Robin Cook Books

A lot of topics are discussed inside this book of poetry. Robin Cook, in 'Old School' fashion describes the many pitfalls of the post-modern human condition: first and foremost among them, materialism and greed. He reminds readers of the pitiful condition of our environment but provides hope that everything will be well cared for shortly. His unique perspectives provoke thought and discussion, broadening the minds of his readers. Many of the poems are written with a deep understanding of Christian fundamentals and impute knowledge upon the reader, (even long-time Christians I suspect,) which I am, and which he did. Old School is atypical of many poetry books because it's straight-forward and understandable, not vague. I highly recommend this book and rate it PG13.

Genre: Poetry
Title: Old School
AUTHOR: Robin Cook
Take a step back into the "good old days" with poet Robin Cook's old school.

What happened to Main Street,
and its painted glass doors?
The butcher with fresh meat
Plus mom-and-pop stores?
From The Little Man page 1.

Our poet was raised on a farm in Minnesota and his upbringing is reflected in his art.

Gray, decrepit boards have no charm
I loathe the sight of an abandoned farm
Where once there was laughter
Also paid off debt
And friendly people led simple
Lives without hidden regret.
Bleak Buildings page 56.

Using anthropomorphic connotations to relay his closeness to nature and his love of all of Mother Nature's creatures, the author has given readers a wonderful world as seen through the eyes of the animals.

Amidst uneven terrain,
Where the wild animals roam
She hunts unconstrained
Through her cougar's home........
From Unjust retribution page 73

The accompanying photographs are beautifully chosen to represent the poetry. Scattered throughout are the poet's ideologies on politics and religion. All in all, this is a very diverse and enjoyable collection of prose, rhyme and elegy, often didactic in style. Well presented, would make a great gift for poetry lovers.

Recommended by Reviewer: Shirley Roe, Allbooks Reviews.

Upon reading this book a feeling of total peace descended on me.
Cook openly invites his readers along on his journey to meet the
animals so they can experience the interaction he's recorded
among them, their environment, and the trees in full bloom while relating man's place and obligation to it all. This book reminds me a little of Thoreau's 'Walden' or Aldo Leopold's 'A Sand County Almanac'. Nature lovers and those leaning toward land conservation will fall in love with this book. I fell asleep with it cradled in my arms. Those less affectionate will be content to place it on their book shelves.

I read this book in one sitting. Robin Cook provides a message to his audience through a series of short insights. This book is worth reading if you appreciate nature and a strong sense of values.

Although I am not a doctor, I know several well, and found this brief piece to be an insightful look into the psyche of a young, developing surgeon. Robin Cook is a very talented medical writer (and physician) and is able to brilliantly capture the personal angst that surgical residents go through during their professional development.

I found the story eminently readable and absorbing, though occasionally a tad wordy. I recommend this Amazon Short to anyone interested in medicine, the professional development of doctors and surgeons, or to people interested in the development of the ego as it relates to overachievers.

Cardiac surgeons tend to be among the most egotistical of physicians, with some justification. They hold patient's lives literally in their hands when performing open-heart surgery. This story of a third-year resident gives a glimpse of the development of such a personality. An interesting read.

"All he had to do was reach out and grasp it like the proverbial brass ring of an antique merry-go-round."

Visualize a chilling movie set of a boldly-colored wooden-horse, eternally pumping and circling, en-carrousel, tunes tingling. That scene would cut to a dim setting of a darkly-robed priest conducting an alter ceremony, his hand elevating a beating heart. Should an Aztec pyramid shadow Robin Cook on the cover of NARCISSUS REDUX? Amazon Shorts graphics are addictive. This one's design is crisply appropriate to the content.

As words pushed mercilessly, past cover and opening, I caught the whiff of dank odor (as Cook intended) in the surgeon's vulnerability, "Words weren't necessary; she (the scrub nurse) knew him too well personally thanks to an ongoing dalliance and was far too experienced professionally."

