Prey by Michael Crichton

Advantages: Interesting and well written book
Disadvantages: Technically occasionally over my head!

...Background: Another book recommended to me, this time by my Dentist. He raves about this author and as I'm due for a check up next week I thought I better give it a go. About the author: Michael Crichton was born in Chicago in USA on 23rd October 1942. He was probably best known as the author of 'Jurassic Park' and the creator of 'ER'. His first best seller 'The Andromeda Strain' was published while he was still a Medical Student. He has written 20 Novels, two screenplays and has sold over 150 million books worldwide. About the book: Jack Forman is an out of work scientist; he looks after his three children while his wife Julia works. She by contrast has a very successful and high powered job, while Jack struggles to even get interview in Silicon Valley. Meanwhile in the Nevada Desert, the experiment his wife is in...

CPTDANIELS 17.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Prey - Michael Crichton

The Charles Bridge

Advantages: Free entrance, beutifully built, historic attraction
Disadvantages: Can get very busy

...Charles Bridge is probably one of Pragues most recognised landmarks. For many years, Charles Bridge was the only way to cross the River Vltava that flows through the middle of the City. Nowadays there are many bridges connecting Old Town Prague and the New Town but there is still something very special about the Charles Bridge that makes it stand out from all the others. Charles Bridge is an old stone gothic bridge which is lined with numerous statues of saints. The bridge was built from sandstone blocks and was commissioned by Charles IV, after whom the bridge was named, in 1357. Today, the Charles Bridge can only be crossed on foot, but with it being a very popular attraction in Prague, it is literally crammed with crowds of people all day long. There is no fee for crossing the bridge but tourists are invited to walk up the tower...

Jamie73 13.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Charles Bridge, Prague

FREE DVDs

Advantages: Free trial, large choice, post included,new realeases
Disadvantages: see review

...I like movies and I like freebies, so when you get offered both in one swoop you?re bound to accept! I used my two week free trial with this company and remained with them for a couple of monthsbefore moving on to try many other companies free trials (and winning a new DVD player on Tesco DVD rental site on their free trial offer). I then had an email from DVDs 365 asking me to go back, and offering me a free DVD if I did so. I had just left Tesco (with my new DVD player) so I chose to go back with them. ∆◊◊ THE SERVICE THEY OFFER ∆◊◊ Basically it?s like going to a video shop and hiring films on DVD, except you don?t pay for each film you chose ? rather a monthly fee for which you can watch as many movies as you can fit in, for us this is usually around 8 a month (2 a week usually weekends...

dabmim 15.11.2004 · Read review
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More Prince Charles than King Charles...

Advantages: Grand, atmospheric bedrooms and posh bathrooms
Disadvantages: Disappointing breakfast, lack of facilities, distance from town centre.

...I'd wanted to go to Prague for YEARS and finally got my wish in December 2008 when my boyfriend and I went over for three nights to get into the Christmas spirit with mulled wine and gingerbread. I'd thoroughly recommend the city for a short break, but this review is about our hotel. We booked through lastminute.com, and it came down to a choice between the King Charles and a very modern plate-glass-and-red-Perspex type edifice that was only built in 2007. We decided to go with the King Charles as I thought it looked a little bit grand and Gothic and atmospheric and was more in-keeping with the 'feel' of Prague. I'm not one for all mod-cons. It was listed a four-star hotel but it was on offer so we paid only about £25 each per night. When we received our confirmation email, the hotel reception also offered to come and collect us...

Teteenlair 26.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of King Charles Boutique Hotel Residence, Prague

Book Review - Prey by Michael Crichton

Advantages: It's a page turner
Disadvantages: some academic patches slow the story

...The best win I've had with a short story competition involved the tale of a man who was treated with nanobots - tiny machines that could fix his brain at a microscopic level. Here it is if you fancy a quick read: http://www.orangelabyrinth.co.uk/web.php?id=749 Michael Crichton also writes about nanotechnology in his novel 'Prey' but in a fuller and much better developed story. It is common in SF novels that the reader is invited to look at the marvels of modern technology not in an admiring way, but in terms of its pitfalls. That?s what I did in my story, ?Has the Moon lost her Memory?? and that?s exactly what happens in this book. Many years ago I used to debate with a friend who was an engineer the possibility of AI leading to intelligent, self-acting robots and he dismissed the idea. Also at that time a computer...

