Rating: Summary: Fast-paced Thriller Review: Read the book in one sitting. It has all the elements of a great novel. It moves swiftly, the characters are interesting, the issues it raises are compelling.It is an interesting blend of adventure, sci-fi, and some non-fiction elements. Good travel book!
Rating: Summary: Excellent adventure novel! Review: I found LINK to be a fantastic read. The narrative really moved and I felt the characters were well-developed. It did read like a movie-- but I happen to love films-- and I thought it made the book that much stronger. The book has a great premise-- and it really makes you think. I thought the author did a wonderful job of combining some alternate theories on the history of civilization-- and not boring the reader with too much science. A HIGHLY recommended book-- especially for those who enjoy adventure novels that actually get you thinking!
Rating: Summary: Interesting story Review: Link, by Walt Becker, was recomended by a friend. I finished it in just a few days and would advise anyone who is looking for a great read over the holidays, to pick it up.
Rating: Summary: Indiana Jones meets Star Gate Review: Probably one of the worst audiobooks I have ever heard. I can't tell if it's the original novel, the abridgement, or the performance (most likely some combination of many of the above) but the end result is an unintended parody of the whole genre. The characters are completely one-dimensional-- the Good Guy (Alan Grant from Jurassic Park mixed with MacGuyver), the Feisty Love Interest (performed whinily), the Sidekick, and the Evil Arms Dealer. Conveniently, they happen to be experts in whatever subject is necessary at this time-- and their expertise is introduced at precisely that moment. The plot itself is not really science fiction, but rather pseudoscience fiction. I don't really have a problem with theories about aliens playing a part in human origins; if it were true, the universe would seem a more comfortable place. But the idea that aliens evolving on a completely different world would be able to merge genetically with hominids to create a functioning offspring is simply silly. Could you combine a cow and a cockroach? Anyway, the result is the equivalent in this genre of "Plan 9 From Outer Space".
Rating: Summary: A great adventure story, very enjoyable, a page turner! Review: This is a good story and one that kept me reading late into the night. Keep in mind, it is fiction and meant to entertain and that is exactly what it does. If you want science text and hard facts, go to the library. If you want a story that lets you escape into adventure and times past, present and future, read Link. I would love to see a sequel and possibly a movie. I hope Mr. Becker gets his next book out soon.
Rating: Summary: Poorly written. Review: Although Becker put forth an interesting premise, he was not able to develop it convincingly. Too many moments in this book made me cringe. I felt like I was reading a screen play for a cheesy action/romance movie.
Rating: Summary: Book of pseudoscienctific nonsense purporting to be science. Review: The danger of books such as these is thoroughly demonstrated by some of the reviews listed here. Because the book "claims" to have been researched it is assumed that the "facts" presented are scientific. Sadly, this is not the case. The information peddled in this book has been refuted over and over again by scientists. Real scientists. The book becomes totally laughable when the protagonist, Jack, begins spewing incredible nonsense about thermodynamics and such in a lame effort to support his "creationist" theories. Negative comments are made about dating methods but no hard evidence is given (there isn't any). In fact, Jack (and the author) constantly uses mythology instead of any real scientific data to try to build his worthless hypothesis. This is not science; it is not even science fiction. No true science fiction writer would attempt to sell this trash. And for the author's information, the pyramids and temples you refer to in your book could indeed be built with modern technology. They would be terribly expensive and virtually useless, so I don't think you'll get anyone to back the project, though. And the Egyptians could (and did) build their pyramids themselves using their own technology, as rudimentary as it was. Check your local library, there are plenty of books on the subject.
Rating: Summary: so so adventure thriller Review: Link started out as an exciting heart pounding adventure thriller.It had an intresting plot and characters you cared about. Then all of a sudden it changes into a new age preachy creation vs evolution sermon.A more exciting ending to this book would help.
Rating: Summary: Pseudo-Science Pulp Fiction: Son of Erich von Daniken Review: Mr. Becker's novel features a quest for Homo Sapien's mysterious origin - the result of alien contact. The fictional scientist-hero dismisses evolution and Darwinian theory, and believes in New Age pyramid power, as well as the linking of various ancient astronomy sites in the New and Old World. He is inspired by Rupert Sheldrake's pseudoscience of morphogenetic fields linking life forms. The story also includes alien-created cold fusion, whole earth crust shifting, Atlantis, etc. At bottom we have a scientist who dismisses much of modern physics, astronomy, geology, biology, anthropology, etc. Based on this book, and Becker's uniquely filtered set of references, it appears that the author is much the same sort of fellow. Walt Becker includes a three page Afterword plus fifty references from his "18 months of research" for this novel. In the Afterword he claims his novel is very close to an actual revolution going on in the scientific community. This is news to the scientific community. Mr. Becker lists 50 (real) references, some of which are thoroughly legitimate, but he ignores the vast content of modern science in concocting his story. This is no way to write good science fiction. Becker has degrees from UCLA and USC. It is clear that these major universities failed to instill in this young man any real sense of the nature of modern science. I suppose Mr. Becker's idea was to make the book look something like a Michael Crichton or a Richard Preston (The Cobra Event) novel. Crichton and Preston do comprehensive research, and have a good understanding of what science is about. They do a fine job of depicting science and the contemporary scene. Becker, on the other hand, attempts to hijack our sense of wonder using some of the worst sort of warmed over pseudoscience. It appears he was inspired by two pseudoscience sources: Robert Temple's The Sirius Mystery, and NBC's ludicrous and worst ever "documentary": The Mysterious Origins of Man. (for critiques see e.g.:Ortiz de Montellano, B. R.; "The Dogon People Revisited"; Skeptical Inquirer, Nov./Dec. 1996. Ridpath, Ian: Messages from the Stars, esp. Ch. 13, Harper & Row, 1978. Sagan, Carl; Broca's Brain, Ch. 6; Random House, 1979. Thomas, Dave; Skeptical Briefs, March 1996.) Mr. Becker does not reference Dr. E. C. Krupp, one of the world's foremost experts on ancient astronomy. This is curious, since Dr. Krupp is the Director of Griffith Observatory in Mr. Becker's home town of Los Angeles, and has taught archaeoastronony at Becker's alma mater, UCLA. The truth is out there Mr. Becker, in fact it was only just a local phone call away. Ed Krupp has an appropriate sense of responsibility to inform the reader and would have filled you in. That would have saved us all some time and money.
Rating: Summary: A fantastic story by a talented first time author Review: A friend recently suggested I read a novel called Link by Walt Becker. Wow! Link is a fascinating story. I can see how some dogmatic evolutionists have been disturbed by Link. I too have an interest in ancient human history. At one time I would have considered myself an evolutionist but after much research I'm not sure. There is too much evidence to the contrary. Becker's theories, no mater how unsettling, are based on sound evidence. The characters are rich and textured, and the plot traverses two continents and several hair raising experiences at breakneck speed. This is the perfect book for a quick and interesting weekend read.
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