Following a perfectly described pause prior to imposing a laser-sharp knife into an exposed thorax, taut tension was released by MASH type humor >> "Cut away," Claire said cheerfully after a quick glance at the perfusionist who flashed a thumb's up sign to indicate all was ready... <<

NARCISSUS was riveting, engrossing, enthralling, applying all those adjectives. Robin Cook narrated vivid surgical procedures with mesmerizing, simple clarity; he dramatized the emotional state of the featured surgeon with psychological precision. The vulnerability of the patient, Gladys Hornsby (name implies a Salt-of-the-Earth type woman with whom readers would empathize) was established with a few skillfully chosen words:

>>... seventy-eight years old and demonstrably afraid of the hospital and medicine in general. It had been for that reason that she'd avoided any medical treatment for her progressive condition ... <<

Into the viscera of the diseased mind of Kim I fell, "... fear that perhaps his whole life and his whole sense of self might be based on false pretenses ..."

And fell, "Gladys Hornbee was far more of a gamble than he'd stopped to realize. As a defining operation she could be his ticket to success, or there was the slight, worrisome chance she could be his undoing both personally and professionally."

As you're reading NARCISSUS, slow the pace on the section immediately before and after the statement below. Observe this author's "sleight-of-hand" shift of Kim's hesitance and insecurity. Pivoting on a heartbeat, the dark side of self-esteem makes a nearly imperceptible flash to the lighter end of the pseudo-competence continuum:

>> With whetted intensity that dispelled his worrisome premonitions Kim dove into the operation. <<

After reading this story, I felt that Robin Cook might be providing an interesting service to mankind. Possibly his medical fiction answers an even higher call than that of the compassionate physician he could have been:

For me, NARCISSUS seemed to unveil a side-effect in Robin Cook's novels (in addition to their high entertainment), a side-effect of dramatically exposing some of the dark sides of the medical profession, thereby drawing a strange type of healing force into that domain.

For a sample of an "alternate" type of cultural healing, through an ice cream parlor in the 50's see: Coal & Coca-cola

With respect for gentle forces of healing,
Linda Shelnutt

Wonderfully written book....The suspense will keep you glued to the book...And the most amazing thing is that the story just runs in a couple of days....so many big shots investigating the coma matters are clueless about the entire episode (or arent they)..and this girl from med school comes....with just the right quantity of enthusiasm and spirit....and uncovers the murk that is a not so obvious part of the entire episode.

I'm a big Robin Cook fan. He's a lot like Michael Crichton in that I'll read him when I want a good thrill, and maybe to learn something. I consider their genre to be sort of science horror. Coma was exactly what the doctor ordered, in this case (no pun intended). Although I wouldn't recommend it as light reading when you're planning some minor surgery of your own.

People are dying. They come in to Boston Memorial Hospital for routine, minor surgery... and end up dead. It can't possibly be a fluke - so many apparently healthy people coming in, going into the operating room, and never coming back out alive. New intern Susan Wheeler is determined to find out why.

This book has Cook's usual cast of gripping characters and compelling moments between the heroine and her reluctant hero. You won't be disappointed with this effort. The twists and turns are sometimes a bit dizzying, but so worth it when you reach the climax of the action. There are also some pretty horrifying bad guys in this one, although most of Cook's villains are usually soulless, conscienceless creeps anyway. Definitely worth picking up if you're a fan of the genre or of the author. Heck, it's worth picking up even if you aren't.

This was one of those books that I just could not finish. I skimmed through the last 100 pages just to get a general idea of how the story ended. I agree with many other readers here that the plot lines are just totally implausible (I live in a small midwest town and even I know gang members do NOT talk or act like that) and the dialog is extremely leaden and awkward. Robin Cook has written much better books than this!

Personally, I quite enjoy reading Medical Thrillers and would say that Contagion was a fun read. The plot and the characters are well built and the story moves on an interesting pace. Although at times I got a little lost due to the Medical Jargons and reference to specific bacteria, I never lost track of the plot and enjoyed the book from front to back. Would definitely recommend this book.

I agree that this is a good medical thriller. But the story is too long. Too many diseases, too many deaths in the same manner. And at three quarters of it you know where does the diseases came from, so that make the reading a little heavy because you know that whatever they thought about the diseases is wrong. I don't know why, but 90% of RC's books are against Medicare or another Health Organization so I think that maybe RC started writing because he had a problem with one of these Organizations.
Taking my jest apart, is a very readable book.

