Bonds Books

The second book in the series, it holds up well and carries on what was good about Wizards' First Rule.

Why they didn't just call this Wizards' Second Rule, I will never understand. I do like the convention of each book learning a new rule and seeing it applied in the end game of the book.

The story and themes this book touches on are both interesting and very touching. The importance of love and the dangers of it is one of the great themes of this book, and done well with the Sisters of Light. Also, the poor nature of prophesies to be understood in any way other then hindsight is something I definitely like. In to many fantasy novels, prophecy is so spelled out that it hardly resembles the idea of it any more. At some point, it just becomes direction. This book continues to handle prophecy very well.

As always Zed is a pleasure to follow, and Richards story line is also interesting. I find Kahlan to be a bit tedious, but her story is not all together uninteresting. The addition of Gratch is well done, and you find yourself like him very much.

This book continues in the vain of the first, and does an admirable job. If you enjoyed Wizards' First Rule, you will enjoy this book.

Well WOW is in the title because that is how I felt about this book. I really do not think that I've ever read the second book in a series and thought that it was quite the caliber of the first book and with Wizards First Rule being the amazing book that it was I REALLY didn't expect it here...in two words....pleasantly superfulific!

An easier to read and darker alternative from the wheel of time for someone looking for an epic fantasy series to bite into.

This is the continuation in the Sword of Truth, a Might Magic type story. This saga is definitely an adult subject due to the graphic discription of some of the scenes. I would not recommend it for a younger child.
It is an excellent audio book. The reader, Jim Bond, does a wonderful job of changing his voice to mimic the different characters as he goes through the story, keeping the listener engaged in the saga.
However, in the unabridged set that I recieved the disc marked 12 is actually a copy of the 10th disc. I was able to speak to the publisher's representative, who will be sending out a replacement to me.

After finally finding a way to be together at the end of Wizard's First Rule, Richard and Kahlan are separated by sinister forces beyond their comprehension. Each must undergo a perilous journey: Richard through the Wilds and beyond the great barrier into the Old World, a vast land beyond the three introduced in the first book; and Kahlan northward to Aydindril, through the harsh winter climate of the Midlands with a Mud-People escort, to seek the help of First Wizard Zeddicus Z'ul Zorander.

While Richard's is the more essential for advancing the plot of the series as a whole, this is really Kahlan's story. We finally get to see the Mother Confessor in action, as she confronts vast armies against impossible odds, and scheming politicians at home. Her journey and fate are breathtaking and moving.

If you liked the first book in this excellent series, you will love the second.

Naturally a person would think that the longer a series runs the greater the decline in quality. But in this case the series seemed to get better in the last couple of books. Bond is falling apart mentally and on the verge of losing his job, allowing Fleming to show the human side of a secret agent. One of my favorite Bond books.

After James Bond (Sean Connery) has participated in faking his own murder in Hong Kong, to give him "more elbow room" in the words of his superior, M (Bernard Lee), he is dispatched to Japan to investigate the mysterious disappearance of both American and Soviet space crafts which threatens to spark World War III.

Working together with Japanese secret service leader Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba), he meets beautiful Japanese agent Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi), who helps Bond through several close shaves.
Working with a Japanese Secret Service Ninja force, he locates the sabotage to the shadowy organization SPECTRE, led by the sinister Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasence).
After Aki is murdered by SPECTRE agents (She dies after ingesting poison dropped into the bed she shares with Bond), Bond teams up, in a faked marriage with the attractive Kissy Suzuki Mie Hama).
Together with the Ninja force they penetrate Blofeld's massive headquarters, hidden in a volcano, where the final battle ensues.
Before Blofeld tries to kill Bond, he reminds him "You Only Live Twice", referring to his earlier faked death.
The chemistry between Bond and the exquisite Aki is perfect, and in the scene where a marriage is proposed and Bond thinks it is Aki, Aki's face lights up.
No less stunning is Mie Hama as Kissy Suzuki, an expert swimmer and fighter, and one of the sexiest Bond girl ever.

