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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting premise, but sloppily written,
By George Adams (South Bend, Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: State of Emergency (Paperback)
The idea of four western states seceding from the Union is fascinating, but I was frequently distracted by poor writing. The most glaring error is that Pieczenik apparently thinks Lake Powell is below Glen Canyon Dam; either he doesn't understand how dams work, or he never did on-site research. In another geographic error, Al Carter and Cheri flee the secessionists by floating down the Snake River from Grand Teton to Yellowstone--a gravity-defying feat, since the Snake rises in Yellowstone and flows from there to Grand Teton before turning west into Idaho. Another major distraction was the very simple French-language dialogue between the between the French Prime Minister (or perhaps Foreign Minister--Pieczenik isn't clear on this point) and Al Carter. Pieczenik provides translations, and in at least one instance, I needed his translation, because the verb "se renconter" does not exist in French--I think the word Pieczenik was looking for was "se rendre compte". In any case, two people who are both presumably fluent in French would not be using such simple construction and vocabulary to speak to each other. Bottom line: I'm glad I borrowed this book from the library, rather than buying it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pieczenik does what he does best...,
This review is from: State of Emergency (Paperback)
To set something straight... Steve is NOT a Tom Clancy whang-bang-action-military-spy-Jack-Ryan writer. If you only like the simple and blant entertainment that offers a Clancy/Pieczenik novel such as the utherly boring OP-Center series, then he is not for you. However, if you are the rare version of a reader who seeks smart, funny and highly inteligent readings, Steve is your buddy for live. His novel traverses in areas most people don't even concider, and subjects joe-six-pack thinks as strange. Drawing heavily on his past, Steve gives us one of his best performances since Pax Pacifica. He writes a lot about politics, gives us his opinions concerning democracy. In many ways SOE is not an adventure novel. It is a sociological and psycological study of what America really is, its values and downsides. Many people get a hard time, foremost the Mormons. But anyone who has a foothold in that area knows how very true his words are. I can only applaud his curage to name these subjects. However, on the downside I want to say that he sometimes submerges himself in long narrations of philosophy and the meaning of democracy at points when another subject is crucial. Example: his heroine floats towards a possible death and starts pondering about what faith really is and what all of his favourite Greek thinkers came up with along the years. I believe Steve's own esprit de finesse should have warned him of such faults. However, in face of such an excellent and well researched book I can only hope that his dreamed-up plot may never come true ... because it just might. And that is his magic. And no, Steve, you have not become a modern-day Cassandra, but rather a modern-day Greek philosopher, Homer or other, and I hope Birdie is well. But would you please replace the picture of you on the last page? It kills your image. {;-)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Pieczenik needs to pay attention to what he writes,
By bob ashmore (Jupiter, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: State of Emergency (Paperback)
Dr. Pieczenik has tossed off another techno-thriller that lacks a believeable plot. In addition it is often internally inconsistant. If you accept his premises and plot twists you are a better man than I. By the way, Dr. Piecznik knows that if you accept the basic premise of a paranoid personality, he makes perfectly good sense also. While we don't expect well-developed people in this genera, his fall below even such low expectations. Finally a 10th grade English teacher would not accept the gramatical errors which occur throughout the book. While I've enjoyed Dr. Pieczenic's collaborations with Tom Clancy, my first outing with him as sole author was a major disappointment.
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