Book Review - Micro - Michael Crichton and Richard Preston

Title:  Micro 

Author: MichaelCrichton & Richard Preston 

Review: As I was reading this I was thought I saw where this was going but didn’t want to believe it until I got there.  But then; OMIGOD!  He tried to write a thrilling, tension filled version of Honey I Shrunk the Kids!  To be fair Michael Crichton unfortunately died while writing this, and Richard Preston had the task of picking up the pieces and finishing it – without having the ability to discuss the author’s intent.   

So the book tried to be scary or at least thrilling but unfortunately the water had already been muddied by Rick Moranis and company.  That would have been a huge task to overcome to begin with, let alone with the loss of Crichton during the process. 

So we end up with a book that is a little to cartoonishly funny that I was never able to take as seriously as I imagine it was meant to be.  I think he wanted to do for bugs what he did for dinosaurs with Jurassic Park.  I did come away with a new respect for our insect friends and that on a level playing field they would kick our butts all over the place.  This would be an excellent book for the younger crowd, especially those budding entomologists. 


Thanks T Stevens for this review.

Publisher: Harper Collins 
Copyright: 2011 
Pages: 429 
ISBN: 978-0-060-87302-8 
Quick Review: 3 Stars out of 5. 
Why I Read it: Michael Crichton’s last book 
Where I Obtained the Book: My local library 

Synopsis: Three men are found dead in the locked second-floor office of a Honolulu building, with no sign of struggle except for the ultrafine, razor-sharp cuts covering their bodies. The only clue left behind is a tiny bladed robot, nearly invisible to the human eye.

In the lush forests of Oahu, groundbreaking technology has ushered in a revolutionary era of biological prospecting. Trillions of microorganisms, tens of thousands of bacteria species, are being discovered; they are feeding a search for priceless drugs and applications on a scale beyond anything previously imagined.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, seven graduate students at the forefront of their fields are recruited by a pioneering microbiology start-up. Nanigen MicroTechnologies dispatches the group to a mysterious lab in Hawaii, where they are promised access to tools that will open a whole new scientific frontier.

But once in the Oahu rain forest, the scientists are thrust into a hostile wilderness that reveals profound and surprising dangers at every turn. Armed only with their knowledge of the natural world, they find themselves prey to a technology of radical and unbridled power. To survive, they must harness the inherent forces of nature itself.

An instant classic, Micro pits nature against technology in vintage Crichton fashion. Completed by visionary science writer Richard Preston, this boundary-pushing thriller melds scientific fact with pulse-pounding fiction to create yet another masterpiece of sophisticated, cutting-edge entertainment.

Author Biography: Michael Crichton was an American author, film producer, film director, and television producer. His books sold over 150 million copies worldwide, and among his best-known works were techno-thriller novels, films and television programs. His works were usually based on the action genre and heavily feature technology. Many of his future history novels had medical or scientific underpinnings, reflecting his medical training and science background.

Mr. Crichton died on November 4, 2008, after a long battle with cancer.

Richard Preston is a journalist and nonfiction writer.

Other Reviews: 

LA Times

Washington Post

Bite the Book

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