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Summary: The Cobra Event
Review: This is a story about a C.D.C.(Center for Disease Control) agent, Alice Austen, an FBI agent, Mark Littleberry, and a crazed scientist. It begins when a teenage girl in New York, suffers a terrifying seizure and goes into a mode of self-cannibalization before she dies. This causes Alice Austen to be requested to search for the cause of this death. While she is searching New York trying to discover more clues about this odd case she discovers a few more cases very similar to the first one. These cases cause the FBI to get involved for fear of a dramatic terrorist attack. This is where Alice Austen meets Mark Littleberry; they will be 2 of the leader of the operation to discover and stop whoever is causing these terrible outbreaks. The search leads to the climactic chase through old, abandoned subway tunnels.The author draws the reader in with incredible details of seizures, autopsies, chases and standoffs. The only thing that disappointed me was that, time between the major events in the story seemed to drag on and be boring. Also, some things seemed a little unrealistic, such as, when the terrorist, "Archimedes", gets fired from his job, he steals a bioreactor from that business, yet the company doesn't try to get it back even thought they know he stole it. Although, the climactic chase through the New York subway tunnel system, was wonderfully written. The book is great, but it's not for everyone. Unfortunately, I expected this book to be much more then it was. If you like suspense, and enjoy graphic descriptions of gore, you'll like this book.
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Summary: An enjoyable Bio-thriller
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I did Preston's earlier work, Hot Zone. I just re-read this in light of the 9/11 events--and it was even more chilling. Preston mixes in a lot of very interesting basics on bioterrorism with the plot--leaving the reader with both an enjoyable story and fascinating facts. The plot is pretty straightforward and the characters believable. The story plays out like a horror novel with subtle violence (at the cellular level). If you are even remotely interested in infectious diseases this would be an enjoyable read. If you are interested in the governmental bureaucracy that would be in place for events like the recent anthrax events--you will also enjoy this book.
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Summary: A great book, I couldn't wait to see what happened next.
Review: Alice Austen, a doctor with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta is sent to help the medical examiner for New York City with a couple of suspicious cases he's working on. When Alice gets to the city she finds some very unusual things. The victims of the illness seem to die suddenly from symptoms that at first mimic a bad head cold. Not only do the victims die, but they turn on their own bodies before doing so. More cases turn up, and the F.B.I. is alerted. This story gives the reader an insight into how the F.B.I. would react to this scenario. It is easy to root for the main character Alice Austen. She never gives up and really does some great detective work. This thriller is full of medical terminology, but is easy to read. It is a race to find out who is releasing this deadly biological weapon into the city, and to try to stop them before it is too late. The autopsy sections are in detail and may turn off some readers. Included in the story are details about the history of biological warfare, and how weapons inspectors in places like Iraq do their job. I bought this book on September 9th, of this year. I finished it about two days before the first case of anthrax appeared. I was riveted by this book. Even now when I watch the news or read a newspaper, I am brought right back to the things that happened in the book. The book was extremely well written and the next time I come across a book by Richard Preston, I will most certainly buy it.
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Summary: It really is scary!
Review: Wow! I have to say that this book is better than most "horror" movies out there. I read this book in three sittings. Page after page, it kept me going. I couldn't put it down! I know it's fiction, but I doubt that the stories contained therein are all that fictional. It really did scare the hell out of me, especially with the current state of events. Great book!
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Summary: A non-viable chimera of a book
Review: As an ex-EIS officer at CDC and a current specialist in infectious diseases, I read this book mainly out of curiosity. Preston's attempt at blending the non-fictional history of biowarfare with the fictional mad molecular virologist at large in NYC, didn't work for me. The long winded biowarfare essays and his heavy handed techno-explanations were too disruptive and just weren't meshed well with the story he was attempting to tell. The ending is a mixture of "Frankenstein" and "Silence of the Lambs". I had hoped for something more original. Other notes while reading this book: 1. The NYC health department did not exist. 2. Why did they bother to include smallpox in the chimera virus? (It didn't seem to play any significant role.) 3. Preston seems to have a morbid fascination that "hot" biological agents cause liquifaction of human organs. It's OK if his fictional brainpox virus turns a brain into mush, but that sort of thing just doesn't happen in real life. 4. Why did the female protagonist insist on an outbreak case definition by autopsy? (I guess because she was a pathologist.) One or two maybe to get samples but after that a case could have been defined by: unexplained acute brain dysfunction with golden eyes and missing mouth parts or fingers. Preston's non-fiction success obviously got this book published. Novelists generally improve with practice. Time will tell.
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Summary: Damn! This is one scary (and timely) book!
Review: Robert Preston is absolutely an evil genius when writing about little bugs that can kill the human race. This is really one scary book. I read a lot of medical thrillers and this is definately in the top 10 on my list. Read it...and be afraid...be very afraid!!!
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Summary: Not as alarmist as some say
Review: I can see the points of view in saying that this is an alarmist book, however the US government HAS contucted tests within the New York City subway sytem using harmless bacteria and seen how the spray patterns can affect the whole city (sorry to all those who may now feel uncertain in NYC), but this is a concern for any city with a subway system. The book is fiction nonetheless, so keep that in mind if you want to start complaining. In terms of Preston's writing style, his depth of knowledge in the problems presented by this book are well represented in a gripping plot that, as some of the newspaper reviews say, make it so you can't put it down! I too was up until the early hours racing to finish it all so that I could see the ending withou being kept in suspense. I'm giving the book 5 starts because of it's success at the fiction genre, as well as the info contained within the plotline.
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Summary: An excellent *attempt* by an otherwise excellent writer.
Review: I have always admired Richard Preston's analyses of some very complicated subjects, and my favorite by far was _The Hot Zone_. When I heard about _The Cobra Event_, I was thrilled, because anyone who is familiar with Preston's work knows that he is reliably accurate and intelligent in his examination of science. The problem is, he is not a novelist. Now, he doesn't do a bad job, and his skill as a writer saves him somewhat, but it reads like a sloppy attempt of an amateur novelist layered over exquisitely written and researched science. I can honestly say that while I was curious as all hell reading the book, I couldn't even remember the names of the characters as I was reading. Combine a copycat _Silence of the Lambs_ with _The Hot Zone_, and you have _The Cobra Event_. Despite all this, I certainly do intend to read more of his books. I just hope he sticks to nonfiction and not fiction in the future.
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Summary: The Hot Zone was scary, the Cobra Event is TERRIFYING
Review: As a sweep of terror has made it's way through the United States, it becomes that much more vital that people read this fascinating tale of the reality of biological warfare. Despite the fact, that this book is deemed a fictional account, Preston incorporates factual material to add to the horror of what was once thought of as an unrealistic possibility. This book was hard to put down not because of the writing or character development, but because of the staggering data about the sheer volume of "weapons" such as Bot-Tox, Smallpox, and other deady viruses that are far too real and brutally gruesome.
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Summary: life imintates fiction
Review: In light of 09/11/01 event,this book is fiction come to life in Amercian society. The book ask a question what would happen if a tradey struck New York city. From the begining to the end this book depicts the history of biological warfare, and tells a story about an event in reality occuring. After i read this i started to look at people differently, when i travel on the train,as i walk the streets of Manhattan. I cannot wait to read his next novel
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