One of Robin cook's best book, it's a medical thriller like almost of his books.
there are a lot of action and suspense.
The story is exciting, you never get bored.
It's sometimes boring because Jack Stapleton is .
The story: one day one "patient" of Jack has the pest and then three others strange disease appeared. Jack investigates in the Manhattan General hospital. There they don't like him and try to kill him.
Jack wants the truth so he continue to investigate.
If you want to know more read the book!
sometimes, the medical jargon in Robin Cook's novel does not make it difficult reading. Most of the medical terminology is explained sufficiently for the reader to understand the significance of the medical find.
This is the first time we hear of Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery. We hear of them again in Chromosome 6 and Vector. Robin tells you in more detail about Jack and Laurie then now the latter on. There is the plane crash that takes the life of Jack's family and how he leaves being a eye doctor to be a legist Doctor.
I Highly recommended it!

Manhatten General Hospital seems to be a dangerous place to be hospitalized in. During a ninety-six hour period nine people have succumbed to not one, not two but three extremely rare diseases, especially for New York City. Jack Stapleton is the New York city Medical Examiner who discovered these occurrences in the course of performing autopsies upon the victims and while no one has questioned the natural occurrence of these deadly, highly infectious diseases, Jack eventually comes to the conclusion that these events are too much of a coincidence to be accidental.

Contagion was written by a prolific writer named Robin Cook. If you are not familiar with Cook you should be. He is the unquestioned king of the medical mystery/suspense genre, having written well over twenty such books, dating back to the seventies. If you happen to remember the scary movie Coma, that was Robin Cook.

With not one but three different extremely rare pathogens killing patients at the New York hospital, Stapleton suspects it's more than just coincidence. But Jack can't seem to get anybody's attention, especially at the Hospital itself where the management even resents and has barred his presence. This leads Jack to suspect there may be a connection between the mysterious microbes responsible for the deaths and the HMO that owns the hospital, Americare, the same HMO that once destroyed his flourishing medical practice. However Jack is unable to convince his friends and co-workers Chet and Laurie or his bosses that these occurrences are being orchestrated, even after a deadly form of Influenza makes an appearance killing many more patients and hospital staff.

Could Americare deliberately killing off its sickest patients - those who cost the most money to treat? If not, is there an even more dastardly motive behind the mysterious happenings at Manhattan General, and what about the sudden attempts on Jack's life by members of a black gang who surprisingly rescued by members of another black gang?

CONCLUSION

Contagion is a fun read, one that, as commonly happens with an intriguing book, I kept finding reasons to to read when I should be doing other things. Though Cook is known to throw in a generous dose of medical terms I forgive him, it is after all a MEDICAL THRILLER! Other than that his writing is fluid and user friendly, though sometimes a little weak when it comes to character development, and his fulminations about the dangers of managed care tend to compete with the plot. Still, to his credit, Cook doesn't try to overwhelm you with his obvious intellect. He writes to be understood and appreciated by the masses.

Speaking of the plot, Cook manages to instill a little bi-racial tolerance by having his protagonist (Jack)living in a flat in Harlem and becoming a basketball buddy with Warren, the imposing leader of a black gang. Coincidently another black gang is hired first to scare then to kill Jack and the interplay between good and bad black guys was a nice touch. In fact there were many nice touches which overcame some weaknesses which, to me, became evident toward the end of the book. But even though I questioned the improbable rational for the murders, I was totally surprised by the identity of of the perps.

Beware, Contagion may make you think twice about going to the hospital short of anything life threatening.

Anyone who enjoys a good medical thriller should read this book. Robin Cook is a terrific writer and I would recommend reading all his books. He is my favorite writer. All his books are great reads.

Coma is a good book of the suspense genre with a few flaws. If you read the 25th anniversary author's note at the beginning, you will know why the patients are being put into comas. This took away from the experience and shock value of the ending. However, the plot itself was fast and fun to read. The characters are a little on the shallow side, but were actually quite interesting. The protagonist's actions and motivations are not explained well at all, but this is being picky. Coma came out 30 years ago, so some of the technology is dated, but I found this humorous. Give this book a shot if you are looking for a fast, easy, but forgettable read.

