Rating: 
Summary: Void
Review: What could have been a great, great book ended up as a major dissapointment. The concept that Halperin explores is quite interesting -- that of a truth machine that binds everybody to not lie -- but, as other reviewers have stated, the environment he creates around that concept seems unrealistic and bland at best.
None of the characters are really likeable, and what may be worse, none are hateable either, so they never really catch your interest.
At the end I was left with a void, as if of a promise unfulfilled...
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of Paper
Review: This is simply one of the worst books I have EVER read. Every character is one dimensional, every development is implausable. I won't be purchasing anything else by Mr Halperin, I can't remember ever having been this disappointed by a book.
Rating: 
Summary: THE TRUTH MACHINE
Review: This is one of the most thought-provoking, fascinating books I've ever read! What would our world be like if a Truth Machine could be created, one that would revolutionize the way we think and, therefore, the way we act? This exciting book takes us through the possibilities---negative and positive---of a changed world.As a result of reading this book, I've become more future oriented. I recently joined the World Future Society and subscribed to their magazine, THE FUTURIST. The wonderful possibilities suggested by this brilliant writer, James Halperin, could create a golden age for the entire world. I urge you to read it and start the revolution! Thanks, Amazon, for recommending it to me.
Rating:
Summary: Re-release this book with more publicity!
Review: The Truth Machine remains one of my favorite reads -- it should be considered a classic. Every time I read this book I am immediately sucked into it again. It is completely believable and completely fascinating. I just so wish it were required reading in high schools. It's a very important book and should be read by everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Uh-Oh--Going Against the Tide Here
Review: Well, aside from glowing reviews from Amazon and others, pretty much all the readers seem to have loved this book, as well. Unfortunately, I felt it was a rather poor attempt to do something that could have been very worthwhile and perhaps even great. I will do my best to explain why I think this. First of all, I really think many of the people who liked this book are probably people who do not usually read science fiction. This is because there are countless science-fiction books out there that discuss the 'near future' just as The Truth Machine does, but do the job far better. Far, far better. Calling something 'Speculative Fiction' is just an attempt, I sometimes think, to avoid being lumped in with Star Wars. (Note to those fans--nothing wrong with your books, but space-opera is, I hope you would admit, a different sort of science fiction.) The reason why so many science fiction books dealing with the near future are so much better than The Truth Machine is due in large part to those writers very sensibly not trying to tackle too many 'futures' in one book. They stick to a particular area or two, and fully flesh out this potential future without trying to also predict everything else that might happen. Mr. Halperin, on the other hand, attempts to deliver the entire future on a silver platter. This often comes off as pure silliness to anyone who knows more about a particular subject than Mr. Halperin does. And this leads me to my next point. Far too often in this book, it is very clear that Mr. Halperin does not, in fact, know what he is talking about. Many of the things he postulates would happen are really quite hard to swallow, whether because he ignores clearly understood components of human nature, or because our Constitution is not nearly so easily ignored, or because nation-states simply would not do the sorts of things he rather cavalierly assumes they would, to give just a few examples. Although I realize that most people are not experts on things like human psychology, constitutional law, or international affairs, and so do not have to suspend belief every few pages, Mr. Halperin really should have known better. And that is why this book really depresses me. Many people, judging by the reviews found here, really liked this book. Yet because the writer took wholesale advantage of people's ignorance, a truly astounding book that could have been written was not. Discussing the dilemma that faces our society-the increasing lack of personal responsibility from which so many other societal ills originate, could have been the basis for a wonderful book. Mr. Halperin could have painted a grand picture where one of the greatest human faults-excessive self-interest-was laid bare and taken off the table. The Truth Machine is not that book.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Food for Thought
Review: Just finished "The Truth Machine" and find myself sorry it has ended. I'm fascinated by the concept that people would have to find a whole new way to communicate with one another. For instance, new rules of tact would likely spring up governing what questions it would be acceptable to ask, and what areas might be discussed, in public and private conversation. People would learn to give each other privacy via conversational rules, in much the way people in very crowded countries such as Japan learn to "not see" each other to afford physical privacy. I'm not as pessimistic as the author regarding the likelihood of self annihilation, in that, I rather think we are a 'pull it out of the weeds' race which tends to invent solutions in response to need rather than in anticipation of it. Therefore, I suspect we will continue to live on the brink for a very long time, inventing solutions in the final hours, as we have already done. Hopefully we'll get smart before we stop getting so lucky. Anyway, an excellent read and some thought provoking concepts.
Rating:
Summary: Recommended.
Review: I just finished the book for the 3rd time, and have recommended it to others. Sorry to say I've never sent it to a senator or representative. I don't really think they'd read it, but if they did, perhaps they'd try to ban truth machine usage... Needless to say it's an excellent book. I'm particularly impressed with the scope of the work - most scifi novels don't manage to cover legal, social, financial, political AND personal arenas so believably. It's very well constructed and the ideas are accessible to almost any reader.
Rating:
Summary: A bizarre bipolar future.
Review: The Truth Machine is an interesting premise, but the future world depicted is a bizarre mishmash of extreme right-wing philosophy (Sure and Swift - Two strikes and you're dead) and hokey extreme left-wing politics (The Truth Machine itself and the World Government). The book is entertaining with some of the ideas it promotes, but the characters lack any sembalance of being real people. They are poor charactures at best. Many questions go unanswered in this Not-So-Brave New World. I would have prefered reading more about the people who fought against this invasive technology or as one reviewer mentioned, the development of counter-technology. ....
Rating:
Summary: A Waste of Time and Money
Review: Normally I do not write reviews but I am inclined to do so today, to tell people who are considering buying this book, to stop considering it. There is only one word I can use to describe this book, garbage. Halperins ego is quite apparent when reading this book. What is even more apparent is that he is a terrible writer. This book is a waste of money and a waste of time reading it. Instead buy a good book that deals with futuristic totalitarianism like 1984 or Fahrenheit 451.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor writing, but hard to put down and worth a day to read
Review: Author doesn't seem like someone who has taken an english class, but has put together some interesting scenarios for the future. Makes this a quick read, but one that makes you think about future technology and wonder. Fun stuff overall.
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