to give expression and voice to some of the characters. In trying to sound like the women characters, his voice took on a whiny, simpering tone, and some of the doctors and scientists took on an overly "diabolical" or "nerdy" tone. These interpretations were somewhat annoying. My final comment is that yes, the taped version was entertaining enough to keep me listening, but I'm glad I only listened as I went about my work, and didn't spend precious time dedicated to reading the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Artistically crafted, imaginatively conceived
Review: I was also unable to put this book down. I was amazed by the imaginative detail - little things such as the meter that determines whether or not the machines or the brain is keeping Tyler alive, or even the use of a psychiatric ward as the backdrop for the exploration of the mind. Most important of all, Darnton's novel is a new and fresh perspective on what it means to be human. He has separated out what we rarely discern as separate, and he has suggested definition for the mind beyond what we typically consider. I do not, ironically, agree with the other reviews that Darnton has somehow probed a potentially terrifying future based on biomedical science. This book is more comparable to Shelley's "Frankenstein" than it is to Crichton's "Andromeda Strain", in that it is about the issue of hubris and humanity. Yes, there could come a time when the mind is somehow mapped out by computers and stored away, much as there has already come the time when the human parts of deceased people are used to extend life for the living - but the horrors portrayed by Darnton are not neccessarily any more likely to come about than the monster of Shelley's imagination. The issue is the *character* of the surgeon Saramaggio (what a great name, by the way - shades of "Dimaggio" mixed up with Saramaggio's portrayed greatness), the *character* of Cleaver (another interesting name, in contrast to the innocence of "the Beav"), and the transformed innocence of the father and the assistant surgeon, Scott and Kate. It is those first two characters' obsessions with success at the cost of humanity that drives this story, and their respective fates by the end of the book are fascinating in their contrast. A great book! Very well done, John Darnton!
Rating:
Summary: Artistically crafted, imaginatively conceived
Review: I was also unable to put this book down. I was amazed by the imaginative detail - little things such as the meter that determines whether or not the machines or the brain is keeping Tyler alive, or even the use of a psychiatric ward as the backdrop for the exploration of the mind. Most important of all, Darnton's novel is a new and fresh perspective on what it means to be human. He has separated out what we rarely discern as separate, and he has suggested definition for the mind beyond what we typically consider. I do not, ironically, agree with the other reviews that Darnton has somehow probed a potentially terrifying future based on biomedical science. This book is more comparable to Shelley's "Frankenstein" than it is to Crichton's "Andromeda Strain", in that it is about the issue of hubris and humanity. Yes, there could come a time when the mind is somehow mapped out by computers and stored away, much as there has already come the time when the human parts of deceased people are used to extend life for the living - but the horrors portrayed by Darnton are not neccessarily any more likely to come about than the monster of Shelley's imagination. The issue is the *character* of the surgeon Saramaggio (what a great name, by the way - shades of "Dimaggio" mixed up with Saramaggio's portrayed greatness), the *character* of Cleaver (another interesting name, in contrast to the innocence of "the Beav"), and the transformed innocence of the father and the assistant surgeon, Scott and Kate. It is those first two characters' obsessions with success at the cost of humanity that drives this story, and their respective fates by the end of the book are fascinating in their contrast. A great book! Very well done, John Darnton!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing...
Review: I was expecting a better book considering the glowing reviews. I'm about 3/4 finished and wish I had not bothered. Its become predictable and boring. Anyone with a medical or computer background would think the main idea of the book is unrealistic. I agree with one of the other reviews regarding the book's omission of what the boy is experiencing, it would've been much more interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed with chararcter of Scott, Tyler's dad.
