The Fear Index

from skraft001

A decently written book. Spoiler alert -- really wasn't that difficult to deduce that VIXAL was sending out the emails rather than Hoffman being mentally unstable. Not sure if the intent was to craft VIXAL as HAL, but would have been better if had some better insight there or more technical aspec...

from starkravingmad

Very intriguing plot idea. Harris does his typically good job at setting the scenes, in this case Geneva, and the primary characters - the lead, a PhD in physics, his wife, a banker business partner, and a detective who seems as if he's taken directly from Dan Brown's detective in the "The Davinc...

from pgmcc

I would not rank this book much above the category of "entertainment fodder" other than to say it does mention the fact that the majority of stock exchange transactions are simply bets, and that the profits made are based on no tangible value until settled with liquid assets. This book serves as ...

from Philogos

This is an enjoyable read if, especially if you're interested in the technology or financial markets. It isn't without flaws, in particular, the link between the core AI/Hedge fund story and the personal assaults on Hoffmann - they really don't make sense and, in the end, they are left hanging.

from herschelian

This seemed a 'lazy' book by Harris, a fairly simple plot line, somewhat Sci Fi, could have been a short story or novella but padded out. Characters not very convincing. Reams of financial technical data which I am sure is accurate as he will have done his research, but was goobledygook to me. Fi...