Product Description
Set of 3 books from New York Times bestseller, Michael Crichton. All are in good condition but a little shelf worn. ... Read more

Product Description
Una novela explosiva sobre el imperialismo economico japones. En la mejor tradicion de los buenos thrillers, la historia arranca con el hallazgo de un cadaver, en esta ocasion, el de una call-girl en el piso 45 de la torre Nakamoto, un rascacielos de Los Angeles que alberga el cuartel general desde donde el coloso oriental lanza su invasion economica sobre Estados Unidos... Sol naciente es una de las novelas mas trepidantes de Michael Crichton, celebre autor de Parque Jurasico, y su adaptacion cinematografica, protagonizada por Sean Connery, constituyo todo un acontecimiento. ... Read more

Product Description
En las profundidades del Oceano Pacifico se descubre una misteriosa nave espacial de grandes dimensiones. Las autoridades norteamericanas envian a un grupo de cientificos para que investigue el inquietante hallazgo. Procede la nave de alguna civilizacion extraterrestre? De un universo diferente? Del futuro? La respuesta desafia la imaginacion y escapa a cualquier intento de explicacion logica: un extraordinario y terrible poder amenaza toda la vida existente en torno al enigmatico objeto... Una de las novelas mas trepidantes del autor de Parque jurasico, tambien adaptada al cine en una superproduccion de exito mundial. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Mejor que el film
Este trabajo de Crichton se adentra en una suerte de terror psicológico con elementos de ciencia ficción. De ritmo lento pero atrapante, quizá no sea su mejor obra pero vale la pena leerla, sobre todo porque es mejor quela película.

Esfera (O un viaje al fondo del mar y los deseos humanos)
En este libro nos sumergiremos en el fondo del mar para investigar no solo lo que parece ser un accidente aéreo, sino tambien lo que yace escondido en el fondo de la conciencia humana. Los deseos y frustraciones que guardamosen el inconciente seran sacados a la luz de una forma brillante y sumamenteentretenida. Como siempre, Crichton nos sorprende con una historia que,basada en hechos pausibles, se adentra en la ciencia ficción de maneraverosimil y amena. Si te gustaron El Parque Jurasico, El Mundo Perdido o laAmenaza de Andromeda, este es un libro que no te podes perder. ... Read more

Product Description
Karen Randall, una joven de 16 anos hija de una prestigiosa familia de medicos, muere desangrada en la sala de urgencias de un hospital de Boston. El ginecologo Arthur Lee es acusado de heberle practicado un aborto. Su amigo, el forense John Berry, esta dispuesto a probar su inocencia, pero en el curso de su investigacion chocara con el desprecio de la alta sociedad bostoniana, la colera de la policia y la venganza de los bajos fondos... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Darkest African Safari Adventure
My favorite part was discovering the massive primeval forest thru Michael Crichton's Congo. He wonderfully weaves the classic story of greed and corruption for riches that have and still do draw the powers of the world to risk all for treasure always at the expense of and the changing of lives and souls. ... Read more

Product Description
1994 Hardcover Edition in Very Good Condition. Dust Jacket has only very slight edge-wear but nothing major. Text is clean and unmarked with no rips, tears, creases or loose pages. Spine is firm but slightly bowed. A nice clean copy. Three complete Crichton novels in one volume (675 pages). Prompt shipping with a Free Delivery Confirmation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Great value for your dollar!(but the last novel is the best one)
Michael Crichton is one of my favorite authors and he will be missed.I loved Jurassic Park, Rising Sun, State of Fear, and many many more.This collection, of three early works, was a great value to find (shhh... don't tell Amazon, I picked it up at a Garage sale for $1!).Without going into an extremely-long-winded review of three novels, here's a quick summary of my thoughts:
The Andromeda Strain was a quick read and, although Crichton's style of writing drew me in, the tension never seemed to build to the point of boiling that I expected.I enjoyed the novel, but was left wanting more.

The Terminal Man has a great premise and a great build up, but seemed to end very suddenly, and anti-climactically, that I wondered if he was pushing to meet a deadline.

The Great Train Robbery was fantastic! Picture "Ocean's Eleven" set in Victorian-Era England.This novel is where Crichton's masterful research, character development, high-tension and thrills really shines.I couldn't put this one down!

So, in closing, I'm glad I read these novels; the first I'm glad I read, simply to say that I read them.The last one, The Great Train Robbery, was exciting and one of his best!

excellent service!
the books were in excellent condition and the service was fast!! i'll be back for more.