I really love Ian Fleming's James Bond books. However, "You Only Live Twice" is my least favourite of the entire series. Apparently, Fleming went to Japan and did a great deal of research in order to write this book. As I read it, however, I found myself wishing that he had stayed at home and just made everything up out of his head, as he normally did.

The main problem with this book is that very little actually happens. The book opens with James Bond still brooding, after the death of his wife at the end of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". In an effort to snap him out of it, M sends him on a seemingly impossible mission to Japan to obtain a code machine called Magic 44. In the process of completing this mission, Bond makes an agreement with the Japanese to kill Dr Shatterhand, a Swiss scientist who has set up a castle surrounded by deadly plants and animals, which has become the new suicide hot-spot of Japan, in exchange for the machine. The rest of the novel is an account of how Bond goes about doing this.

This book has all of the elements of the earlier and better Bond novels: a beautiful girl, a mega-villain living in a seemingly impenetable hide-out and an exotic location. Yet, unlike the earlier novels, like "Goldfinger", where the novel comprised a large number of exciting incidents, there is really only one exciting incident in this whole novel, Bond breaking into the castle to kill Dr Shatterhand. As a result, this book felt to me more like one of Fleming's Bond short stories that had been padded out to novel length by Fleming's observations of Japanese life than like a proper novel, and consequently, I found this book to be rather tedious.

I am certain that fans of Fleming's novels will read this book regardless of what I say and I would recommend doing that, if only for completeness. Nevertheless, I wouldn't recommend this book as a first foray into the Bond novels, as it may put you off reading the other books, which are 100 times better.

If you watched most James Bond movies, you'd hardly know that the British secret agent had ever been married to a woman named Tracy. He was, however, in both the book and the movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service, though wedded bliss would be short indeed, thanks to Bond's greatest foe, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. In the movies, Tracy is hardly referred to ever again (to my knowledge, only briefly in the prologue of "For Your Eyes Only". In the books, however, the death of Bond's true love is far more devastating.

In You Only Live Twice, Bond is not coping well with Tracy's death. Nine months later, he is still depressed and his work has declined considerably. Bond's boss, M, is on the brink of firing 007, but is convinced to take one last shot at redeeming his best employee. He sends Bond to Japan to try and convince Tiger Tanaka, the head of Japanese Intelligence, to share a valuable information source called Magic 44. Tanaka and Bond get along well enough, leading to a deal: Tanaka will share Magic 44 if Bond kills a nasty character named Shatterhand (who is beyond the reach of Japanese law).

Shatterhand has his own Garden of Death, an estate filled with lethal flora and fauna. Although he makes a show of trying to stop trespassers, in fact he is perfectly willing to let people in. In a culture which is very stressful and values honor above all (even life), Shatterhand's garden attracts the suicidal and even subtly encourages them. Tanaka wants Shatterhand stopped and believes a foreign agent is the best way to go. Bond, thinking primarily of Queen and Country, is willing to go along with the assassination, but he does have misgivings. Then he discovers Shatterhand's true identity is none other than Blofeld and all reluctance is gone.

You Only Live Twice is the final book in what I think of as the Blofeld trilogy, preceded by Thunderball and On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Although I think OHMSS is the strongest of the three, this is not far behind (if it suffers from anything, it's that Blofeld's scheme this time is less rational; then again, the master criminal may be going insane through syphilis). Compared to some volumes in the Bond series, this one has relatively limited action - at least before the conclusion - instead focusing more on Bond the person. We even get substantial biographical information on him. The penultimate Bond novel (by Ian Fleming) is best enjoyed when reading the other trilogy books first; for those who have read these earlier works, You Only Live Twice is a satisfying conclusion.

This is the first James Bond book I have ever read -- and I am stunned at how utterly distinct it is from the film with the same name... and how superior.

