| 
| Author: David Baldacci
Creator: Ron Mclarty
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Category: Book
List Price: $49.98
Buy New: $18.99
You Save: $30.99 (62%)
New (24) Used (21) from $17.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  98 reviews
Sales Rank: 68528
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 12
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 5.8 x 5.4 x 1.5
ISBN: 1600241441
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9781600241444
ASIN: 1600241441
Publication Date: April 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
 A little too close to "the whole truth" for comfort September 21, 2008
Now that we all know how the White House "perception managed" us right into the Iraq War, Baldacci's story seems almost too plausible, too realistic, as if he's stolen his plot from newspaper clippings and recent history. Exchange "Ares" for "Haliburton," and it's not even fiction any longer.
I've never read Baldacci before, and I am pleasantly surprised by this book. His "hero" in this novel (A Shaw -- that "A" is not an initial, btw; the orphan had only his surname, so named himself "a Shaw") reminds me of one of my other favorite anti-heroes, Jack Reacher. Shaw's a bit more likable and, unlike Reacher, is actually able to make a connection with another human being; but they are both physically imposing, taciturn, intelligent men, both saving the world single-handedly, one-bad-guy-diverted, one-war-averted at a time. A note about Baldacci's characters in general: I'm listening to the audio version of this book on my commute. Perhaps the reader makes the characters come alive; unlike other reviewers, I find the main characters to be complicated and thoughtful. Even Nicholas Creel has his merits (he spends $80MM on a children's cancer hospital) and Katie, the alcoholic, intrepid, Pulitzer-prize-winning investigative reporter, is all too human as she sits facing a bottle of gin, a glass half-full of tonic and ice, and the dead Afghan child who haunts her.
I read a lot (which doesn't make me less picky) and this book had me hooked by the 2nd chapter. Hope A Shaw returns.
 I wish it was a better read.... September 18, 2008
I have previously greatly enjoyed a few other books by Baldacci and so I picked-up this one. Very few thrills here and a very simplistic and predictable read. Ho-hum. Where are the thrills in this "thriller"? I just could not find them. There area no shades of gray here either just a simple balck and white...aka: the good guys vs the bad guys. This author has and I'm confident will do better in the future.
Good, Action Packed Thiller September 11, 2008
Nicholas Creel, the owner of a huge weapons manafacturing company, is trying to create a second arms race, to boost his company's ailing finances. To do this he hires a Perception Management firm to create false, but convincing stories of alleged Russian atrocities, over the iternet. This he hopes will enflame public opinion, against that country, and ratchet up tensions between the world's greatest powers.
I found this book an enjoyable, easy read. The storyline reminded me a bit of novels by Clive Cussler, as their is a lot of action going on, within the pages. However, the main characters in the novel, while interesting, do come across as a bit one dimensional at times, and the character development is not nearly as good as in other books that I have read by this author.
However, I feel this book is worth four stars, as it is something of a page-turner. I thought the whole perception management angle was interesting, also, and would wonder how often it is used in the real world.
Sometimes the Whole Truth isn't the Truth August 27, 2008
Welcome to the world of Perception Management an art that takes spin to a whole 'nother level. Spinning is spinning the truth. Perception Management is spinning lies and turning them into the truth or rather, what people believe is the truth. It took a guy like Hitler awhile to spread the Big Lie, in the online world, if done right, the lie moves like wildfire.
Nicholas Creel wants a war, or at least, the threat of one, because he wants to sell arms. He'd love for Russia and China to be at each other's throats, for America to be afraid of the Red Menace once again, love for them all to be lining up and lining his pockets. World War III, is that a problem? Well, maybe not for Creel.
There's a clip going around on the internet of a Russian telling of how he had been tortured, about how his family had been killed. He says it's time the world knew, "The Whole Truth." Soon the mainstream media picks up the story, the whole world believes it, only problem is, it's not the whole truth and the super secret government agency Shaw (a super spy of the first order who only has the one name) works for wants him to investigate and Shaw, tough as he is, does what he's told, because his super secret government agency bosses have him on a short leash as Shaw has a bomb embedded in his arm.
Anna Fischer, the girl Shaw wants to chuck it all for and go off and live happily ever after with, works for a London think tank and when she's killed, because she doesn't believe the lie, Shaw wants to get even. Now throw in a disgraced female reporter named Katie James, who'd love to make her bones all over again and team her up with super tough guy Shaw and give them larger than life enemies and you have a David Baldacci story that would make Robert Ludlum proud.
Reviewed by Vesta Irene
Ah, Nicholas can dream. August 26, 2008
Not quite up to par with his first book, but David Baldacci has mastered the art form known as political intrigue. Nicholas Creel is the protagonist of Baldacci's latest suspense novel and with the war in Iraq coming to an end, this Defensive system mogul seeks to create a new cold war. Ah, reminisce in the good old days of Ronnie Reagan. So Nicholas out sources the job to management guru Mr. Pender who begins to flood the Internet, newspapers, and television with bogus stories and misinformation to create a media frenzy. But when the Phoenix Group is slaughtered by Russians, Pender tries to connect it to China. Just think of the money to be made by a defense specialist if China and Russia went to war. Ah, Nicholas can dream. Like I said earlier, this isn't Baldacci's best work, but I guess when Baldacci set the standard so high with his earlier works, what is?
Editor of the highly recommended novel: Fates by Georgiou, Tino Fates (2nd Edition)
|
|
|