Well Worth the Money
Three great stories in one. I must admit Terminal Man was required reading in highschool. My biology teacher was really excited about the technolgy in this story. The Andromeda Strain and Terminal Man simply wont have the same impact on a new reader today as it did in the 70's.

The real treat in this trilogy is the Great Train Robbery. I actually had the book for several years before I even bothered to read this story. I guess the title didnt grab me. The Andromeda Strain and Terminal Man were both very popular. Its a shame the Train story never quite took off like the other two. In my opinion, it's a superior story.

All 3 of Michael Crichton's Early Works in One!
I've read new works of Michael Crichton, and I liked them very much. Since these three books are the ones that threw him into a fame as a thriller, I decided to check it out. And I didn't believe there was a volume like this! Very good deal to have your favorite author's early works packed in one hardcover, since you can't find hardcovers in any book store these days, and only online is where you can buy, but then, all of the price combined is certainly greater than this one. Again, a very good deal at a very good price.

Crichton Review
Though somewhat early works of the author, they reflect a very versatile and lucid knowledge of his subject matter. ... Read more

Product Description
En el corazon del africa salvaje se desarrolla una apasionante aventura en pos de encontrar la ciudad perdida de Zinj, punto clave de una terrible intriga internacional. Sus protagonistas: una chica ambiciosa al servicio de una poderosa multinacional; un joven cientifico californiano; Amy, un gorila entranable; y un experto cazador que conoce los misterios de la selva. Todos ellos se enfrentan a peligros mortales: pigmeos siniestros, bestias monstruosas, rios de lava, espias de naciones enemigas, mercenarios implacables... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wow! Technology is a cool thing!
This was the first Crichton book that I read. It's very cool. The explainations of the technology used are so believable and plausible. As with Jurassic Park, the movie only tells part of the story. This book definitely needs to be read.....

welcome to the jungle
This was probably one of my favorites of Crichton. I've read many of his books and this one, in my opinion, is one of the tops. The reason I say that is because the setting is in an uncontrolled environment where nature calls the shots. There is the usual advanced technology added to help our daring charters but it's really all about going native and staying alive.There are may turns and twists that kept me going but I don't want to give away any of the surprises. I'll just say this: it's like Indiana Jones meets the Planet of the Apes on a bad batch of acid. Check it out, it's worth the read.

Congo
Congo opens on a grizzly gorilla attack on a group of explorers. Crichton goes on in telling how the search and or rescue party gets there and the horrific things they experience. With the company of Amy the most advanced ape in the sense of sign language, they learn many things about gorilla life and their past. From Chrichton I've also read Airframe, Sphere, Jurassic Park and The Lost World; personally this is my least favorite of the books.I admit the first few pages grab you with quick and intense action, but the main part of the book, I thought, was extremely boring, no action what so ever not even flared emotions. Written in 1980 it is expected to have out dated technology information, in fact some of things they mention weren't even fathomable then, but now are a part of everyday life and I made a note of that in the back of my mind, but while reading it seemed as though it was in bold print and it simply got annoying.Don't get me wrong it is a well writen book, it's just that I feel is other books are definately more worth reading.The ending as in all books is the most exciting part of the book, overflowing with action that almost makes up for the eye drying middle; almost. ... Read more

Product Description
Profiles the life of Michael Crichton, revealing how his childhood interests helped him to become a best-selling author of technothriller books and films, as well as creator of the television series, ER. ... Read more

Product Description
Pairing the talents of a leading American artist and the author of Jurassic Park, a collection of intellectual works featuring the artist's use of puns, optical illusion, and embedded images is accompanied by analytical text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Beware the wrong author. (not exactly a review)
BEWARE!!! Double check before you make final purchase that is is Michael Crichton and not Riva Castleman. Riva wrote a book by the same name. The place I bought it from would not responde to me when I tried to return it.
I bought this book to finish my Michael Crichton collection. Once I got it in the mail I was extreamly bummed to find a diffrent book written by a diffrent author. I dont know if the MC version is good or not, it probbaly is, maybe one day I will actually get it. I am wary of buying this book online though as I dont want the same scenario happening again.

order discrepency
The jasper johns book I ordered, and received is not the Michael crichton book which seems to be unavailable at an affordable price. I am happy with the book I have.