I'm sorry, but this was Robin Cook's worst books... It was slow going, boring and more like a TV drama that I don't care about. It was okay for a first novel, but I read more of his recent ones to be an inkling impressed with this one....

THERE'S A SMOKING HOT CHICK IN THIS BOOK! Ok, now that I have your attention... I personally wasn't to enthralled with the beginning. It just didn't grab my attention. There's alot of medical talk in this book, so be prepared to be a little confused at times. But don't get me wrong, it has it's plusses. There are some weird things going on in the story (which in my oppinion make the book pretty much), and as previously stated, there's this hot chick that is the main character. Which of course, every guy in the book has to mention, is hot. I got really tired of hearing about it. Robin Cook obviously knows a good bit of medical terminology apparently, which makes the book seem a little more plausible. Overall a pretty good read.

Michael Crichton is one of my favourite writers, but having read all of his novels, I was at a loss as to what to read next. Taking into account the fact that Crichton wrote and directed the movie of "Coma", I decided that the book of this film would probably be along the same lines as a Michael Crichton novel and I was right. Robin Cook is to medical thrillers what Michael Crichton is to technological thrillers.

This, Cook's second novel, tells of young medical student, Susan Wheeler and her quest to solve the mystery of why so many seemingly "healthy" patients are slipping into comas at the Boston Memorial Hospital. Although first published in 1977, over 30 years later this book is still relevant and exciting (although the description of the hospital's "state of the art" computer is laughable by modern standards). Being relatively new to writing, Cook does make some of the mistakes that you would expect of an inexperienced writer, and the ending was a bit abrupt for my liking, but in general, the mistakes are few and far between and aren't all that important.

Overall, the book is well written, the characters are believable and in Susan Wheeler, Cook creates a heroine whom I felt I could cheer for and identify with. Best of all, Cook does not talk down to his readers. He assumes that his readers are as intelligent as his characters. There is a lot of medical-talk in this book and by the end of it, I still didn't understand a lot of it, but simply from 380 pages of exposure, I felt that I had picked up some of it and felt like I had learnt something as a result.

Finally, prospective readers should note, in my edition of this book there is a letter from Robin Cook at the very beginning. If you don't already know what happens in "Coma", don't read this letter. It contains some major plot spoilers. You should also avoid reading the "Author's Note" (at the back of the book), until you have finished.

Blindsight has probably the best plot of any of the Cook books I've read so far (about a dozen). It really moves and holds interest, and even has a little more plausibility than most of what he writes. It was refreshing for him not to be bashing big medicine for a change. This is the best Robin Cook book that I have read. Not unbelievably deep or lyrical prose, but it's a page turner that was fun to read.

This book is terrible. The only reason I read it was because it was in my mother-in-law's bathroom when we were visiting and I got sick and stuck in there. It was either this book or the backs of shampoo bottles. In hindsight, I should have stuck with the shampoo bottles. The only reason I gave this one star is because Amazon wouldn't let me give it zero. Terrible dialog and a completely unrealistic plot.

I really liked the story; I should have listened or read it before the more recent books (Marker, etc) as the characters are developed in this one; enjoyed it emensely

This is an entertaining book, although perhaps not the best of the author's many books. Sill, fans of the author will enjoy reading and solving this mystery, as Dr. Laurie Montgomery, a young forensic pathologist who works in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the City of New York, begins to take notice that an unusual number of young professionals seem to be succumbing to an overdose of cocaine. She begins to suspect that something is seriously amiss, but what is it?

She strikes up a friendship with Columbo-like Detective Lieutenant Lou Saldano with the Homicide Bureau of NYPD. He does not initially share her concerns over these drug induced deaths, as he is more focused on a number of mob related killings, which may signify that an all out mob war may loom in the not too distant future. Despite their divergent opinions on the deaths of these young professionals, Lou has the hots for Laurie, but timing is everything. Despite the mutual attraction, Laurie has just been swept off her feet by a wealthy ophthalmologist to whom her parents have introduced her. As it turns out, this ophthalmologist has a mob boss as a patient, the very same mob boss that Lou is investigating. Laurie's infatuation with this eye doctor causes a little friction between Laurie and Lou. Still, the nature of their work thrusts them together, and they will discover that their concerns are not mutually exclusive.

