Rating: 
Summary: Simply Awful
Review: OK - I have to admit that speculative fiction is generally entertaining, even if far-fetched or political. That being said, I _couldn't_ make myself like any aspect of Halperin's book. In fact, the paucity of negative reviews on this forum (netizens are the world's best and brightest?!?) gives one healthy pause at the judgement of the "online community".OK, what problems did I have with the book? I hated the characters - I wasn't particularly taken by Rand's Howard Roark, and hence had no real desire to see him reincarnated as a tech-savvy and dreadfully earnest savior of mankind. The remaining characters were, as has been mentioned above, paper-thin, boring and unbelievable, despite being a collection of the most beautiful and intelligent people in Halperin's sad sad world. I was far from mesmerized by the plot structure - dormitory bull-session leads to world-shattering technological change directed by an improbable collection of supergeniuses (oh - wait, I forgot - they were at Harvard, like Halperin. No wonder they were all five sigma samples.) Of course, said supergeniuses run into a little snag or two in implementing their wonderful utopia. I especially disliked Halperin assuming the mantle of apologist for supply-side (and, eventually, lassez-faire) economics, civil rights-abridging crime policy and even Michael Milken! And all of this without a trace of irony! I mean - the real danger of stating in his book that the elimination of the capital gains tax will cause the US economy to skyrocket is implicit in reading some of the above reviews: people believe him. Although Halperin's tirade against crime seemed misplaced, his position on the risks of nuclear destruction may be apt. The problem is, of course, that his suggested fix is a mind-bogglingly-high-tech polygraph. He might as well detail a plot in which the threat of nuclear destruction is averted by a well-placed magic spell. Worst of all was Halperin's epilogue which confirmed this reader's suspicions that Halperin really takes himself quite seriously in his crusade. Included in each book is a call-to-arms for budding geniuses to take up the standard of Halperin's beloved futurist society. Ironically, anyone who is naive enough to be won over by Halperin's ideas or prose is certainly unlikely to ever make a significant contribution to society.
Rating: 
Summary: A rivoting and thought provoking view of a positive future
Review: A child genius with a guilt-ridden past he doesn't fully understand begins work on a machine to make honest people of us all. Will his very desire for honesty and a haunted past be his downfalling? Or is there forgiveness in a world full of truth? Halperin's view of the future is a bright one, unlike the many dark, bleak images we usually see. This book will stay with you long after you read the last page. It is fast moving and thought provoking---with writing that allows you to embrace the characters as old friends. One of the best titles I've read in years!
Rating:
Summary: "The Truth Machine" is absolutely remarkable!
Review: Without a doubt one of the best books I've read recently. I finished this one in about 2 days, when I was finished I read it again to make sure I didn't miss anything. The story is profound, and the characters are easy to understand and relate to. I will forever look toward the future with hope, and a anticipation. You won't just read "The Truth Machine" you'll want it to be real!
Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking, entertaining, and well worth the money.
Review: It's been over a year since I read this book, but when I did, I couldn't put it down, and that's not a cheap cliche. I usually read books in a week, I think it was 3 or 4 days with The Truth Machine. Every last character was true to life and the situations hardly contrived. It says FICTION on the side of the book, it seems more like FACT or PROJECTED FACT. It's that real.
Rating:
Summary: Futuristic yet Believable!
Review: The best novels to me combine the future with true possibility. This book does that. The ending was true to the book's story line. That's rare these days with the overdramatics of King and others. A bit slow-starting (nothing is perfect), great Timeline, great ending. (An opressive culture, yet I agreed with it? That's odd!)
Rating: 
Summary: Thought-provoking and worth reading
Review: This book has interesting implications, provokes thought on the part of readers and urges us to consider where the human race is headed. However, some aspects of the story are a bit contrived and lack detail. It's definitely worth reading, though.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Novel
Review: It hurt to read this book because I lost my brother when he was young and I didn't want Leonard to die. But The Truth Machine also presented hope for a future. Mr. Halperin, thank you for writing this wonderful book. Looking forward to the next one! Teresa
Rating:
Summary: Intiguing premise and story.
Review: I enjoyed the possibilities brought up in this book. Like an earlier reviewer, I also recommend Robert Doherty's THE ROCK and AREA 51 series.
Rating:
Summary: Fortune-Telling at Its Best
Review: My roommate and one of my neighbors (at college -- Rice) both said it was the best book they'd ever read. I liked it. "Speculative novel" is a terrific term, and one I have adopted into my own vocabulary. (Also: I love any book that takes place in Dallas. Hometown bias and all.) It's a quick, fun read; smart and ambitious.
Rating:
Summary: Remember it's fiction-- also read THE ROCK by R. Doherty
Review: For those below who didn't like this, they have to remember this is speculative fiction about a possible future that may or may not be likely. I enjoyed it because it caused me to consider possibilities. Another book like this is Robert Doherty's THE ROCK which I highly recommend.
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