Fleming obviously wanted to get some things off his chest regarding Japan, and Bond's Japanese host "Tiger Tanaka" is the perfect voicebox. So, what we have here is about 1/2 of a novel acting almost as a travelogue through early 1960s Tokyo, the home islands, the group psychology of the Japanese, and a smattering of other issues. It is quite well written and insightful into Anglo-Japanese relations. However, I would not exactly call it "thrilling".

Where things take a huge turn for the ingeniously clever is with the utterly sinister and demented criminal plot. Simply amazingly far-fetched and extremely imaginative. No one can accuse Ian Fleming of having a lack of imagination. His villain has every bit as much of a character arc as his hero, and the finale does not disappoint. It is has almost NOTHING to do with what happens in the Saltzman/Brocolli movie.

My only gripe is that the book does tend to lag a bit, particularly during the relatively simple romantic sections. Also, the plot is a bit convoluted and as much as I would like to have had it be a story that was inextricably tied to Japan, in the end that quality serves more is window dressing than anythign else. Probably most Bond locations are the same.

Ian Fleming did a great job with his first James Bond book and I highly recommend it! If you're expecting the Daniel Craig movie (which was very good, mind you), this is not the same story (it's similar, but very, very different).

I don't know if it's where I have already seen the Daniel Craig Casino Royale film or not. When I usually see the film before the book, I love the book so much more because it has way more details. This book I felt didn't. I wanted more explanation about the events and the characters' thoughts and feelings. I didn't get that. I realize that the movie took a lot of liberties especially with the ending but I just thought the book would be so much more. In the book, I never understood why James Bond would fall for Vesper. Their sexual tension was downplayed and she didn't verbally spar with him. I'm not sure why he was interested. I understand after the kidnapping incident why he would fall for her since they had 3 weeks together. I liked the book ending better than that movie ending because it was more realistic and more painful to Bond. However, I didn't get totally why Bond's comrades left him alone. I just thought this book was so so. It wasn't great. I definitely wanted it to be great. I was left very disappointed.

Do you want a long review? Well too bad, you're not going to get one here. The first Bond book is great for fans of sensationalist literature. It is not always quick-paced but it sets the tone for suspense and unexpected and much wanted action. Tense moments are the card game with Le chiffre, the bomb assasination attempt, the car chase, and the torture scene. The romantic beach getaway between Bond and Vesper may bore you, but Bond's last words in the novel make up for it. Thank God, for books like this because it was a breeze to read. Back when this book was published they had paperback fiction, where the average paperback book was around 55,000 words. What do you get when you see the average paperback book released nowadays and Barnes and Noble? You see huge Bible-sized books. No thank you. I bought the old paperback edition that can fit inside my pocket. It was great reading it on the light rail to and from work each day for a whole week. I like this book and I hope you will too.

This is the only James Bond book I've read so far and it will not be the last. The best James Bond movie and a fantastic James Bond book. Very classy and exciting. The only flaw for me was I didn't entirely understand the concept of Baccarat and since that was a huge chunk of the book, I was a tad confused at some crucial parts of the story. Other than that it's definatly worth a read.

The man known as 007 is sent to defeat a villain known as Le Chiffre (the number) in a game of Baccarat in order to ruin the credibility of the Ruskies. The setting is the luxurious Casino in the grand, old French town of Royale. Bond, being an expert gambler and player thinks he'll have no trouble taking down Le Chiffre, but doesn't bargain on forces working against him from his own side.

I'm not sure if Ian Fleming originally planned this to be the first of a series but he does a good job of introducing us to all of the familiar characters. His writing style is short and terse and to the point. I often find myself reading books that waffle on and on with nothing in particular to say but Casino Royale wastes no time in getting to the important stuff. It's urgent, but still never feels underwritten. It's a perfectly balanced style and I hope that the rest of the books feel the same.

Despite being set in the 50's there isn't really THAT much in the book that dates it terribly. I saw the cast from the 2006 movie in my head, but don't expect the movie to be similar. The first hour of that film was pretty much new story and everything afterwards (save the sinking houses in Venice) is true to Ian Flemings book.

A good read and very fast paced.