Into the heart of creation
I own six books on Jasper Johns (monographs, catalogues of exhibitions) and this one is undoutedly the best. The illustrations are numerous and of a good quality, however this is not your coffee-table type of book: you do want to read the text, which, through numerous interviews and essays, manages to give the best analysis available on the master's art. Especially interesting are the dialogues between Chrichton (himself a collector of Johns's works) and the artist. This is a book that often providesunique insight into the artist's creative process; Chrichton opens many doors and it is up to the reader/art lover to step in and discover Johns's mysterious world.

Good
Novelists have always loved artists, and artists have always loved novelists. They love and admire the other's talent, but--most important--they are not competitors. Crichton's love of Johns' workcertainly comes forth, and Johns' seemed flattered that a best-sellingnovelist, and not an art professor, wanted to do a book on him. That mutualadmiration underlies why this is such a solid book.

Probably as good as possible--without being intrusive
The author well restrained himself from "digging into the painful childhood" that produced such an unusually remote "negator of impulses."He brought out the positive aspects of Johnspersonality--his ability to laugh at himself and not always to take himselftoo seriously."His work is a constant negation of impulses"said the critic..."wouldn't you say so Jasper?""NO"says Jasper, laughing.Jasper can laugh.That is nice.The authorrespected his need for privacy in his personal life.He presented a verydifficult, complex personality with dignity, humor, and good taste. ... Read more

Product Description
The twin jet plane en route to Denver from Hong Kong is merely a green radar blip half an hour off the California coast when the call comes through to air traffic control: 'Socal Approach, this is TransPacific 545. We have an emergency.' The pilot requests priority clearance to land - then comes the bombshell - he needs Forty ambulances on the runway. But nothing prepares the rescue workers for the carnage they witness when they enter the plane. Ninety-four passengers are injured. Three dead. The interior cabin virtually destroyed. What happened on board Flight TPA 545? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

BUT.....
Great plot but... weak characters. If you have alot of time in your hands, go for it.

Weak polemic/thriller of airliner manufacturers
"Airframe" is meant to be a topical story about the business of building airplanes - full of details and praised for being "ripped from the headlines" and "plausibly detailed" - but we should know better.Topical stories typically cut-and-paste news stories and rely on publicity from actual events to boost sales, filling in the blanks with convenient fiction. The result isn't as realistic as "apparently realistic" - plausible enough to convince readers that the author's slim understanding of aviation will back up the slim plot.

"Airframe" centers on a fictitious airliner - the Norton N-22, a technological marvel. Popular opinion shifts when an N-22 encounters severe turbulence - killing three and injuring scores more. The media, unlike their real-life counterparts - blame Norton rather than the airline.(Remember the hype over low-cost outfits like "ValueJet" and bloated dinosaurs like Pan-Am and TWA, and remember all of those "US-scare" jokes?)Ambitious reporters, "bottom-feeding" lawyers and other unethical, uninformed and non-credentialed "experts" descend on Norton.
Admittedly, at this point that "Airframe" could still have been a great novel with which to explore issues like products liability, airlines and the media, but the plot is built on two large elements that make "Airframe" an unnecessarily bad read.First off, "Airframe" makes no secret of its sympathies, and wastes no time establishing who the bad guys are - lawyers, bad; college boys with imported cars, bad; the media - bad; rich people, bad; engineers at Norton - good.

Secondly, despite becoming a polemic in defense of the aviation industry, "Airframe" unconvincingly sexes up the story with corporate intrigue and an internal sabotage of the N-22's future.Worse, true to form, Crichton makes both the media and the conspiracy responsible for Norton's ills, never deciding which is actually responsible.(Crichton normally mixes the mundane - hypocritical political correctness, feminism, environmentalism, foreign control of domestic businesses, genetic engineering, etc - to drive his plots, and then combines them with a sinister conspiracy to accomplish the same end.In other words, if evil corporate types are really guilty, then it's kind of unfair to saddle the media or lawyers for the same result - sort of like having your pie and throwing it too.)

Despite a novel looking into the dynamics of commercial aviation, and despite Crichton's reputation for books that are meticulously researched, "Airframe" doesn't even seem all that realistic."Airframe" is meant to pit the informed scientists of the aviation industry against the ignorant profiteers of the litigation industry and the media, but there are no visible characters who are pilots or engineers."Airframe" begins with a quote by a veteran journalist who warns against giving respectability to the uninformed, which does less to make Crichton's points than seize the moral high-ground of debate. Certainly "Airframe"'s details don't betray any more knowledge of aviation than any other layman who subscribes to "Aviation Week".

