Rating: 
Summary: As good as movie.
Review:
"Jurassic Park" takes place on Isla Nublar, an island off the coast of Costa Rica. This island is a mountainous region with jungles, large fields, rivers and rocky coasts. The actual Jurassic theme park is located on Isla Nublar.
There are a plethora of important characters in the book and Michael Crichton does a wonderful job in bringing them to life. John Hammond is a billionaire entrepreneur who comes up with the idea of creating a sort of dinosaur safari zoo. He then hires a group of scientists to develop a cloning technique that would bring dinosaurs back to life.After the park is complete and nearing its opening, John Hammond invites two dinosaur experts, Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler, and a mathematician named Ian Malcolm to take a tour of "Jurassic Park." Hammond also invites his grandchildren, eleven year old Tim and seven year old Lex. Dr. Grant is most likely the Protagonist The Antagonist character that creates havoc and eventually ruins the park is Dennis Nedry. He was the creator of Jurassic Park's high-tech security system, and he is payed by InGen's rival ,Biosyn, to steal some dinosaur DNA.
This book's conflict is Person Vs Nature. In order to escape the island, the characters must fend off prehistoric dinosaurs and over come daunting obstacles after Nedry turns off the electrical system to steal some DNA. This makes for an exciting action packed book.
The central idea of "Jurassic Park" is the Ian Malcolms prediction that the park would fail because nobody could control an extinct species that hasn't been on earth in millions of years.
I think that the author Michael Crichton wrote a magnificent book and that ,when reading the book, I noticed that he presented a powerful and interesting central idea fairly well. As I said, Crichton's central idea was very interesting and fascinating, but I had to think a bit before I realized the theme.This book was a very great book and I will most likely read it again. I was intrigued by the Chaos Theory section of the book.
This book is obviously the quintessential dinosaur book and for that reason alone, I believe it will be popular in years to come but this book was also well written and it impacted me in many ways. For one I have a lot more knowledge about dinosaurs, and I now know what Chaos Theory is and I think that it is very cool. This book was awsome.
PS. Read Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's "Relic" if you liked this book.
Rating: 
Summary: As always people fail to see the point.....
Review: In the 15 years or so since the book and the movie were released, Jurassic Park as come under a lot of critisism for the weak story, CGI effects, and almost everything else that book and film critics seem to conjuire up out of shallow ness. The reviewers fail to see the point, and that is their problem, From the point of view of both scientists and people who like to see science explored more fully in movies and in books, Jurassic Park was a huge success, The kind of credible and yet intelligent look at how science can be used for the right or wrong reasons. I think if people just looked at the movie and read the book with a more open mind then they might see how good a story it is. Not look at five seconds of footage and then say Oh it's a terrible movie", or the book is boring. But in this age of the Internet/MTV and Video games, you are perhaps better off just watching this movie on PBS, where it's strongest support is now.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Genius
Review: I absolutely LOVED this book. It is easily in my top 10 books of all time. Why? Jurassic Park took a science fiction concept and made it almost nofiction. By that I mean, in order to read this book and COMPREHEND this book I had to read other books that were relevant to the subjects of genetics, animal behavior, biology, psychology, philosophy, etc. Incredible. Not often in this day and age can you read something that is suspenseful, entertaining as well as "up to date."
The movie, though great, does not give the book justice. The dinosaurs seemed more alive in the book than in the movie to me. The ONLY problem I had with the book was the "Ewok-Factor" concerning the main characters befriending a baby raptor. I personally cannot stand the raptors so the fact that I had to put up with a baby one for a few pages upset me. VIVA BARYONX!!!
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: During Titanic, my husband rooted for the iceberg.
During Jurassic Park, I rooted for the dinosaurs.
At least, I did in regards to two characters. But I'll get to that in a moment.
It's biotechnology on acid - what if you could bring an extinct animal back to life? Would you? Should you? Sure, it would be neat to have a park full of dinosaurs, and get to watch them move and eat and generally live their lives. Hollywood has been making movies about dinosaurs since the first film was recorded, and most of those movies had humans living amongst them.
We know, scientifically, that such a scene is impossible. But what if it weren't?
But everyone knows the theme of this book - really, you want to know if the book stands up to the movie.
Seriously, how long have you been on Earth? Of course the book is better! The book is always better! It's right up there with the scariest of Stephen King novels - you're too afraid to turn the page, and too interested to set the book back down. From the moment the main characters land on the isolated island in Central America, off the coast of Costa Rica (and really, from about thirty pages before that), you know that most of the people on that island are Lunch.
Ketchup, anyone?