Any true fan of baseball will love this book. Not only does it provide factual reporting, but is presented in a way that anyone who picks it up can read it & understand.

It is nowhere near a "long read," it's long, but is written in a way that it will suck you in until you flip that last page. I liked it so much I ordered a copy for my dad!

I am nowhere near a Barry Bonds fan, but this book doesn't 100% focus on Bonds. A great read!!!

Bought this for my husband... he loves it. Good read for those into Baseball and baseball history.

I am a big baseball fan so i had to read this book and , altough, it is a sad thing to find out how huge is this problem, i am grateful that those who have lied and hide this problem have been prosecuted.This book is a great account of the problems of drugs in sports.So far, everything that the authors have said in this book have been proven true.This book is a no non-sense approach to the story with the authors putting all the cards on the table and not holding back.I think their approach to the subject is fantastic and the fact that they have researched and documented all their information is a testimony to that.Great book!!

There is no way to make a positive case for anabolic steroids or HGH in any sport. The story of BALCO and the involvement of one of the biggest names in sports makes for an interesting read Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports albeit one of the darkest sides of professional sports.

Hidden behind a "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" back-drop, the book names people who became contenders by buying into the back street sales of steroids in order to build strength, enhance musculature, elongate careers and cheat their way into the record books with the excuse that they were better than other players but just needed that edge to be best, as though it was their divine right! Gone were the days of Willie Mays, Roger Maris, Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle, those who made and broke records by sheer talent and will. The days of steroids were now foisted upon an unsuspecting public via Victor Conte, a self-made, self-serving and self-proclaimed nutritionist who became a "cocktail" mixer to the super stars of sports. Throw into that mix the world of Major League Baseball, who, along with its Commissioners, owners, managers, trainers and pumped up stars, turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to all that was happening around them. Together, they've turned a wonderful, healthy and beautiful sport that was America's Favorite Pastime into a debacle of muscle-bound "terminators" whose job it is to hit the long ball and keep people coming to fields and stadiums where they can witness the side-show of freaks which once was, the heart of American sports.

"Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports" details the story of how performance-enhancing drugs have entered the world of sports. As of this time, the case has not been completely wrapped up, with Barry Bonds still awaiting trial for perjury and tax evasion. The book is really a definitive reference to performance drugs, their composition, their effect in bodies and why they work. As banned drugs in most sports, there has been a constant game of cat-and-mouse between athletes and governing bodies to stay one step ahead of the other, to prevent these drugs from being used. In baseball's case, the only governing body for athletes and owners was greed, so using the drugs was winked at by both. The result of this was the creation of records by people who never would have come close to creating them. Equally incredible was the creation of "mutations" (for lack of a better word) in the bodies of users: Barry Bonds, for example, had his shoe size grow from 10½ to 13, his jersey size increase from 42 to 52, and his head grow two sizes, despite being bald - all in his late 30s, long after the normal body grows anything close to this much. No telling what kind of health risks he will be running in the years to come. This is no doubt, though, that this is a riveting book - despite what may seem to be a boring topic, the authors make it a thorough and interesting book.

Well, this Agent 007 novel is pretty good. You'd best don your thickest long-johns while you read it however. Bond has to travel to the top of a mountain near Mt. Everest. (Don't ask me to spell the name!)
As is usual with Bond issues, he has a couple of sexy affairs along the way. Expectedly, one is during a terrible snow storm on the mountain. Double sleeping bags, huh? And guess what? He shares the trek with a bad guy.
I'll not reveal the ending here, but suffice it to say things work out as you'd expect. However, I fear that we're all too familiar with the exploits of Agent 007...Bond, James Bond. Still, it's a decent way to while away some time at the shore.
Charles A. Reap, Jr., author of "Devil's Game" and "My Friend Sam."

