GermLine

Rating:
Summary: An exciting Science Thriller
Review: An exciting Crichton-like thriller. Many twists and turns. Are the good guys really good? Quick moving story with many twists and turns. Action packed, I couldn't put the book down to see what Erlick would come up with next. Never lacked for a suprise twist. Well researched...this could really happen.

Rating:
Summary: Don't read the reviews, read the book for yourself.
Review: I bought this book a couple of weeks before a 5 hour flight and I intended to read this book on the plane. Well, I should not have opened the covers to take a peek because I was hooked.

The science in Germline was interesting but for those who are not into cloning and gene therapy, you can skip the science dialog and the story would still make sense. What really facinated me were the thought provoking questions that the story brings forward.

The explosions and chase scenes in this story were terrific. As I read it, a Hollywood movie played in my mind. If entertainment is what you need, this is it.

Rating:
Summary: Don't read the reviews, read the book for yourself.
Review: I bought this book a couple of weeks before a 5 hour flight and I intended to read this book on the plane. Well, I should not have opened the covers to take a peek because I was hooked.

The science in Germline was interesting but for those who are not into cloning and gene therapy, you can skip the science dialog and the story would still make sense. What really facinated me were the thought provoking questions that the story brings forward.

The explosions and chase scenes in this story were terrific. As I read it, a Hollywood movie played in my mind. If entertainment is what you need, this is it.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT book
Review: I couldn't book the book down, and neither could a friend, who picked up the book when I put it down. Am very excited to see book number 2. GREAT read, GREAT book. I see a movie in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating reading
Review: I found this to be an extremely well-written and interesting novel and actually has two subjects - the one regarding the technical aspects of DNA and what can be done with it and the other the moral aspect of these changes. It is definitely not light reading. Dr. Erlick doesn't water down the technical-medical aspects of genetics and DNA manipulation so it can be confusing or turn off a reader that is expecting more fiction less reality but it's the reality that makes this book such a fascinating read. The moral aspect of genetics and DNA manipulation is shown through the main character's belief in the good that is going to be done, when he is shown that others are using his work to harm others, and the question what do you do when you have to make a personal choice. I'm definitely looking forward to his next book.

Rating:
Summary: I tried but couldn't finish either....
Review: I read 250 pages and pitched it. Every page is a new city, new scene, new character.....And.....the story just never goes anywhere. There's a good premise here but the writer and publisher need to re-work this thing! In short: Don't bother...keep looking.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent medical s-f thriller
Review: I was offered the opportunity to read a galley of this book before it went into print, and I can say without reservation that I was not disappointed. There are several concurrent plots (pun intended), and the third-person narration shifts from one to the next very smoothly. There's an Andromeda Strain quality of inexorability and gathering velocity as more pieces of the puzzle fall into place for the reader, leading to a not entirely predictable climax. As with so many things, there is no one clear solution to the moral and ethical questions posed by the book, and the ending leaves some tempting teasers lying about for the reader to sieze and worry at if so inclined. It is clearly a story of how one set of (fictional) people reacted to the dilemmas, and I found it difficult not to keep asking myself, 'How would I have reacted?' The necessary explanations of the highly-technical processes and jargon peculiar to genetic research were on the whole handled very well; there was no sense of being 'talked down to' although I think some of the explanations could have been a bit clearer than they were. On the whole, I found the topic intriguing, the treatment thought-provoking, and the style and presentation very good. I give GermLine four stars out of five, and a rating of PG due to some of the fairly graphic descriptions.

Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: In the tradition of Crichton and Cook, Erlick comes up with a scientific thriller that is believable. This is what makes it so scary. I couldn't put this book down once I picked it up. I also loved the fact that it's set locally (for me anyway).

I can't wait to see what else Mr. Erlick comes up with for his next novel.

Trust me! Buy this book. You won't be disappointed. You're in for the ride.

Thanks for reading!

Rating:
Summary: GREAT book
Review: This is a mass-market thriller in the great tradition of Michael Crichton and Robin Cook. A previous reviewer was bothered by a plot that skips around. It does, but so do most books of this type. I found it a well written version of this type of story, but there is no denying that it is genre literature.
What impressed me was the depth of the ethical thinking displayed in the book, which was not one-dimensional or simplistic fear mongering. Do take the time to read all the way to the end of the book. If I were teaching an ethics class I would seriously consider making this suggested or required reading on the topic.
The background is meticulously done, and this book is backed up by a scientific website for readers who want to pursue the subject further.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Bother
Review: With all due respect, I think Dr. Erlich should stick to science, or perhaps get a ghostwriter or at least a decent editor.

If this book has any continuity, I couldn't find it. Characters come and go, people change sides without apparent reason, and the protagonist, when not giving pedantic lectures, seems confused and obtuse.

There is no real story here - the book simply appears to be a vehicle for the author's views and opinions. A non-fiction work would have been much better for his purposes.