Rating: 
Summary: A thrilling read, but. . . . .
Review: This is a fast passed global adventure thriller that is fun to read. I like Indiana Jones type adventure, and this kind of fits into that catagory, but the author does start to preach his religous beliefs which kind of turned me off (probably just me). Overall I liked the writers style, easy to read yet he still has some flair (Crichton like style). His Characters could have been a little more developed but were more than passable for this kind of book. The reasearch and sicience were belivable. I specifically Liked the achelogical bent. Overall, If you like action and suspense you will probably enjoy this book. If you like adventure thrillers with an archelogical bent check out: "A Tourist in the Yucatan."
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting Thriller!
Review: Walt Becker has written a great book. He has done his homework and has delivered a thrilling book that is as much based on fact as it is on fiction. It is refreshing to read a "first" book by someone who has not taken the easy way out and has actually done legitimate research on a very fascinating topic. If you like this book - read "Uriel's Machine" by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas - it rocks! Great Job Walt - I can't wait for your next effort!
Rating: 
Summary: Becker Wastes His Talents
Review: I was about ten pages into the book "Link" when a sudden feeling came over me. I turned to my wife and said, "I have a feeling this guys gonna string me on a while trying to pass his book as an Indiana Jones style action adventure then later try to sell his religion on me." That prediction turned out to be dead accurate. Becker really wastes his talents preaching the Bible. He's an excellent writer, obviously has command of the language, but quite frankly his shameless campaigning for creationism over Darwinism is absolutely obnoxious. First he creates a character that is "always right" despite his absurd notions of science, then sets it up so that anyone who disagees with this character in the book is a loser or else proven totally incorrect. After establishing this, he then has his character preach creationism on his audience, growing steadily more persistent as the novel nears its end. So who are we -- us poor previously unenlightened readers -- to doubt this great character Becker has created? After all, everyone who doubted him in the book was a loser, right? He also takes an unnecessary shot at the creative level of Grissom novels. A Bible lover like Becker should know about casting stones. I think using the Bible as your main source of inspiration has been done before, as has using the Bible as "scientific proof" of creationsim. Not exactly creative material. If you are a loyal creationist you may enjoy this novel (although I must warm the main characters fornicate!! OH NO!) but I found it absolutely arrogant and a waste for such a good writer. Save the creationism for Sunday School and remember... true knowledge lies in knowing that you know nothing. Becker seems to think he knows everything because the Bible said so!
Rating:
Summary: Makes you THINK
Review: I found the premise of this book to be very gripping, and gave it a try...and boy was I ever glad that I did! Walt Becker has written a story which truly captures you from the beginning to it's stunning conclusion. Questionable theories aside, I have wondered over the years how in the WORLD pyramids were built 3,000 years ago in South America by people who hadn't even invented the wheel...the quarry that was used to build many of these monstrous edifices were sometimes hundreds of miles away. It get's you to thinking, 'What IF??' It in no way convinced me of anything, other than the so-called 'establishment' knows no more than I do regarding how these structures were actually built. We may never know, but Walt Becker certainly has given us an entertaining fictionalized version of what the answers might be. All I know is my measuring stick of whether a book is good or not is simple: When I'm NOT reading it, am I THINKING about it? If so, then it MUST be good. I have thought about this book MANY times since I finished it, and that doesn't happen all that often these days. Great plotting and incredible adventure piled on top of the supernatural, a fantastic read! I am anxious to see how Walt Becker attempts to top this, and I am fervently hoping he manages to do so.
Rating:
Summary: FINALLY!