So it's a given that the end score will be Dinos 1, Human Nil. And of course it is - don't let me dissuade you of anything. The only question will be who actually manages to make it out alive: the foreboding doctor who cloned the animals; the paleontologist who is desperate to study them; the money-man who found the investors; the mathematician who has been predicting doom and gloom from the beginning; the eccentric (and possibly insane) man who, like Mrs Lovejoy, keeps insisting that the park "is for the children!"; or the children themselves of that man, who find themselves in the middle of it all.
Myself, I kept hoping that Hammond (the aforementioned idiot who planned the park as a destination for children's elaborate birthday parties) would be eaten, as would his exceedingly annoying seven year old granddaughter.
Horrid, I know, to wish a gruesome and grisly death on a seven year old. But this was a really annoying seven year old. If there's a dino who would like to eat you, you shouldn't attract its attention by screaming your head off. Would the world really have been a worse place if she had become something's midnight snack?
It's a great book. It's fun, and interesting, and dare I say, it even provokes thoughtful questions about our role here on Earth and environmental science and conservation.
(Albeit at the very end of the book and done in such a manner that you can safely skip that chapter.)
I highly recommend it. Just make sure you lock the windows and turn on the electric fence first.
Rating:
Summary: The thrill is never gone
Review: I have read this book at least 5 times, and I still love it. At the beginning of each reading, I feel as if I'm about to get on a favorite roller coaster: I have the same expectancy of excitement and the same confidence it will be a thoroughly satisfying ride.
John Hammond is a rich dinosaur enthusiast, with the ambition to create an amusement park featuring live dinosaurs. This incredibly persuasive man has managed to convine investors to give him a billion dollars, and he has enlisted the aid of scores of experts to help make his dream a reality.
Against all odds he succeeds and his Isla Nublar Resort is nearly ready to open. But he is behind schedule, his investors are nervous about rumors, and an EPA investigation has begun. Hammond is told he has to have independent site investigations of the island resort before he gets clearance to open.
For the first inspection he invites four people. Three of them: Dr. Alan Grant, paleontologist; Dr. Ellie Satler, paleobotanist; and Dr. Ian Malcolm, mathematician, were Hammond's consultants, but only worked on the edges of the project and do not know what Hammond has accomplished. The fourth visitor is the resort's computer system analyst, Dennis Nedry.
Hammond expects the experts to give his project a clean bill of health, but he hasn't counted on the lethal combination of arrogance, greed, and the deadly residents of his resort.
As thrilling a story as Jurassic Park is, it is more than a great ride. It has a brilliant theme, which is stunningly expressed in the story, and is even verbalized at one point by Dr. Malcolm.
Jurassic Park is a wonderful book to be enjoyed over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Quest for survival
Review: Jurassic Park a fast paced eventful nail bitting science fiction adventure by Michael Crichton. Did i forget thrilling. This indeed is an exciting and suspenseful read. It is one of those writing that interests one with its detailed plot and manages to maintain the interest along the way. Crichton explains the scientific detail quite well, which is why it has this addictive allure making it difficult to put down. The novel is a master piece which shy's Spieldbergs movie as an embarrassingly shallow cheap mimic.The setting is at a tropical island off the coast of Costa Rica named Isla Nubla. A determined mercenary John Hammond in midst of realizing his capitalistic dream. An adventure park on a theme of Safari but housing cloned dinosaurs. InGen a silicon valley based company have developed a novel approach for realization of this cloning. Dino's DNA is extracted from blood inside pre-historic mosquitoes that were trapped in tree sap and fossilized into amber. By this means the scientists have cloned a range of these extinct species, allowed to roam freely in their enclaves. To prevent procreation all dinosaurs are cloned females. Added precautions are taken that if by chance one beast manages to escape their demise is eventful due to a purposefully inserted genetic flaw. The flaw is their dependence on an amino acid lysine, which is provided as nutrients in their diet. Unaccounted, uncontrolled events lead to a break down of the defenses on the park. Much to the prediction of the chaos mathematician who arduously argues the infeasibility of the park, only to face a deaf ear of John. From entertainment the quest is now for survival as the carnivorous mammals roam freely preying on the helpless visitors. If amazon would allow me more stars, I would gladly gift them all to rate JP.
Rating:
Summary: Jurassic Park is Just Perfect
Review: Jurassic Park is an exciting, fast paced novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Its descriptions along with its insightful information make this book a must-read book for people of all ages. Author Michael Crichton does yet another great job with what is now a bestseller.