FlameDruid 15.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Prey - Michael Crichton

Surprising Picture Quality - Panasonic DVD-S54

Advantages: Incredible picture quality when compared to my old non-upscaling player with a scart lead
Disadvantages: Sometimes disc drive can be really noisy when DVD's initially load.

...At first I wasn't convinced by up-scaling DVD player technology but was persuaded after reading an article in "What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision" magazine. Unable to afford a Blu-Ray player my sister and I bought the Panasonic DVD-S54 to match our parents brand new Panasonic TX-32LZD80 LCD television as their Christmas 2008 present. Admittedly it was a slightly selfish purchase as we both live at home and wanted to watch DVDs on the big new TV ourselves! We bought the player from the electrical retailer Comet for about £100 just before Christmas so there were no discounts applied. On Christmas day when opened we found a relatively small box tightly packed with the player in polystyrene packaging. All the components such as cables, remote and manuals were well presented in their own protective plastic bags, to keep them protected. The player...

bobbacon985 12.02.2009 · Read review
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A Michael Crichton Epic!

Advantages: Deeply Intriguing. Will have you Inspired, with your own Chaos theories!
Disadvantages: None really

...I have read this book twice now and it wasn't until the second time round that I actually understood much of 'Ian Malcolms' Chaos Theory. Though it may not be completely down to the complexity of the science as I was only 13 the first time I read it, so my naivity was probably more to blame. Though both times I found the book very exciting and interesting, with much more depth and explanation than the film delivered. Crichton's views and pure genious are expressed throughout this book and it does require you to have a fairly open mind to accept and fully enjoy the story. I found the character 'Ian Malcolm' especially intriguing and his theorems inspiring. This is what the film lacks, as although it does briefly cover his background and picks out a couple of his theories, it doesn't portray him in quite the same way as the book. This...

s_copsey 19.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Advantages: Very pretty, very loyal, dont need as much exercise as other breeds
Disadvantages: Highly strung, expensive

...My dad has always kept dogs. At the moment he has two: Charlie, a Chocolate Labrador and Roger, an Old English Sheepdog, before them there was Jasper, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Magic, Border Collie and Cassie a German Shepherd. If you take all the pets we had growing up throughout our childhood we could easily have run a farm! I loved Jasper. He became one of my favourite pets. I know, I know, I shouldn't have favourites but he was gorgeous! Sure he could be highly strung sometimes but he was so cute and adorable you couldn't help but love him ~*~ History ~*~ Cavalier King Charles Spaniel's originate from King Charles Spaniels, don't get them confused, they are separate breeds. They were bred to have a more pronounced head and a flatter face. Cavaliers were a cross between King Charles and the Cocker Spaniel...

angel530 03.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Crichton. King of Science Fiction

Advantages: A much better story than the film.
Disadvantages: The film may have put some people off the idea of the book.

...Everyone has heard of Steven Spielberg's film "Jurassic Park". The film was a huge success on both sides of the Atlantic, and pretty much all over the Western world. That was back in 1993, and the hype has died down now. Bigger and better movies have hit the big screen since, putting Jurassic Park in the shade as one of those films that most people own on video, but don't watch anymore. However, little credit is given to author, Michael Crichton, the brains and inspiration behind this ground-breaking film that shaped the future generation of film-making. Had they made the film exactly to the original book "Jurassic Park", it would have been an incredible masterpiece, ten times better than the film version Spielberg produced. Production costs were already through the roof, so to recreate the book in its entirety would have been far too...

Nicola21 22.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton

State of Fear - Michael Crichton

Advantages: Is probably going cheap by now and should kill a few hours
Disadvantages: Trivialises the issue of Global Warming

...Or: Why America Didn't Sign Up To Kyoto Okay, I'm not going to beat around the bush - I hated this book. Alot. Not only that, but I also see it as being at best highly irresponsible, biased and insulting, and at worst potentially damaging. If I were to sum up the plot in one sentence, it would go along the lines: America says global warming doesn't exist, so everyone else is wrong and stupid. The actual plot, in a nutshell, goes something along these lines, without giving too much away: A hardline environmental group stages 'natural' disasters relating to extreme weather conditions to try convince the world about the dangers of global warming and secure large amounts of funding. A crusading government agent who knows the truth about global warming (!) recruits a group of people and sets out to stop them. While Michael Crichton...

apert 18.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of State of Fear - Micheal Crichton