The author weaves a fine plot, even though the author's cookie-cutter characters leave something to be desired. Still, the clever plot will keep the reader eagerly turning the pages of this book, even though the discerning reader will probably solve the mystery before the Laurie and Lou do so. This book makes for a quick, enjoyable read.

I've been recommended Robin Cook before but this is the first time I've ever read one of his novels. I was pleasantly surprised. The book sucks you in from beginning to end. The foreshadowing's all there, but it really doesn't become apparent just what's going on until near the end of the book, so it always keeps you interested and guessing. The pages fly by with great action and character moments, and the characters themselves are fun to get involved with. Also, the book never gets bogged down in too much medical explanation. There's just enough to let the reader know what's going on, but you don't need a degree to understand what's being explained.

The often read Robin Cook's books but find myself continually disappointed with the endings. Stories open full of opportunity, compelling medical details and controversy, yet close with limited or simplistic resolution. Eight books on and I am still awaiting an ending which is as compelling as the beginning. Harmful Intent was no different, the anaesthesia logs, the bounty hunters and the hiding. But then, almost as if the ideas ran out, the book was over with the doctors playing happy families in a resolution which is not worthy of the thought and development impeded in the beginning. The will continue to read Robin Cook's books as I find them full of a community of protagonists I can identify with, however, I will continue to await an ending which equals the creativity of the concept on which the book is based.

I find it hard to put the book down. Robin Cook again used his great skill of mixing humor with suspense.

There's crooks and then there's real deviousness in white collar crime. This is one ride you won't forget. Think about what Shakespeare said about lawyers, not to mention the Bible. Scary story, but as always, Cook takes you for a great ride.

Some of RC's books are very good, and some are atrocious. Harmful Intent straddles the middle ground. I followed Dr. Jeffery Rhodes' adventures with interest, if only to see how stupidly he would act. I felt sympathy for him b/c he was so clueless! RC attempted to flesh out Kelly, but she still remained a very flat character. The chases, however, were quite good. Exciting and compelling. This is a fun read, but it probably won't leave a lasting impression.

I've read a few RC's now, and while so far they've all been pretty good reads, I want mention that this one is outstanding. His stories are about normal, intelligent (is intelligence that normal these days?) people who are thrown into a web of intrigue and danger. This one stands out because of the suspenseful climax of the novel that is extended over the last 80 or so pages. Really well done.

Maybe Lowell's worst effort. She is totally swallowed up by the heavy-handed symbolism that often threatens her early work, but rarely gets this bad. Strange, unbelievable story and one-dimensational stock characters. Read alomst anything else by Lowell.

I am a huge Elizabeth Lowell fan and Fever did not disappoint me. You almost have the feeling of a fairy tale as you read this book. Lisa is a beautiful wood sprite and Rye is the lost wanderer.

The love scenes are steamy, even the innocent ones! You are captivated by his pain and her healing from the first paragraph.

This will go on your keeper shelf.

I would love to see McCall's Meadow. Lisa is an interesting and different sort of heroine. Talk about self-sufficent! She can make a knife using an antler and a bit of glass. A very sharp knife!

I liked Rye also and understand his need to be loved for himself rather than his riches. Although he's a bit hard on Lisa when he first meets her, he is drawn to her like the proverbial moth to the flame. Their love is very sweet.

There is a sequel to this book. It's about Cynthia McCall, Rye's sister. It's called "Dark Fire". I don't think it's as good as this book but did enjoy it. Especially the descriptions of the cloud forests.

Get them and read them.

I liked Chris from Utah's review. Yes, it was unrealistic, but I really liked Lisa. I liked all the characters. Too bad there isn't a book about Rye's sister and brother. I would definitely purchase. A keeper.