How do you create an amusement park that promises a unique experience for all? Mr. John Hammond created a park that is beyond the dreams of every paleontologist. The park offers a glimpse at dinosaurs from the Mesozoic, Crustaceous, and Jurassic period. Ironically, this time it is the park that can't withstand the test of time. Dr. Alan Grant, famous paleontologist, his assistant, Ellie Sattler, and world-renowned mathematician Ian Malcolm are the first tourists to visit this amazing phenomenon. The park's intent was to provide a wild tour of extinct animals, but sand un-tethered. The three sometimes found themselves running for their lives rather than reveling in the splendor. With the dinosaurs roaming through the park, untamed, the group was in real danger, especially after encountering carnivorous dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptor.
The plot of Jurassic Park is original and well thought out. Using the concept of DNA being preserved in mosquitoes, Crichton uncovers scientific theory like a literary puzzle. This book has twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, as well as moments that will make you look under the bed for raptors. This book stirs up dinosauric curiosity for all who read it, adults or children.
The Jurassic Park plot, although the scientific detail is extremely in-depth, is tremendously written. Crichton describes these animals to us almost as if he has seen them himself. He also incorporates interesting mathematical and biological concepts that help the development of the story. You can tell by this story that Crichton is a dinosaur lover; knowing all about their habits and their habitat. He brings an extensive understanding of these extinct animals to the book, making it both interesting and informational at the same time. Is it possible to create a dinosaur world from mosquitoes trapped in ancient tree sap? Crichton makes believers of his audience.
This book gives the reader a passion for dinosaurs that has not been uncovered since childhood. Once this review is finished, it's time to begin the follow up sequel, The Lost World.
Rating:
Summary: Can't Put it Down
Review: Sometimes, in reading science fiction books, readers get lost in the scientific mumbo-jumbo of it all. Other times, the story is the predominant feature and the scientific parts of the book are overlooked. Jurassic Park is one of the rare books that pleases both perspectives. While some of the ideas are far-fetched (what sci-fi book doesn't have those?), the story makes it all believable and entertaining at the same time. The book was so well-written that it puts the movie version to shame! Even Steven Spielberg (in my opinion) could not capture all the book had to offer. This is a quick read that could be completed in a weekend or over a few nights. This made me a Michael Crichton fan!
Rating:
Summary: Warning Against Genetic Experiments
Review: The 'Introduction' starts with a warning against the biotechnology revolution. It is broad-based among thousands of laboratories. Much of it is thoughtless or frivolous. This work is unregulated and has no oversight among scientists. The author has projected these principles into this novel. What if extinct dinosaurs were recreated today? Crichton uses his scientific knowledge and talented imagination to create another best seller. A producer, John Hammond, uses scientific talent and piles of money to fulfill his plan; how could anything go wrong? Who was watching the reality to see if it matched the plan? Is there a practical use for dinosaurs? Will he perish, like Victor Frankenstein, at the hands of his creation?
Both crocodiles and sharks have been around since the Triassic age, roughly 220 million years ago. Would there be any problems is dinosaurs were to be recreated? Don't all plans contain simplifying assumptions and outdated data? Reading this book will give you the background to better understand the 1993 film, and the sequels. The book is better than the film, which is a simplified version of the book. There is a fad for dinosaurs among children. Perhaps a comic book version of the film would educate them?
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: The movie was entertaining, but I never thought much about reading the book. The movie just never compelled me enough to hunt the book down. However, my friend loved it, and she shares reading interests similar to my own. I have a cold and didn't actually think I would finish with this book soon. Fooled myself. I fought the effects of cold medicine to finish this book. Dinosaurs still don't fascinate me, but the characters in this book did. The science behind creating something like Jurassic Park was interesting as well. But mainly, I really liked the characters and how they interacted with each other.
Each character only coincides with his or her book counterpart in the basest of ways. Hammond being the rich eccentric, Grant being the famed paleontologist, Malcolm being the pessimistic mathematician (he was a mathematician in the movie, too, right?) etc. The book presents new sides of the characters that make me see the characters in a different light. I believe that Hammond was foolish, almost to the point of idiocy, and early in the book, I could tell that I wasn't going to feel bad that his project was going to fail. In fact, I felt it was only right that his project DID fail. Hammond lacked common sense. He carelessly disregarded the warnings that his staff-notably Wu, Muldoon, and Arnold-constantly tried to get him to understand. No one had seen the likes of these creatures for millions of years, and yet, Hammond treated them like common animals, which proved to be his downfall (along with other non-dino related problems).
The story itself was compelling, intellengent, and even for someone who doesn't have an avid interest in things such as dinosaurs, this story pulls them in. In fact, sometimes, the dinos themselves aren't the main focus of the book (I know they weren't for me). I actually would rate this a 4.5, but it's definitely better than a four.
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