Also, Crichton's characters repeatedly compare their case to that of the DC-10 (which suffered a string of accidents and bad press in the 1970's) as an example of evil media. For Crichton, the DC-10 fits the N-22 - the media hounded the DC-10, and McDonnel never sold another one.(I lived near an airport until '98 and routinely saw DC-10's in flight until they were phased out recently - nearly two decades after their "grounding" and about the same time as its competitor, the L-1011, a plane the DC-10 outsold. I even flew a DC-10 on a major airline in 1994 - I can't remember when I last flew a Tri-Star. DC-10's more likely suffered - if at all - from airline deregulation, which boosted demand for small planes like the 737, now one of the most popular airliners.Crichton never mentions that MacDonnell managed continue selling other planes and even try their hand at the MD-11, a development of the branded DC-10.)

Like a poorly designed aircraft, "Airframe" never gets off the ground - Crichton quickly lets you know that he's less interested in aviation than the media. This is not Craig Thomas' "A Different War", where the hero redeems the suspected airliner by flying it. The flight in one simple chapter of that book easily beats Crichton. Crichton's holds airliners in a perspective no different from that of the dim laymen he populates his books with - as vehicles.Alas again that the plot heaps scorn on the media even though corporate espionage has more to do with Norton's problems. Despite often using "corporate" as synonymous with "sinister", "Airframe" is at best a flaccid indictment against corporations, let alone the media.

Knowing he lacks enough plot to remind readers (and perhaps himself) that "Airframe" is about something exotic and beyond his grasp, Crichton falls back on his usual suspects - corporate intrigue, but his corporate villains are especially weak.When the plucky heroine, a Norton exec, wants to clear the N-22, she's saddled with an unwanted intern (and likely spy) named Bob Richman. It's clear that Richman is dead-meat from page-first: if blue-chip upbringing, top-flight education, and high-priced (and foreign!) car aren't enough warning, his youth makes Richman enemy number-one (not that he does anything apparently evil, but Crichton's villains are seldom evil, just unlikable). At first, I expected a surprise - make a hero out of the sleazy ivy-leaguer and confound readers primed for the Richman's fall. Instead, "Airframe" remains boldly unsurprising (the brat's name is the perfect example - I guess "Richboy" would have been too obvious), and there isn't a thrill to be had. Throw in a "twist" ending that's blatantly lifted from a true incident that Crichton would never have known about had the media failed to responsibly report it, and you've got a book that deserves to be grounded - for good. If you've got to read Crichton, read the first Jurassic, the Andromeda Strain or Sphere. If you've got to read about flying, pick up Coonts or Craig Thomas.

The Mystery of the Flight Incident
A charter is going from Hong Kong to Denver. Suddenly there is a problem, the plane dives and passengers are discomforted. TPA 545 makes an emergency landing in Los Angeles for medical care. Many foreign charter carriers did not match the rigorous safety standards of domestic scheduled carriers. The FAA investigates these "incidents".

Casey Singleton, a single mom, works in Quality Assurance for Norton Aircraft. QA dealt in problems in customer support. Casey has a new assistant who has to be educated and gently handled. Casey explains the very high standards needed for aircraft ("Bldg 64 6:45 am"). The "War Room 7:01 am" chapter shows how problems are investigated. There is a big order that will save the company, but only if this problem can be explained by next week! The problem appears to be "severe pitch oscillations" which could be caused by "uncommanded slats deployment". The expert says it could not be pilot error because that pilot was superb; it had to be a mechanical problem ("Bldg 202/FSIM 7:59 am"). [Is this a clue?] Inspection reveals a non-standard part that could have caused the malfunction ("Hangar 5 9:40 am"). Is the rumor about the wing offset just a projection of fears? Why do the media censor information about "Cheapskate Airlines", a stock scam similar to the then current "high-tech" stocks? Do reporters write with a presumption of guilt to make their subjects look silly or foolish? Has deregulation resulted in using aircraft beyond their expected life ("Proof Test 10:19 am")? It takes regulations to provide safety, not a "free market". Every part on an aircraft has a paper history for documentation. Casey finds the repair record ("Norton QA 12:30 pm"), and the seemingly correct paper.

