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Loading... Breakpointby Richard A. Clarke
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.  reannon | Aug 19, 2009 |  Richard Clark brings us a timely story about the convergence of major forces of which most are terribly unaware. I enjoyed the story and the plot was plausible. Some of the characters felt a bit forced rather than polished. Sadly, the proofreading and editing were a major distraction with incorrect grammar and spelling jumping off the page at times. I can recommend this book based on the subject matter or as a light thriller. (  ) gpsman | Feb 16, 2009 | I'm normally a big admirer of novelists who build their stories around well-researched and thought provoking concepts. The controversy at the heart of the novel (whether the converging sciences of genetics and information technology should be embraced as the next phase of human evolution or regulated to avoid the demise of humanity) is probably the most vexing issue we will face in the twenty-first century. And one cannot fault Richard Clarke for his research or insider's knowledge of global politics and the defense industrial complex. The problem is that the story and characters feel contrived, existing solely to allow the author to drive home his message. The editing of the book is also surprisingly poor for a major publisher, the numerous typos and grammatical errors having the unfortunate effect of undercutting the book's overall credibility. One day there will be a thriller worthy of this subject matter. In the meantime, readers interested in exploring these weighty issues should stick with the non-fiction work of Ray Kurzweil, such as "The Age of Spiritual Machines." (  ) KevinJoseph | Jul 30, 2007 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Book Description (ISBN 0399153780, Hardcover)In Against All Enemies, Richard Clarke warned about how we were conducting the war against terror. In his bestselling first novel, The Scorpion's Gate, he demonstrated what could happen. And now, in Breakpoint, America's preeminent counterterrorism expert and #1 bestselling author shows us all what might come next.The global village--an intricately intertwined network of technology that binds together the world's economies, governments, and communication systems. So large, so vital--and so fragile. Now a sophisticated group is seeking to "disconnect the globe"--destroying computer grids, communications satellites, Internet cable centers, biotech firms. Hard to do? If only that were so. Quickly, a dedicated team of men and women assembles to try to track the group down, searching through right-wing militias and Russian organized crime, Jihadist terrorists and enemy nation-states. But the attacks are coming more swiftly now, and growing in destructiveness. Soon, they will reach the breakpoint--and then there may be nothing anybody can do. In an exclusive video message for Amazon.com customers, Richard Clarke introduces his new novel, and explains why, as he says, "sometimes you can tell more truth through fiction": Reviewers everywhere praised the suspense and pace of The Scorpion's Gate, the vivid depictions of war, espionage, and bureaucracy, but most of all they hailed its authenticity. "Unlike most novelists, the man has been there and done that," said The New York Times Book Review. "Some of us," added The Washington Post, "have learned to listen when Richard A. Clarke has something to say." And we'd better hope they're listening now. (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:22 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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This book, however, is a novel, and it is one that will change your view of the world. The novel sees several technologies, including nanotechnology, biology, computer science, and cognitive science, as on the verge of creating a new world in which our conceptions of what it is to be human must change. Soon we will be capable of creating advanced humans, genetically engineered and with cyber interfaces. The book brings up that perhaps the legal and ethical issues aren't being thought through carefully. What will the world be like when the rich are a distinctly different new species, with capabilities beyond the reach of the rest of humanity?
The plot follows attacks on much of the country's Internet traffic as well as on certain researchers and research facilities. The attacks are presumed to be from the Chinese, but retaliation has to wait to be sure of the facts. Two agents are working to follow the trail of the research and who might want to destroy these particular projects.
The characters are well-done, but it is the plot that is mind-blowing in its implications. WELL worth reading for understanding where the human race might be headed. (