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wildweasel105's review against another edition
3.0
This novel was long on improbable plot twists and short on character development. That being said, Cook manages to address
an important public health concern that often gets short shrift in today's media blitz: E. coli toxin poisoning. Being a medical professional myself for the past 41 years, I can appreciate Dr. Cook's harrowing description of what can go wrong if one ingests food tainted with an unusually virile form of a G.I. bacterium. However, adopting a plot line that reminds me of Upton Sinclair's " The Jungle" doesn't really compel me to believe that today's meat packing industry has NOT evolved any since 1912-1930. This was indeed a thriller, it had it's moments of intrigue, but overall, it stretched out any sense of believability.
an important public health concern that often gets short shrift in today's media blitz: E. coli toxin poisoning. Being a medical professional myself for the past 41 years, I can appreciate Dr. Cook's harrowing description of what can go wrong if one ingests food tainted with an unusually virile form of a G.I. bacterium. However, adopting a plot line that reminds me of Upton Sinclair's " The Jungle" doesn't really compel me to believe that today's meat packing industry has NOT evolved any since 1912-1930. This was indeed a thriller, it had it's moments of intrigue, but overall, it stretched out any sense of believability.
dagrumpypixi3's review against another edition
5.0
I stopped eating meat for a few years after reading this book
baileyjane1's review against another edition
3.0
I remember liking this book, but barely remember it.
caspian_lily's review against another edition
5.0
Because of this book I stopped eating red meat and pork in 1998, and haven't eaten it since. Cook is very honest about the meat industry..
aktunmore's review against another edition
1.0
I don't know what to say other than I was incredibly disappointed. The writing was not impressive, the characters generally unlikable. The main character went from being a full of himself doctor to a complete hot head unable to contain his anger to a calculating planner to someone unable to be strategic. In the span of a week. His ex-wifes decisions were no better. There were also no real twists or turns and the ending was abrupt. I can't say there was much of anything I enjoyed.
kshea1's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars
Robin Cook never disappoints. I've always loved a good medical thriller and this one provided some food for thought about where we get our burgers.....
Robin Cook never disappoints. I've always loved a good medical thriller and this one provided some food for thought about where we get our burgers.....
caseyrose88's review against another edition
3.0
I'll be ordering my hamburgers more well done for a while after reading this...
ohnoitscoco's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't think a book about E.coli could turn out to be a drama/thriller, but Robin Cook pulls it off. I couldn't put it down after I started it, and it made me question the quality of my hamburgers for a while, but I never went vegetarian like a few friends did. For bio geeks, this is a great read, and for others who aren't (like me), it's still pretty good because of the human element. The daughter's condition was so sad, and I was in tears at the scene where her father, a doctor, tries to massage her heart and ends up losing his license.