The "Newsline/New York 1:54 pm" chapter explains the working of television news stories. More counterfeit parts are found (which don't meet the high standards required). The "Outside Norton 11:10 am" chapter explains how news stories are created for sensationalism. Note the funding source for the "Institute for Aviation Research". See the reporter asking questions to cause an emotional reaction. The video camera recorded a sound like the slats deploying. Television news is not required to present the other side of an issue. The "Norton QA 11:50 am" chapter explains the trick used in interviews to get a reaction. The hidden agenda comes out ("Bldg 64 3:01 pm"). How difficult is it to film a test flight ("War Room 4:20 pm")? On Saturday morning the plane is taken up for a test flight, with two passengers. The flight recreates the incident successfully to rule out any "design flaw". Then the mystery is solved. The Aircraft Incident Report is written in language that means little to the general public. The last chapter contains the news reports that end this story. These items conceal more than they reveal. The phrase "deep integrity" suggests a well-hidden quality. This novel is educational in telling about the tricks played by any award-winning news program.

Michael Crichton has placed this fast-paced story in a manufacturing factory and created an interesting and entertaining story that informs the general public about events behind the news. The High-Tech stock scams have crashed to earth, outsourcing of jobs continues, oppressive taxes on wage earners has resulted in a zero savings rate. Could it get worse? Only with a pandemic.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Real Science vs the Movies
If your into his books then you have to read this. It does get boring at certain sections.

can't escape the Warmists even here
Global Warming (formerly known as Global Cooling, and currently in the process of being transformed yet again into "Climate Change") is the 'god' of the Warmists, who will stop at nothing to force everyone to do their bidding, and will use any excuse they can get suckers to believe in.
Ask yourself if you can ever take seriously the 'science' that comes from someone who says (loudly enough to drown out the debate) "the science is settled, the debate is over".
Look, of course it's entirely possible, perhaps even likely that human activity has had an effect on the climate AND weather.Whether it's serious, or whether it's bad for OUR ENJOYMENT of the planet, neither we nor the Warmists have any idea.They don't even want to know.Making you do what they want is their aim, has nothing to do with "climate".
Remember, these are the SAME people that took the CFCs out of hairspray, air conditioners and the Space Shuttle foam application process at tremendous expense and loss of life (the shuttle fuel tank foam, you know, that stuff that killed all those astronauts? Didn't come off when they used CFC application.) And they did this because... THE EARTH IS COOLING!!!Now they want to rearrange your life, take your money, and make you a pauper because... THE EARTH IS WARMING!!!

Tell 'em to go to hell.They don't even try to know what they're talking about, it's not about "the climate", it's about CONTROL.Even if they were 100% correct about what's happening (verifiably false) you would STILL be an idiot to give them the power to do all this stuff they're proposing.

Oh, Crichton.Haven't read this book, but I've enjoyed most of his novels.State of Fear is the one prior reviewers would like to have you ignore, so be sure to read it.

With an Economy Like Ours, Don't Waste Your Money
Unfortunately I wasted too many hours reading this tripe.Fortunately the book was a gift and I didn't expend any of my hard earned cash."Dr." Grazier's research capabilities are, sadly, as limited as his writing skills.I had hoped to utilize this book to legitimately refute an articulate AGW skeptic acquaintance and found it to be almost utterly useless.The "Dr." sourced only those sources which had an obvious interest in the perpetuation of global warming research.Furthermore, a PhD in planetary physics does not offer adequate credentials for opining on this subject.Please leave the authorship to a climatologist next time - you've done more harm than good.

Great book!!!!A must get for every Crichton fan!!!
Not since the writings of H.G. Wells has one writer managed to so much to popularize the real science behind science fiction than Dr. Michael Crichton and for those like me who've either read his works or keep them proudly in their home libraries this book makes a great annotation to all the issues Crichton has raised over his impressive career.

So as not to be too much of a spoiler I'll treat just a few of the entries.

Most notable in Crichton's writing is probably is very famous Jurassic Park, the story of how ancient dinosaur DNA is reconstituted to create modern day dinosaurs on an island theme park of the same name.According to Crichton these miraculous creations are made through a series of easily explainable steps: 1) obtain samples of Jurassic amber...amber being a viscous substance that catches and sometimes preserves ancient mosquitoes so unlikely to be caught there (mosquitoes have existed in one form or another for about three hundred million years), 2) extract blood from the digestive tracts of those selfsame mosquitoes, 3) extract DNA material from that blood (on the assumption that the mosquitoes would've bitten dinosaurs therefore still have their blood), 4) make copies of that DNA, 5) fill any missing gaps in the DNA with frog DNA and finally 5) put the reconstituted DNA into other reptile eggs so they can be born in the normal means.

