Great idea, just poorly executed. I thought I was hooked from the first page, but by the time Susan was going to...(for those who haven't read it yet, I won't say what she was going to do), I had lost interest.

Then when Ishuguro popped up with all that techno mumbo jumbo (Pinerio gives way too much information and way too many characters) I forced myself to read on. The next time he popped up, I skipped. Concentrated on where Susan was in the book only. Only up to page 160 (after having the book since August), but I can read it faster and enjoy it more by skipping to the Susan parts. (I agree with the NY Times review).

The real shame here is that Pineiro had a great idea here but he weighed it down with trying to come off as 'smart'? I don't know the word but I do know what the average reader wants is a good old fashion read, with not too much narrative and a real focus on one individual, not a bunch of people crowding the pages with plots and sub plots, making me care less and less about them as I go along.

A re-edited version of just Susan as the focus would made a great book. I know where you were going Pineiro, but you just failed in getting me there so far.

I bought this book looking to see what drivel someone would put into a book on the Y2K issue. I was not disappointed. I gave this two stars because I did bother to finish it.

As far as the plot goes - been there, done that. There were some mildly interesting twists on occasion but overall it was too close to a rewrite of...

On a whim, I looked to see if said 'author' had managed to get any other books printed since this abomination and lo I was amazed to see that not only had he gotten published again, but THIS WAS NOT HIS FIRST BOOK! Utterly mindblowing.

This is one of the _least_ accurate computer books I have ever read (I'm a programmer). I was SHOCKED when I read that the author was "a 16 yr veteran of the computer industry". All I know is that he is no software guy. His attempt at trying to discribe a virus was totally laughable - dude, if you want to write more computer books, I'll be happy to consult w/ you - and I'll even do it for free.

Flat characters, silly plot, technical inaccuracies over and over and over again and gratuitous violence is what you'll find. If you want a quick, mindless read this is your book. If you want a technothriller novel, well, look some place else.

I'm not even going to waste my time reading any of his other books. Personally, I'd be embarrassed (if not richer) if I had my name on this book. Perhaps someone needs to tell this guy not to quit his day job.

Mr. Pineiro approaches the "millenium question" from the fascinating perspective of a merging of computer science, anthropology, and astronomy.

To avoid giving away too much information, I offer the following.

The book opens with a computer virus suddenly locking up computers worldwide for 20 seconds. To search for the source and a cure for the virus, the FBI turns their top cybercrime investigator, Dr. Susan Garnett, loose on the problem.

Meanwhile, a pair of married astronomers, a Japanese husband and Japanese-American wife, conducting SETI research with a radio telescope in Chile, note unusual activity from the constellation Centaur.

Also meanwhile, a French bureaucrat, facing unemployment and disgrace, hires a team of mercenaries to steal a cure for the virus in the hopes that he can salvage his career by selling the cure to the rest of the world.

Dr. Garnett, isolating the virus, traces its source back to a spot on the Yucatan peninsula. At this point she contacts Dr. Cameron Slater, an anthropologist and expert on Mayan culture.

The story evolves from there.

The book is an excellent read, with two qualifiers. The ending is a bit anticlimactic and Mr. Pineiro needs to spend just a tad more time researching the zoology of the areas he is writing about.

The premise of this book is that Sadaam Hussein obtains atomic bombs and decides to nuke the US. OK, I can accept this premise. However, the book concentrates on Hussein's personal animosity to Bill Clinton-because Clinton has been soooooo tough on him-going so far as to waste one of his three nukes to hit Clinton's boyhood home of Hope, Arkansas. Huh? First, Clinton has gone out of his way to discontinue UN inspections of Iraq and ease sanctions. Secondly, Hot Springs, Ark, not Hope, is Bill Clinton's boyhood home. Thirdly, those of us who have passed through Hope, Ark realize that it could easily be missed if you blink-it's simply not the place for a terrorist attack when there are so many population centers around this country. If George Bush had been the target, this story would be more easily believed. Aside from that, terrorists just mosy up to the space shuttle and blow it up. There's quite good security around Cape Canaveral and clowns like those in this story would have been taken out long before they had a chance to do damage. While there are a few god action scenes in this book, it's really contrived and not all that exciting.

an exciting book from start to finish. i have become a pineiro fan after i have read this book.pineiro surpasses tom clancy on the excitement level. this book was well worth the money that i spent on it. this book is what you would call a page turner. buy it.