Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: Has it ever occurred to anyone that the first outbreaks of Lyme disease, in 1975, happened a mere 10 miles from the Plum Island germ laboratory? It certainly didn't to me until after reading this book. Since 1948, ticks have been bred and infected with the Lyme virus and other horrific viruses on this US govt. owned island located off the coast of Long Island and Connecticut in Long Island Sound. Old Lyme, CT, namesake of the disease, lies directly in the path of the prevailing wind direction from Plum Island. It just kind of makes you wonder.This book provides an objective history of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center - from its early days as a biological warfare laboratory following WWII (...), through the years it was controlled by the USDA, up until today, when control of the island lies with the Dept. of Homeland Security. At least two outbreaks of diseases that made it to the mainland from Plum Island have occurred over the years; there is also evidence that other virus outbreaks - such as the West Nile virus - possibly originated at the Plum Island facility. It is amazing that so few people really know about the activities on the island, especially when you consider that it is just miles from one of the most populated areas in the country - the New York City area. This book is a great read for anyone concerned about the environment, biological warfare, or the mechanics of the federal govt. It is a must-read for anyone living within 100 miles of Plum Island and/or using Long Island Sound recreationally.
Rating:
Summary: Plum Gut is no defense
Review: Having fished off Plum Island 20 years ago, the the straight between Orient Point and Plum Island known as Plum Gut, I can say that Mr. Carroll's book is clearly accurate. Had I known the information provided, I'm not sure I ever would have taken the Orient Point Ferry or fished anywhere on Long Island's east end. Since the east coast of the US is so populated, Mr. Carroll does a great job describing the dangers and potential fixes of this island. Carroll does a great service to the country by bringing this issue to the attention of the world.
Rating: 
Summary: No Such Thing as Canadian Geese!
Review: I am reading this book. The author, as investigative reporter, presents many interesting pieces of circumstantial evidence implicating our government in the outbreak of deadly epidemics in America. His armour of omniscience however got a big chink taken out of it as far as I'm concerned when he repeatedly referred to the presence of and migratory habits of "Canadian geese". Mr. Carroll there are no such animals. Canada geese are named after the Native American Canada tribe. These birds are not named after the country of Canada and cannot correctly be referred to as "a Canadian Air Force". You would think that a dedicated investigative reporter obsessed with accuracy and getting things right, who claims to have interviewed many birders, would have been informed that Canada geese and not "Canadian geese" fly the skies of Plum Island. What other major details in the story are as eggregiously slipshod? It made me wonder. Who edited this book? I also found several poorly written sentences with reduncies in the first thirty pages.
Rating:
Summary: Well researched, poses interesting questions
Review: I bought this book because of natural curiosity I've had since I read DeMille's "Plum Island" a few years back. Carroll obviously spent hundreds of hours over a few years meeting Lab workers, newspaper reporters and people infected with unusual diseases. My only criticism is that in the end, too much is left to the imagination. That said, the author brings to light many events that I never knew about as a native Long Islander. Later in the book Carroll discusses the lax security that has plagued the island, even in the years since 9/11. Well written, very interesting...I definitely recommend it (especially if you are big fan of conspiracy theories).
Rating:
Summary: Well researched, poses interesting questions
Review: I bought this book because of natural curiosity I've had since I read DeMille's "Plum Island" a few years back. Carroll obviously spent hundreds of hours over a few years meeting Lab workers, newspaper reporters and people infected with unusual diseases. My only criticism is that in the end, too much is left to the imagination. That said, the author brings to light many events that I never knew about as a native Long Islander. Later in the book Carroll discusses the lax security that has plagued the island, even in the years since 9/11. Well written, very interesting...I definitely recommend it (especially if you are big fan of conspiracy theories).
Rating:
Summary: Well researched, poses interesting questions
Review: I bought this book because of natural curiosity I've had since I read DeMille's "Plum Island" a few years back. Carroll obviously spent hundreds of hours over a few years meeting Lab workers, newspaper reporters and people infected with unusual diseases. My only criticism is that in the end, too much is left to the imagination. That said, the author brings to light many events that I never knew about as a native Long Islander. Later in the book Carroll discusses the lax security that has plagued the island, even in the years since 9/11. Well written, very interesting...I definitely recommend it (especially if you are big fan of conspiracy theories).
Rating:
Summary: Scariest book you'll ever read!
Review: If "The Hot Zone" scared the pants off of you, then this book will leave you naked. As an eastern Long Islander, this book really opened my eyes and made me think. With every chapter I read, I was on the phone soon afterwards telling my friends, "And you know what else the government is doing there...." The only reason I did not give this the full five stars was that it seemed to me in the last chapter that Mr. Carroll changed his stance on this issue. After an entire book of relating the nasty things that have happened on Plum Island---and ARE happening--Carroll suggests that perhaps Plum Island is needed. If this is his belief after all the research he did, then why wasn't that reflected in the rest of the book? Even so, I reccommend this book to anyone concerned about the health and safety of their neighborhood, particularly everyone living in the Long Island/Connecticut areas.
Rating:
Summary: Scariest book you'll ever read!
Review: If "The Hot Zone" scared the pants off of you, then this book will leave you naked. As an eastern Long Islander, this book really opened my eyes and made me think. With every chapter I read, I was on the phone soon afterwards telling my friends, "And you know what else the government is doing there...." The only reason I did not give this the full five stars was that it seemed to me in the last chapter that Mr. Carroll changed his stance on this issue. After an entire book of relating the nasty things that have happened on Plum Island---and ARE happening--Carroll suggests that perhaps Plum Island is needed. If this is his belief after all the research he did, then why wasn't that reflected in the rest of the book? Even so, I reccommend this book to anyone concerned about the health and safety of their neighborhood, particularly everyone living in the Long Island/Connecticut areas.
Rating:
Summary: Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret ..
Review: Michael Carroll has done a tremendous job in writing this book. Having dealt with Lyme disease for the past 10 years makes one leery of what Lab 257 is doing. Is Lyme disease a US Government Coverup? A terrible mistake? An accident or a planned release of a bacteria that may be the cause of untold millions of illnesses. Why hasn't the US Government come up with an accurate test for Lyme disease? This book should be in every library and on everyone's reading list.
Rating:
Summary: Very well researched, LAB 257.....Ignore it at your own risk
Review: Michael Carroll's brave and compelling book raises questions that must be answered. The depth of research becomes clear quite quickly, but Carroll's a master of taking a LOT of information and delivering it in a very readable fashion. If The Hot Zone and the Omega Code raised the hairs on your neck, this book will deliver, but much scarier, because you can't just walk away and say "It's only a movie"....
Anyone who dismisses this book as an unlikely scenario is just naive. Bravo to Carroll, whose 7 years of writing shows up on every page.
This is a book that you should read, and then send to your Congressperson and Senator immediately. Though Carroll discusses the threat to the eastern seabord, I'm here to tell you that the same thing that happens to the guard in the first chapter happened to me in the Hollywood Hills in one of LA's most exclusive neighborhoods.....that means it can happen to you. Read this book, and wise up.
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