In my opinion this work is probably the one Crichton work probably best rooted in real science.Interestingly however, the essay on this work shows just how extraordinarily far modern science actually is from accomplishing what this book suggests. Significantly each step of the process has its now seemingly insurmountable difficulties:1) while the amber may preserve the visible corpus of the mosquitoes it also has its destructive effects in much the same way Egyptian mummification had both its preservative and desctructive qualities, 2) while extraction may yield residual blood there's no way to be certain which creatures were originally bitten or in what combinations 3) while DNA extraction may seem theoretically possible none has been obtained from such old samples, 4) assuming DNA could be obtained copies could easily be made...this is routinely done even in criminal forensic settings...but again the sticking point is getting the usable DNA in the first place and finally 5) even the seemingly mundane task of putting alien dinosaur DNA into other reptile eggs has its difficulties because so far even using merely parts of the DNA chain to direct alien DNA has been barely accomplished.

As can be seen from this first sample, these discussions...building themselves on Crichton's own stories...are inherently fascinating not only for science buffs but even casual readers who merely enjoyed Crichton's work and more interested in the details.

Another exciting example of this is this book's treatment of Crichton's memorable Andromeda Strain.Andromeda Strain...an early work by Crichton...was the story of an attempt by scientists to master an alien virus that found its way to earth.Not surprisingly things were only barely kept in hand yet the story raised interesting questions about the extent to which an alien virus really would be a threat to life on earth.

Ultimately this question involves questions concerning the nature of the genesis of life itself.Today, there are three main theories regarding this important issue:1)life is extremely common and has occured many times on earth, 2) life is kind of common and started only once on earth and finally 3) life is pretty rare and probably only started once and then spread to other planets.There are varying versions of this last theory that propose anything from merely an earth/mars genesis to something even more broad.The significance of the genesis question finds basis in the idea that presumably only those forms of life sharing a common origin would be able to interact in the type of way necessary to inflict either bacterial or viral damage.While I remain frankly agnostic on these questions owing to our lack of research I nonetheless am fascinated by them as again I think even casual Crichton readers would be.

As a final example, there's a great essay in this book on Crichton's more recent Timeline...the story of a group of researchers who perfect time travel.While admittedly this is one perhaps Crichton has been at his weakest in terms of the supporting science, like the other entries it raises important and thought provoking questions about whether such a device would even be theoretically possible.For those curious, recent works by no less than Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne have both decidedly NOT supported the idea that time travel is possible.For his part, Hawking even went so far as to suggest a chronology protection principle wherein the very physical forces of nature themselves preclude such phenomenon.However, there are still some holdouts such as Ron Mallett of the University of Connecticut who are still pursuing such research.

For my part the question of the possibility of time travel today is probably much like the question of flight by man over a hundred years ago.If there were entities that could do it, I would reason, then probably we could too.Since a hundred years ago we would've known birds could fly I would've therefore predicted that we someday could too...resolving the problems therein to be merely "engineering issues."Significantly today we are aware of many physical phenomenon which do exceed the speed of light and thereby, at least theoretically, make time travel possible:1) quantum entanglement wherein vastly separated particles evoke instaneous action at a distance (Einstein's so called "spooky action at a distance"), 2) tachyons, so far theoretical faster than light particles, 3) virtual particles, which phase in and out of existence simply by operation of Heisenberg uncertainty in deep space, 4) possibly the very creation of our universe itself according to Dr. Gott (see his wonderful Time Travel in Einstein's Universe), and finally the cosmis expansion itself which far outspaces the speed of light.With so many birds in the sky, I would be amazed if we couldn't someday, somehow join them. (Although I freely concede that dealing with the technical issues in joining them would certainly give "engineering problems" a whole new meaning!)

Regardless of where you stand on these issues, I hope like me you both read this book and join in the discussion of what are perhaps the most fascinating issues in science raised by one of the best science writers ever.

A really fun read-and it's science, too!
Dr. Crichton's books always feel like real science- get ready for multiple epiphanies about how real it is!Whether you agree or disagree with the essayists, you're sure to enjoy the thought processes.Warning:This book may lead to uber-nerd discussions. ... Read more

Product Description
Airframe
Three passengers are dead. Fifty-six are injured. The interior cabin is virtually destroyed but the pilot manages to land the plane… Airframe combines a realistic situation with heart-pounding suspense to keep the listener captivated until the very last word.

