Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful surprise
Review: This is the first book I have read by Iles. It won't be the last. The plot grabbed me immediately, and I didn't want to stop. This is a well-thought out science fiction novel, a story that could take place today, with good character development, and thought-provoking possibilities.
Once I finished reading it, I also discovered it contains an excellent metaphor throughout. This book is well written, easy to read, and very hard to put down. And it left me thinks.
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat predictable
Review: I am such a big fan of Greg Iles - that is why this is difficult to write. Unlike many of Iles' past books, there really was little character development or well developed meaning in THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD. On the positive, the book did move quickly, but sadly, it is based upon a predicated theme, one that has been used over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: entertaining, but pales next to COLOSSUS
Review: This was a fast read. The final showdown was, however, eerily similar to that in "Colossus: The Forbin Project," a 1970's movie which occasionally airs on cable. That movie, based on a novel by Dennis Feltham Jones, is a TRUE CLASSIC in this genre. This recent novel was less satisfying.
Rating: 
Summary: Anythings Possible
Review: What starts out as a desperate chase when scientist David Tennant suspects his employers are trying to kill him evolves into the ultimate "what if" scenario. Artificial Intelligence is on the brink of being created and along with it comes the terrifying possibility that tremendous power will be unleashed on the world.This is a very entertaining story that speeds along and combines the flavour of the month combination of science v religion.
Rating:
Summary: exciting
Review: i read 3/4 of this book and then decided to check amazon for customer reviews. I am enjoying this book tremendously. it takes place in areas in which i have lived or visited; raleigh, nags head, knoxville, chapel hill and durham. I have traveled on the roads, ferries and waters . The plot is exciting. after seeing so many reviews stating that this is not Iles best, and since this is the first of his books I have read, can't wait to read the rest. so i must return to this book right now. i am indeed obsessed.
Rating:
Summary: DON'T FOLLOW THIS PATH
Review: Greg Iles is one of my favorite authors of the past ten years, and while I admire his desire to "branch out" into another territory, I think he lost his compass on this one. What really hurts this book is it's just not entertaining. I for one am tired of the recent books including "DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons" that just have to question God as most Christians have come to know Him. Iles steps into this territory with metaphysical bullcrap and peoples it with cookie cutter characters and a slow pace, with unbelievable sequences such as the detonation of nuclear weapons. Iles intents may have been good, but what's that old saying..."the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Stick to Iles previous novels---they are superb.
NOT RECOMMENDED.
Rating: 
Summary: This book made me wish I had brain cancer
Review: How bad can literature be? Just read this book and you'll find out. I can not believe that readers are giving this book positive reviews. This book is as thoughtless as it is superficial. A super computer is built, then it launches nuclear weapons on everything and everyone. Why? Because humanity is so bad it's not worth saving; boy, how ORIGINAL! The only reason this book is getting good reviews is because it's an easy read. The author dupes the less astute reader into thinking this story is good by writing a text that moves so fast one barely has time to think. Either that, or, the book was written with short text and small words because the author knew he was WASTING OUR TIME!
Rating:
Summary: This is not Iles best novel.......
Review: While I applaud Greg Iles for consistently delving into areas of fiction that are new to him, "The Footprints of God" just doesn't pan out. Iles starts off with the potential for a real pot boiler and the opportunity to explore both the nature of intelligence and the existence of God. Sounds great....however he gives us one dimensional characters in both the protagonists and the villains. And frankly, the idea that a psychiatrist would become romantically involved with a patient she suspects is mentally ill -- stretches credulity too far. The novel does build some genuine momentum -- but fails to deliver in the final act. If this is the first book of Iles you've read -- I encourage you to give another one of his books -- "24 Hours", "Sleep No More", "Dead Sleep", or the brilliant, "Quiet Game" a read before you make a decision about this author. I enjoyed the turn he took in "Sleep No More" with the paranormal twist incorporated into the thriller/mystery genre. Hopefully he'll get back to that and leave the questions about God, the Universe and Everything to Douglas Adams.
Rating:
Summary: Must Read
Review: This was my first Greg Iles book and I am now a fan. Besides the book being an action, page-turner, I found Iles asking some profound questions about God, religion and modern computing technology. I don't think any true answers are found in the book but it is quite the rollercoaster ride. I recommend this book highly. It's thought provoking and fun.
Rating:
Summary: Greg Iles has once again outdone himself
Review: The late Philip K. Dick spent the greater balance of his literary career dealing with questions of perception and reality, leading to a penultimate trilogy --- VALIS, THE DIVINE INVASION and THE TRANSMIGRATION OF TIMOTHY ARCHER --- which dealt with the concept of God and divine intervention in affairs of humanity. Greg Iles in THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD undertakes issues evocative of, though certainly not imitative of, Dick's work, combining the divine with elements of quantum physics and the ever-evolving world of computers. While other authors have explored this territory --- Arthur C. Clarke comes most immediately to mind with both the 2001 books and his award-winning short story "The Nine Billion Names of God" --- THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD has an immediacy to it that adds tension to the mix. The events taking place here could be happening now, at least with respect to Artificial Intelligence, or "A.I." I've been of the opinion that laptop and desktop computers have a rough A.I. that leads to the performance of what we humans would call a practical joke. I'm referring to the things that computers occasionally do that cause the SYSOP guys to shrug and roll their eyes when asked for a cause of the irritating effect that has manifested itself in the middle of some task. What is discussed here, however, involves a bit more than that. THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD concerns Project Trinity, an attempt to construct a computer that will surpass the power of the human mind. Rather than trying to replicate the human brain, Project Trinity is attempting through an advanced MRI procedure to upload a "map" of the brain, with images, memories and thought processes, into the computer itself. Each member of the Project Trinity team has undergone this procedure and has experienced unique side effects. Dr. David Tennant is attached to the team as an ethicist, with his presence tolerated --- or not --- to varying degrees by the others on the team. Tennant, since undergoing the MRI scan, has experienced somnambulism, with dreams and visions that include the memories of the experiences of Jesus. When a friend and fellow scientist on the project dies suddenly and unexpectedly, Tennant quickly realizes that he was murdered and that the individual responsible for the murder is the head of Project Trinity. Tennant turns to Dr. Rachel Weiss, the psychiatrist who has been treating him for the nightmares and visions that he reports. Weiss at first believes that the nightmares and Tennant's interpretations of them are an extreme result of a prolonged grief reaction to the deaths years ago of Tennant's wife and daughter. When an assassin attempts to kill Tennant and Weiss, they are forced to leave Project Trinity in a chase that winds across the country and around the world. By the time they uncover the truth behind Project Trinity, however, the computer is operational, indestructible and holding all of humanity hostage. Iles has acquired a well-deserved reputation for writing intelligent, suspenseful thrillers, and he has outdone himself once again with THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD. Iles's introduction of quantum physics and the concepts of God and creation into THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD is perfect. He throws in just enough to whet the reader's appetite, explains the concept simply enough to avoid any confusion, and jumps back into the story. A lesser writer would have bogged down the narrative with the hows, whys and wherefores that at this point are all unknowns anyway. Iles's suspenseful ending is just about perfect as well, combining a satisfactory resolution with just a hint of the unknown. THE FOOTPRINTS OF GOD is ultimately more than just a novel of speculation; it may be a roadmap to what is just around the corner. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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