"James Bond:High time to kill"like most james bond movies,is action packed story with a great plot and conflict.The british have created a chemical that would allow planes to go incredible speed.A group of terrorist called a union has stolen the microdot that contains the formula. The plane carrying the unions microdot crashes on kangchenjunga,a mountain in the himalayas. The british organized a team of climbers to go with 007 and retreive the microdot on the mountain the mission is both a race to retrieve the microdot, as well as a survival mission. What makes this book very enjoyable is the plot and setting is actually believable, compare to some other bond stories. This book takes place in the mountains and involves a team of climbers(along with james bond) climbing up the mountain to retreive a microdot. Once you really get into the book,you dont want to stop reading. You always want to find out what will happen next to bond and what new obstacles he will face.
" James Bond: High Time to Kill" is anexcellent book filled with action, suspense, and adventure. I recommend this book to anyone who likes action/adventure books or anyone who wants to read an enjoyable book.

Z.N.
period 5

Wow! "High Time to Kill" is a 5 star plus thriller!

Indeed as exciting and breath-taking as a 007 James Bond movie!! I could hardly set this book down for even a minute---captivates you completely throughout the entire book----intense; powerful, exciting, exhilerating----You feel like you are right there seeing all the action---A MUST read for anyone who enjoys a truly fantastic 007 adventure!!

To me a sign of a truly great writer is one that keeps your interest through the entire book and Raymond Benson does this extremely well!!
I will look forward to reading more of Raymond Benson books!

What is the problem with whoever owns the James Bond franchise? How come we can not get high quality novels like this one every couple of months? Can you say hire a team of good writers to keep the Bond universe alive.

There have been so many Bond type stories out lately, you would think the goverment was paying the salaries (and cut them out in a budget slash) of the writers.

For all of the money we Bond fans have put up for the movies and books, why can't this universe get a life of its own and grow!

Please write us MORE Bond books - Soon!

I didn't know what to think about Raymond Benson, but I found him to be a good writer. High Time To Kill kept me reading to the last page. As a James Bond fan, it was probably not as good as Fleming's books, but was still action-packed, and had an interesting story-line. If you are trying to find this book at a store than your out of luck because it is out of print, and so are all the other Benson Bond novels. I got mine from the liberary. Pretty much anything James Bond is hard to find these days.

I've read several "for Dummies" books, and in general the entire series is well written, concise, and gives you what you really need. However, I was very disappointed in this one. The book is really dedicated to the three methods of building wealth: equity (stocks, mutual funds, etc.), real estate, and small business. But there isn't enough info on any of the three subjects to do much with. You're better off getting a separate book on real estate if you plan on pursuing that. And nothing he says regarding small business is of much use to accomplish anything. That leaves stocks, bonds and mutual funds, which is what most users would purchase this book for. Regarding that, if you are completely new to mutual funds then this is the book for you as it will explain the basics. However, if you are beyond the very basics (i.e.; "What is a mutual fund?"), and are looking to seriously invest, then I think you'll be disappointed. And if you are looking to get into buying stocks directly, then this book seriously falls short. The entire section on stocks really just explains a canned stock report from a given company. Utterly useless unless you plan on subscribing to that service. No talk of forward PE's, valuation, etc.. Also, the author's continual insistence that you should stay in mutual funds because you "can't beat the market" since there are so many pros out there is utterly ridiculous. There are many gurus out there that have proven track records of generating higher than average returns. Just emulating Warren Buffet's portfolio will do that.

I was looking for a book to dig more into stock valuation, company analysis, etc. and this book barely even touched on any of that beyond definitions. I wouldn't even call it Finance 101, since there is very little about monetary policy, bonds, interest rates, etc.. If you've picked out at least one mutual fund in your life (or purchased a stock directly), then this book is way too simple. If you tremble at the thought of picking a mutual fund and have no financial sense whatsoever, then this is your book.

I bought this for my daughter, who is taking this a college course.
She seems to be happy with it. She asked for this book it as the instructor told her she needed it for the class. Sorry I can't give you more info but I am sure it's a good book.

Kathy in Las Vegas

Great service. Condition of book was stellar and it was delivered in a very timely manner.