The Lost World
It is now six years since the secret disaster at Jurassic Park, six years since the extraordinary dream of science and imagination came to a crashing end–the dinosaurs destroyed, the park dismantled, the island indefinitely closed to the public.
There are rumors that something has survived. . . .

Timeline
In a world of unforeseen technological advances, a group of historians finds its way to the medieval past. The journey, while ground-breaking, carries the listener also into a realm of unexpected suspense and terror, twisting our most basic ideas of reality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

MC Collection
An absolutly enjoyable read/listen. Great entertainment! Hard to put down because you want to keep going! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

No wonder...
As a fan of Crichton's body of work, his passing was much lamented.Crichton left a massive vacancy in his particular literary genre.I was excited about the swashbuckling tale Pirate Latitudes.Compared with classics like Treasure Island and modern non-fiction works like Pirate Queen: The Curse, as well as theatrical presentations such as The Pirates of the Carribean trilogy, Cutthrooat Island, and other seafaring stories, I have to say that Pirate Latitudes was a disappointment.In Pirate Latitudes the characters were relatively predictable and the plot although intriquing was nothing out of the ordinary.

Understandably, a pirate tale will contain bawdy depictions of the base and corrupt elements and rough lifestyle of the time period.However, that is the sort of thing where a little goes a long way, even in a pirate story.Repeated references of this nature in terms of old English slang depicting the famale reproductive parts really didn't add to the impact of the story.In fact it cast an perverse light that tinted the more interesting parts of the story, in my opinion.

In closing, having looked forward to Crichton's effort on a nautical theme, I can see why maybe Pirate Latitudes was filed away and eventually published posthumously.Although technically sound in keeping with his long and time honored tradition of accurate detail and technical saavy, I learned a lot about sailing and navigation, this story just doesn't seem to be as good as Crichton's other books.The question in my mind, if Crichton were still alive, would he have published Pirate Latitudes in it's current form?Something tells me that with such laudable success like Jurassic Park and the Adromeda Strain... No.Too bad we will never know what Crichton would have done to make a good story great.

Great Book, Great Author
I was excited to get the book, and it didn't dissappoint.I read it less than a week.If you like pirates, and like Crichton, this is your book.Wish more books would be discovered.We'll miss you, Michael.Can't wait for the movie.

Not Crichton's best work.
Toward the end of Michael Crichton's life and career, he seemed to be taking on the "global climate change crowd" with tales and speeches relating to some type of environmentalist conspiracy.

In the meantime, he must have been working on this project, Pirate Latitudes, the manuscript found in his files after his early death.

This is old school Crichton, with a swashbuckling story ready for the big screen.You've got pirates and privateers, ships and sailors, damsels in distress, really bad guys, heads blowing off, krakens, hurricanes, cannons, cannibals, torture, captivity, escapes, treachery, unique characters... you see what I mean?It's as movie ready as you can get.

An English privateer goes after a Spanish treasure ship.Their ship is captured initially, then they escape to complete their original mission.But the Spanish won't give up the chase.In addition, sea monsters, hurricanes, and cannibals delay that return to the English port.And when they finally do make it back....

Expect the unexpected.

It's okay as a story.Not Crichton's best work.

A little weak
I am a fan of both fiction and non-fiction pirate literature. The amount of material in this book that was lifted from the Disney films - even dialog - was too much for me. This is a mediocre material compared with Crichton's better works. There's nothing new or thoughtful here. It reads like a draft of a book that wasn't ever completely fleshed out.

Not unpleasant, but certainly not great.

Disappointed
Leave port to claim Spanish-held treasure, become captured by the one meant to be robbed, escape, scale a vertical cliff during raging wind to finally succeed in robbing the Spaniards of their treasure, escape to survive hurricane, cannibals, and a giant sea monster. All in a few days work for the average privateer in the mid 17th century.
The problem is that it was work for me to finish this book, and further, sad to think this unpolished sophomoric work has been added to Crichton's wonderful legacy.
There were mere glimmers of his hallmark detailed information regarding the subject matter for which he was so renowned. This story, a manuscript found after Mr. Crichton's death, seems to be either a very early work or not the "finished" product it was thought to be. The unbelievable plot line moving from one action scene to the next,as well as weak and cliche-driven character development should leave the average follower of Michael Crichton wishing for the extra 150-200 pages it would have taken him to get it right.
He always wrote to challenge, educate and entertain his readers. I found none of that here.
I recommend skipping this book, and reveling in this wonderful author's other works. Take your pick. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Above Average
This is a pretty good screenplay to a pretty good movie. Interesting fact: it isn't the final version. In fact, there are a lot of differences. But simply put:if you like Michael Crichton's novels, you will like this, as it has more of his trademark realistic science and suspense. However, the plot is somewhat cliched, and the ending is pretty weak, hence my four stars.