Review: I'm halfway through the book but I am so disappointed with the character of Scott that I wanted to come here and see what other people thought of the book. Scott does not know everything that we, the reader knows, and yet he wants to stop the experimental procedure that may save his son's life. He has no idea what recovery his son may or may not make but the possibility is there that he may become a functioning human being again. This, however, is not good enough for Scott. He admits he is afraid of not recognizing his son, "the person he once was is gone". Well, that's a little self-serving. We, the reader, know that Sarmaggio is out for personal gain but Scott is just assuming this, he has nothing to base this on. He knows nothing about Cleaver's experiments. I keep thinking "what exactly does Scott know at this point" and what I come up with is that he knows his son suffered a horrible accident and that his brain is damaged. He also knows that many areas of the brain are functioning normally and he knows that there is an experimental procedure that may restore even more function to his son's brain. And yet, he resents the machines that are keeping his son alive. I just don't see his point of view. I can only understand his point of view when I look at it from the reader's viewpoint....but that is NOT Scott's viewpoint. He is not privy to all the information that the reader is. I keep thinking, if this were my son and I was offered this opportunity, I'd take it. Yes, that's my opinion and I would be more open to Scott's opinion if there were some reasoning for it. There's not. Scott is afraid his son may not recover enough to care for himself and yes, that is a possibility but there's also the possibility that he may make a recovery. Scott doesn't even know the odds, the doctors don't know the odds, I can't see any father not taking the chance even if he knew that the odds were stacked against him. I'd want that chance for my kid. Oh, and what was this ... about the doctor that Kate went to talk to, the one who said how many people died while they were doing the first heart operations. What exactly was his point? Was he saying that research shouldn't be done because you may not be able to save the patient? That reasoning didn't make any sense to me. The patients would've died without the experimental surgery and if they died during it then that's a tragedy but I'm sure something was learned from it. Look how many heart operations are done now, obviously the research was worth it. He seemed to be saying that this type of research is detrimental to the patient. I just don't share that viewpoint and I don't believe many surgeons would agree with that either.
Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC!!! HIS BEST YET!
Review: John Darnton doesn't disappoint with his new fast-paced, scientific thriller. The storyline is uncanny with its contemporary theme and his characters so believable. I couldn't put it down! It is his best yet! Where is the next book???
Rating:
Summary: Definetly Not Robin Cook or Michael Palmer or even Clement
Review: John Darnton starts off well, pulls you in as a man who has already lost his beloved wife now is very close to losing his only child. The father takes his son, who fell off a cliff and has a piece of climbing equipment embedded in his forehead, to the best neurosurgeon for care. This neurosurgeon has a "God Complex", imagine that in a neurosurgeon, and he also has a co- conspirator who is both mad scientist and computer genuis/geek who is conducting experiments on how the mind travels outside the body into another existence. From there "Mind Catcher" becomes a mad-scientist science fiction nonthriller with a blunted ending that is less than satisfing. My recommendation: Skip this one and look for something by Robin Cook, Michael Palmer or Peter Clement that you haven't read yet.
Rating:
Summary: Definetly Not Robin Cook or Michael Palmer or even Clement
Review: John Darnton starts off well, pulls you in as a man who has already lost his beloved wife now is very close to losing his only child. The father takes his son, who fell off a cliff and has a piece of climbing equipment embedded in his forehead, to the best neurosurgeon for care. This neurosurgeon has a "God Complex", imagine that in a neurosurgeon, and he also has a co- conspirator who is both mad scientist and computer genuis/geek who is conducting experiments on how the mind travels outside the body into another existence. From there "Mind Catcher" becomes a mad-scientist science fiction nonthriller with a blunted ending that is less than satisfing. My recommendation: Skip this one and look for something by Robin Cook, Michael Palmer or Peter Clement that you haven't read yet.
Rating:
Summary: Brain candy a la mode.
Review: John Darnton, Mindcatcher (Onyx, 2002) Darnton's latest novel has all sorts of nifty stuff going for it, not least a punchy, adrenaline-rousing plot. Tyler, a thirteen-year-old boy, has been injured in a rock climbing accident. Two scientists, brain surgeon Leopoldo Saramaggio and artificial intelligence guru Warren Cleaver, see Tyler as the gateway to performing a revolutionary new experiment that could further the medical field by orders of magnitude. At the other end of the spectrum are Tyler's father Scott and Kate Willett, one of Saramaggio's team, who find themselves confused by the ethical ramifications of what the two doctors are up to. Add to this a mutual animosity underlying the necessity of collaboration between Saramaggio and Cleaver, and you have all the makings for a decent medical thriller. And decent it is, if overly wrapped in cliché and a little predictable at times. Darnton draws his characters well and invests them with real emotion, when they're not spouting phrases that were old when Shakespeare was writing soap operas. The pace rarely leaves breakneck level, and usually gets back up to speed within a few pages. The book goes quickly, especially once the operation begins about ninety pages in. It's good brain candy, gripping but eminently forgettable. An excellent beach read, as we head for another summer. *** ½
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