This was the first book that I have read by Elizabeth Lowell. It reminded me of a cinderella story in many ways. In the beginning I thought that Rye was a bit tough on Lisa but as the story unfolded I realized that some of that toughness was masked by his insecurities and hurts. This had more graphic love scenes than I usually like to read but they were more sensual than they were sexual. I wouldn't rate this as one of the best books that I have read but I have read much worse. It was an easy and quick read and rather entertaining.

I ordered four books on palmistry in the same order and this one was far and away the most comprehensive and easiest to understand. I have been reading palms occasionally and making money at it for two years, so I don't consider myself a beginner, but this book, while occasionally silly ("phalange is not a dirty word") is just chock full of useful, sensibly arranged information.

Very good starter. There's a lot of information, and I suggest you dip in and out rather than reading it in a block, because you'll overload! A nice introduction to palmistry. Lots about the fingers less about the interconnectedness of the lines (which is something I'm always interested in when I read palms) but very helpful nonetheless

I must say that it is a good, informative book. I have not thoroughly read it yet, but just by skimming through I saw there was a lot of info. now that can be a good or bad thing, thats why i gave it 3 stars instead of 5. some people might not like my review, might not find it helpful. b/c my review is for a certain, different group of people, who will understand what i'm saying. and what i'm saying is, while this has a wealth of knowledge on the subject, it is a lot. it's complicated and just a bit much. this is not a simple book.lol i just think it could have been presented a bit better. it is one of those books where they have a pargraph of writing and then there are many boxes and circles on the same page with more info. you know the kind i'm talking about? if you want SO much knowledge on palm reading, this is the book for you. but when i see so much on a page, it actually makes my head hurt, and i get a bit discouraged. but when i really read it, i might write another review, b/c i'm sure there is a lot i can learn. but i will just have to bear the headache while i read it.lol

First, the review by Ed Cambell (above) is terribly unfair as he is listed in this book as assisting in the final product.

There are parts of the book where the chapter fails to address the "questions" that appear at the beginning of the chapter. So, some of it is incomplete. So, while the description of some chapters tell the reader what the chapter is about, you can finish the chapter and find that it did not live up to its description. This is very odd.

Also, while the author has some very interesting insights, he interprets some lines of the palm is some fairly offbeat ways. If you have been reading palms or have been reading a compendium of palmistry books, you will fine this book a little strange.

This book is wonderfully written and illustrated, but tends to give you too much information at once. I have read several other book on chiromancy (palm reading) that break down this divinational practice to the lowest common denominator!

Highly recommended for someone whom already has a good grasp on this practice.....may be a bit too much for the newbie! Well written (I'm a BIG "complete idiot's guide" fan!!!) and researched. Overall, very good!

Recommended with reservation!

I was disappointed to see that this book was not advertised as a solely vegetarian cookbook. Though no egg recipes seen so far, give this a miss if you're looking for a guide without all the dairy references

If you have some tofu, tempeh, or other meat alternative in your fridge and you're not quite sure what to make for dinner, this book is perfect. The recipes are all extremely flavorful and most are quite simple to prepare. Most recipes incorporate easy to find ingredients, but the results are outstanding. I highly recommend this book for new and old vegetarians alike.

The title of this book is somewhat misleading, there aren't 365 tofu recipes in the book. While there are some very tasty tofu recipes, there are just as many recipes that use tempeh and seitan.

I have a lot of vegetarian cookbooks but recipe for recipe this one never fails to succeed. The ingredients are simple, the instructions straightforward and the results can't be beat. The author primarily uses tofu, seitan, tempeh and lots of other recipes that use beans, pasta, etc. She has a chapter on one pot meals which is great when you want to keep things simple. The only thing I don't like about this book is the title. The recipes are so outstanding that this is really a gourmet book but you'd never know it from the title!

I was enthused about this book when I bought it, and have been pleased with how the recipes I tried turned out. However, I have to take issue with the use of the word "Healthful" in the title, because some of the dishes contain too much oil and other fats to be considered healthful in my book. I still managed to get good results while using less oil, etc. than the recipes suggest. The recipes are good, but if you are watching your fat intake, be forewarned.