THE ORIGINAL
Imagine a cyclone of dirt, stone, and just about anythingthat's nailed down is ripping through the road right in front of yourcar.

That's exactly what Michael Crichton and wife, Anne-Marie Martin, imagined when they wrote this screenplay called TWISTER.

An exciting story about two competing teams of scientists who try to place a special sensor pack into a tornado during a day of endless twisters.

The story is pretty much set aside in favor of exciting action sequences and a humorous romance between the two main characters. But it's still quite a bit of fun.

This is the couple's original draft of the script, made interesting because of it's numerous differences from the final film. The main plot is almost exactly the same, but dialogue, supporting characters, and a great many smaller details will be new to readers who enjoyed the movie.

The book also features an informative intro by Crichton detailing the conception and writting of the script.

So, whether you're a fan of the movie or a fan of Crichton, I'd definately have to give this book a strong recomendation.

And be sure to look out for that cow.

DON'T DO THE TWIST
Twister is a bad movie with a horrible horrible plot that adds up tonothing. It's about a couple of tornado chasers that fall in love. Ever sodumb plot. The only thing that makes me give this movie two whole stars isthe special effects (although the movie deserves only one). Special effectsare great in this movie. If your a no plot special effects freak (buff),then you would love this horrible movie Twister. Rated PG-13: for language,and scenes of tornado damage ... Read more

Product Description
First Edition (stated). ALFRED A. KNOPF, NY 1969. The book was made into a movie that was directed by Robert Wise. THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN is a novel about a team of scientists investigating a deadly virus of extraterrestrial origin. The novel was the basis for the 1971 motion picture adaptation of the same name (directed by Robert Wise and starring Arthur Hill, James Olson, Kate Reid, and David Wayne). The adaptation for the screen was done by Nelson Gidding. Crichton shot to international stardom on the heels of the film's success. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very Pleased!
I love this book!One of MC's best novels!I'd even go as far to say that it's better than Jurassic Park! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Life in the computer age - a view from 20 years ago
Michael Crichton, well known for his fiction, was an early adopter of the personal computer. In this 1983 book, he tried to help people overcome their fear of computers. Viewed 23 years later, it is quaint, to say the least.

Crichton's explanation of how computers work is simple and clear. It serves just as well today as it did then - though his reference to 256K --- yes, K as in Kilobytes --- of RAM as sufficient are amusing.

So much has changed, yet so much has remained the same. Crichton talks about the menace of software piracy when software was a $200 million market. Microsoft alone now sells $40 billion of software annually.

Yes, this book is a walk down memory lane. Still, an updated version wouldn't be a waste of time. There are still millions of people who don't understand the potential of their little computers.

Jerry

Excellent
I agree with madrasi 100 percent. This book was out WAY before anyone knew what the internet was. The fellow beneath madrasi seems to not pay attention, or it just dosent matter to him.I have to stress that Crichton in my opinion is as much a philosopher as he is a doctor, or writer. You can really see these traits come out in his non fiction work.

C'Mon!! This Book is Probably 15-18 years old!
Electronic life was published before anyone even knew what dotcom was or what www stood for.It was a forward-thinking, visionary, consumer-oriented book about one writer's thoughts about how computers would be in our lives in ways we couldn't even imagine -- and guess what?He was right!

Is is not out of date?Yes -- that's why it's out of print by the publisher.Before people start dissing the work, perhaps they should first investigate the original publication date.Then it won't be seen as ancient -- rather, a document that was ahead of it's time.

What kind of crack was Crichton smoking while he wrote this?
This book has nothing to do with anything. Once again, Crichton wants to make money. All he did was write a few hundred pages of basic common sense and stretched it out to look all technical and intelligent. We all have these ideas in our mind already, we don't need someone to repeatthem to us. This is pure silliness.

Eye-Opening Book
This book by Crichton is a amazing look into the modern electronic and computer age.Its concepts thoroughly summarize the benefits, drawbacks, and concerns of this age and leaves you thinking about what man has done in the past, today, and what he will do in the future when it comes to technology.It's a delightful, concise book and a must read.Also, Bantam Books, its publisher needs to reprint it. ... Read more