I wanted to start investing and read somewhere you should first do some studies. That's when I came across this book. Very well written, and in simple to understand language. I used to dread 401K, IRA, Mutual Funds, Bonds. Now I am confident I know about them and what I am investing into.
Showed new ways to look at debts, as to if I clear my debt sooner, I am investing in something which gives be interest equal to the interest I pay the bank.

I would recommend this book to all who want to get into investing but are hesitant or don't know where to get information from.

This is a clear and concise book for people like myself who are starting to look closely at investing and it gives very good advice and assumes that the reader has no knowledge of investing (true in my case). It warns of the pitfalls as well and can be read straight thru, or by any chapter that you wish to know more about. I would recommend this book to the beginner.

Invest in solid businesses that are undervalued, don't invest in 'stocks' or try to play the market. For non-investors who can't study business fundamentals, just invest in a low-cost index fund and leave the money there.
Warren Buffett is an interesting character and the best part is that he keeps it simple and lo-fi. The book basically uses everything written about Buffett and all his annual letters to create a portrait. Brings new meaning to defining a man by his actions, in this case Buffett's top investments over the years are used to build a philosophy in lieu of talking to the man.
Good book, interesting to get persepective on a business mind, not necessarily the investing mind.

I think it is a very good book to understand how the guys thinks about the whole game of investing. You can clearly see the signs of a seasoned investor throughout the book. But how much useful will it be for people like you and me, that's questionable. Imagine if Tiger Woods tells you how he plays golf or Mozart tells you how he composed those lyrics. It is kind of that. I think it is just a knack of things that either you have or you don't have. But do read the book just to get some idea about the financial market and its potholes that you need to be aware of.

I ordered this book and never got it. I inquired about not getting it twice. I think I got bored with chasing it down after that.

Warren Buffet, the world's richest man, without a doubt, is the greatest investor today. Buffet's the only investor using fundamental analysis who can beat market indices. Unlike the vast majority of money and mutual fund managers who charge high management fees and consistently lag their respective market indices, Buffet has beaten the market for decades. The one lesson this wise investor imparts is to invest in only what you understand. By following this discipline, Buffet bypassed nascent companies such as Microsoft, as well as, the dot.com mania in 1999 and 2000. This is when the RMC Q Trader [...] makes sense, picking up where Buffet and fundamental analysis stops. With a Q Trader program you benefit from diversified investment techniques.

es uno de los peores libros que he leido, no esta ni cerca de ser interesante, de hecho lei 10 libros desde que empece a leer este y aun no lo termino. Si necesitan saber algo mas de Warren busquen otras opciones.

J.D. Robb has Eve Dallas down to a fine art. Anyone that has followed her will certainly like this new adventure.

Nora Roberts Rocks! Lt. Eve Dallas makes the best protagoniost and it's like a ongoing series so there is always a new story!

Good mystery story if you skip over the sci-fi stuff.

I read a lot of books every year. I don't cry much over books or often. The fact that this one has moved me to tears is by and of itself a commendation to the power of Ms Roberts writing.

I guess I wouldn't have noticed, either, if I hadn't just finished reading Survivor before listening to the audio. A significant character mistake was made in the book (Katherine instead of Elizabeth) and a major scene of Roarke's is left completely out (Nixie's step-aunt). The character change was just confusing, especially since they mentioned Sharon, but leaving out an entire scene makes the book NOT unabridged. It's an excellent story still, and yes, Eve doesn't deal well with children, but that's not a big surprise considering her history. As a purist, I found the changes to the story disturbing, but still a great story

I can't say that I've read a better book than this novel in a long, long time and I read 2 or 3 books a week. This was a book that I hated to finish and could have easily read another 300 pages of Wroblewski's prose. I will definitely read this book again and I rarely, if ever, read a book twice; yes, it's just that good!

I was fortunate to have met the author at a book-signing event and found him to be a fascinating, yet humble, gentleman that truly "did the work" to produce with this masterpiece. This book deserves the recognition is has earned and I look forward to reading future books by this incredible author!

