Zodiac

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good
Review: I was a little hesitant to read this book, afraid I'd have ecological evangelism pushed down my throat, but it wasn't like that at all. Stephenson merely uses environmentalists to convey the story, and you don't feel like he's preaching to you at all. The hard science keeps the story refreshing too. You learn a little while reading.
I have one complaint - there were a ton of typos - the kind Word's grammar or spell checkers wouldn't pick up, but any human editor would.

Rating:
Summary: Another Neal Stephenson winner
Review: I am a big Stephenson fan after having read Diamond Age, Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon, but I was a bit hesitant to pick up Zodiac after I heard some mediocre reviews by other readers. However, I found Zodiac to be of the same quality reading as the other Stephenson books and a must read for any fan.

As with his other books, Stephenson has done his homework as he creates the world of the environmental activist living near the chemical soup called Boston Harbor. The story takes some twists and turns as we follow our hero S.T. as he tries to make the life of big time polluters a bit more difficult. However, overall the book is really enjoyable as Stephenson mixes toxins and science to create a plausible story. At the very least, it will make you a bit more wary of swimming near an outflow any time soon.

Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: Interesting discussion of the problems inherent in the US environmental policies and the dangers of technology when it comes to the environment. The serious stuff is well encapsulated into a interesting narrative featuring well crafted characters.

Rating:
Summary: Good read, tough at times.
Review: Read this a year or so ago. Great fun to read but
as I recall there were some slow spots within it
that kept me from giving it 5 stars.
In general I will buy and read any of Neals works
after Cryptomicron[sp].

Rating:
Summary: Quirky Eco-Thriller
Review: Stephenson turns his attention to the near future in this fast-paced eco-thriller (although applying fast-pased to Stephenson is virtually redundent).

Sagamon Taylor, a self-styled professional pain in the ass, works for GEE, a small somewhat-radical environmental group based in Boston. He rides the waves like futuristic Lone Ranger looking for bad guys to bring to justice. His steed is a souped-up Zodiac and the bad guys are polluting corporations.

Sagamon goes through his usual routine of finding spills and helping GEE focus publicity on them (and often plugging the offensive drainage), and finds himself confronting a mystery that threatens the ecosystem of not only the Boston harbor, but possibly also the world's oceans. As he digs into the changing data and odd symptoms, he becomes a target: eventually his house is blown up, he flees under cover of a fierce storm, and is reported dead. Of course, he's not. He rises from the ashes and with the help of friends and unexpected allies, he makes sure the bad guys get their just desserts and the world is saved, this time.

I admit I didn't always follow the actual biochemistry of the potential disaster, but that isn't necessary to enjoy the book and the explanations don't slow the pace. There is a supporting cast of quirky characters that are entertaining to meet. And seeing GEE and its allies from the inside is often hilarious. Overall, a good read. I'll keep looking for more from this author.

Rating:
Summary: Good, Clean, Anti-Corporate Fun
Review: Neal Stephenson's "Zodiac" isn't any sort of great literature. But for your anti-establishment amusement, it doesn't get much better than this.

Any environmentalist will love this book, all about clogging industrial drainage pipes and other forms of "radical" environmentalism. The characters are funny, the corporations are evil, and the writing is witty. What more can you really ask for on a Summer afternoon?

Rating:
Summary: Great fun
Review: In this book, Stephenson introduces us to Sangamon Taylor, who can be best described as a geek James Bond. Taylor fights the bad guys with a clever mix of chemistry, engineering, and a bit of spunk. I had a great time reading this book and would recommend it anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent even for the non-Sci Fi fan!
Review: Reading some reviews and some background on Neal Stephenson, one might get the impression he is a SciFi writer. Some of his books, like Snow Crash (which I loved) definitely fit that classification. However, I thought I'd mention that if you are turned off by the SciFi label, Zodiac really isn't SciFi and is definitely worth a read! For the non-SciFi fan, this would be a great intro to Stephenson's style and I can almost guarantee you'll rush out and read some more. I started with Cryptonomicon and got hooked. I then read Snow Crash and now Zodiac. (Soon to read the rest!) I think Stephenson is a brilliant writer and deservers a huge following and narrow classifications don't do his writing justice.

Rating:
Summary: fun!
Review: Very Environmentally - Aware without being sentimental/soft (not at all!) Exciting. Highly intelligent. Read his other books,too

Rating:
Summary: not nearly as good as the rest of stephenson
Review: This book was a huge disappointment. I loved Snow Crash & Diamond Age, but I couldnt' even finish reading Zodiac. It's not nearly as engaging as the other books, and most of the time plain out boring. I don't recommend it.