Review: I have searched for new authors in the adventure/thriller genres for some time, and to my great relief, found Mr. Becker's book. I've read most of the big guys, Cussler, Chricton, etc, and look forward to other books by this author. The story starts in Africa, where a headstrong female scientist makes a startling, perhaps earth-shattering discvoery. I was hooked from the first chapter on. Her love interest in the story is called in later and the two must simultaneously deal with a lot of past hurts and regrets while racing to uncover some of humankind's greatest mysteries, a fascinating and quickly paced journey that takes them to the highlands of Bolivia. There is so much about this novel that works, from the interesting characters to the runaway pace that is only held up briefly (but enjoyably) with some intriguing pieces of controversial non-fiction. Great job! Can't wait for the next one.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, Fast Read for Adventure Fans
Review: I agree with most of the reviews on here. I thought LINK was fast-paced and well-conceived. It had me from page one and I think I finished it in two days, which might be a record for me because of my busy schedule. I also loved the research presented by Becker. While some claim that it isn't credible (I think review number 10) I reread the foreward, and Mr. Becker does express that while he drew from the research presented from a variety of sources(and perhaps some are questionable) he also goes on to state that it is a work of fiction, and the views presented are all his. That being said, I really felt the story moved, the characters were interesting and the settings well-painted. As a Cussler fan, I think Becker is great reading too. I'd recommend it to anyone. And I'll have to admit, questionable science or not, at least it got me thinking... which is more than most books do.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Read!!!
Review: This book has it all, great characters, a face paced story and a plot that is very believeable. This is one of the best books I have read this year. It was awe-inspiring and really made me think and question my beliefs. Walt Becker provides details, facts and research that makes for a very realistic story. This was an excellent novel, one that I will no doubt read again in the future.
Rating:
Summary: YEAH!
Review: I absolutely loved this book! If you are a fan of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, you'll love Walt Becker. I have come to love authors that don't dilly dally around and keep the characters and the action moving constantly. And I love his idea of man's origin. I would rather believe Walt Becker's theories than believe that man evolved from a bunch of monkeys. He's got a lot of interesting ideas and if you like the thrill of adventure and "forbidden" discoveries, buy this book. The only downside for me was the ending but I won't ruin that for anyone else.
Rating: 
Summary: Predictable story that borrows heavily from Crichton/Clancy
Review: For the first few chapters of this book, I kept glancing at the front cover to see if it was Walt Becker I was reading or Michael Crichton. This isn't because the book is as good as anything Crichton has written, it's just a near perfect mimic of Crichton's style. That said, I will admit that I enjoyed this book all the way through. It's a fun but predictable story in which you never feel the bad guys are all that dangerous and you never squirm when the good guys are in trouble because you know they will always find a way out of their jam. The two dimisionality of the characters doesn't allow you to feel anything for them--sympathy for the good buys or loathing for the bad guys--and they are simply frameworks around which the larger story is spun. And that larger story, while intriguing enough at the beginning involving the reader with a fascinating premise, starts to break down towards the end and turns into little more than a cheap Clancy knock-off involving the CIA, DEA, drug cartels, and the US Navy and Airforce. It's this last part of the story that causes the book to lose steam. While Becker did a competent enough job emulating Crichton, he lacks the authority and inside knowledge that have made Clancy's books so fascinating. The mindless action and thin characters leave the reader with little investment in the story, and when the book concludes, it eminates a dull thud. With so many loose threads, the ending felt more like a "writer's escape" than a real conclusion, and the hanging ending is just a cheap way of telling readers "Look for the sequel in a bookstore near you!" While lacking Crichton's precision and Clancy's detail, the book is competently written but with an obvious rookie's air (why did everybody have to widen the beam everytime they turned on a flashlight?) If you're looking for mindless entertainment to pass the time on your next plane trip, then give this one a shot. It's a fun book with an intriguing premise, a predictable plot, underdeveloped characters, a satisfying pace, and a rather haphazard conclussion. You won't mistake Becker for a seasoned author, but there are worse books you could read.
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Summary: Book Objective
Review: Walt Becker apparently did a lot of research in compiling the activities and locations for his book. I think he did a marvelous job in creating an action type of thriller. His primary objective though, which he accomplished, was to open up the Paleoanthropology field to another area that hasn't been pursued with much vigor. The evidence that we have in this modern era concerning extraterrestial influence on our species certainly outweigh the 1895 publication "Origin of the Species." I think there is a definite atheist push for Darwinism, and the Paleoanthropologists seem to go with the flow in that direction. It has much more to work with in that area since they are working on digging dirt for the Homeo Erectus. If the Paleoathropologists would create a branch that would study the possibility of extraterrestial influence, I would believe in their group as a true scientific group; otherwise, I tend to believe in their group as just another group that is political in concept and plan according to how to get the best bang to get the dollar.
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