I am a dog lover and selective reader. I picked this book because of the subject matter and after reading positive comments in USA TODAY. I am not sorry that I did. I found this book fascinating and riveting. It is hard to believe that this is the author's first novel. His description of nature and his metaphors are fabulous. His interpretation of how a dog thinks, and the perspective of a mute young boy is enlightening. Similar to the Cohen brothers' films, he does not lay out everything for you, you must connect the dots in order to comprehend, a wonderful and challenging technique. I just wish that he had not treated the ending as he did. I know, it is HIS book and he can write as he wishes. But the characters, and especially the four legged ones, were developed in a way that you came to hope for, root for and even love them. I found myself hoping that the return to the farm would work out in a positive way for all. Though gripping and well written as the rest of the book, the last few chapters only earned negative points in my mind for the author. In my opinion, the book would have been so much better with a different ending.

I just finished reading this book and am so happy that I did. I then read some of the reviews and, although I respect everyone's opinion, I sincerely hope that no one skips reading this book because of some of the negativity expressed. Yes, the book is sad and the ending was tragic, but sometimes so is the reality of life. The writing is lengthy, but oh so beautiful and the emotions some of us feel at times could never be better expressed. I know I have felt some of them...the love and the hate, but have never been able to write them down as well as this author has. If you have any doubts, please borrow the book or get it from the library so that you don't miss one of the best written books of the year....

"The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" spends a good 150-200 pages just exploring what I'm sure the author thought was the Paradise of the Sawtelle home in rural Wisconsin. On the 100 acres that the Sawtelles own, they spend their lives raising mysteriously wonderful dogs. As great of a vision I'm sure the author had of this farm, those first pages are a real slog. They are boring beyond belief. But the good news is if you can make it through those pages, you're in for a treat.

Something happens on the farm to destroy the calm the Sawtelles have cultivated. Though many reviews have given this thing away, I won't, because I think knowing it ahead of time (in this case) detracts highly from the story. The person who takes this change to heart the most is Edgar, the family's only son, born mute. Edgar, a very mysterious child himself, has forged a deep connection with the dogs over time. The strongest part of the novel (the 2nd half or so) effectively explores his connection with the dogs and how he deals with an alarming event in his past.

Even though David Wroblewski is clearly gifted, I do think even the 2nd half of the book has problems. It's far too long, many of the descriptions are unnecessary and self-congratulatory. I think Wroblewski needs a good editor, one who can skim away a ton of material at one time and also clean up individual sentences one by one. But he clearly has something, just as those dogs and Edgar have something, some unspeakable talent that is extremely valuable. If only he could communicate it better to us. So it's a fitting metaphor that the author is quite like Edgar and the dogs. He has such signifcant, gorgeous things to tell us, there's something so mysterious about him, but he just can't get it through to us.

First of all, I admire when someone sets out to write one of those big fat impossible to get through novels as if there will never be any novel after this one. It seems there are many who have this ambition and yet so few really get by with it. I think of writers like Trollope, Dickens, and some of those others I read back in college and I think: "whew....ok...glad I got that one done..." But usually, with those older reads, there's a lot of heft and few disappointments. Back when pen and quill and sratchy parchment were it, forget our high tech age, those writers may have written extensively but rarely is the writing excessive.

Sorry to say that I felt that was the case here, the latest summer-read, publishers' darling of the year. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot I liked. There are beautiful descriptions and passages in this big read. But what got me was the overall depressing message. And, of course, you get this by the story's end. And I agree with some others here: What's to like? I mean, what do we take with us after all these 550 pages or so?

Finally, I do think it's a bit cheesy to steal from the mighty bard, Bill Shakespeare. If I were he, I'd be a bit ticked. As in: "Go find your own stories, buddy".

Actually, I can think of a few others out there that I liked so much better. The vastly entertaining and riveting, SIM0N LAZARUS, for one. About half the size of this, but renders a far more powerful and lasting story than this over-praised read.

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.