"Breakpoint" by Richard Clarke--although I generally don't read fiction other than classically good stuff, and ordered it by accident--"Breakipoint" is an excellently written novel with timely considerations. Exactly in line with my own thinking (and in Jimmy Carter's recent book), Clarke has the villain to be a radical religious group. Muslim? Not on your life.

He also depicts how a handful of people who know how to work on-the-fly as a team, can get to the root of a problem quickly--leaving the CIA, FBI and others in the dust. It deals with conflicts coming in the not-so-distant future that will cause uproar more than Roe v Wade. It's a novel written by a man who could have prevented 9-11 if C. Rice had given him respect.

This is a very important book for political, security, and technology reasons. As Clarke notes at the end, some times you can say more with fiction.

The plot and characters are standard boilerplate, the prose, workable. That being said, read this book if you are interested in:

-- inter-agency attitudes and cooperation (or lack thereof) with each other
-- how international agencies relate to each other
-- the use of false fronts
-- the convergence of bio, nano, and IT, and their implications
-- future security implications of software management, and their relationship with critical infrastructure
-- Clarke's thoughts on nation-states vs interest groups as adversaries
-- how strange bedfellows can have convergent interests

I could go on, but the point is that the novel is about ideas and issues that are very relevant to our survival. Read this book if you want insights into how technology may affect our future security.

Although I enjoyed the premise and readability of Richard Clarke's Breakpoint, I was disappointed with what felt like rushed work. Quite a bit of the dialogue and prose did nothing to move the plot along, and just felt like we met people for the sake of meeting them. Maybe Mr. Clarke knows that he has created perfect characterizations of the some Washington insiders and really wanted to let them know that he was blaming them as "part of the problem", but that didn't really make the book better. Bottom line: Read this on an airplane or in a beach chair, if you find it laying there left by the last person.

One day.

That is how long it took me to read this book. Rarely, do I stop everything to read, let alone, finish, a book. But this one was too good to put down. Again, I found this book on the new books stack at the library. The reason I picked it up was due to the subject matter - the fact that everything is connected to the internet.

Breakpoint, by Richard A. Clarke, begins with a series of explosions. No one is killed, but the explosions take out the primary internet connections between the United States and Europe and Asia. And then a couple of satellites go missing. After the dust settles, the US has no communications with anyone outside of the US using the internet. Only the highly secure and encrypted military internet service remain, but those don't carry the university, financial, government, or personal communications. Enter a small team from the Intelligence Analysis Center. The work for the government, but because they aren't a large bureaucracy, and because they move outside of normal channels, they move quickly and see things differently. Then the attacks become more frequent and violent. The early favorite for this attack is China because the United States is increasing the technology gap between the two countries. Add in some Russian mobsters, transhumanists, Luddites, and Living Software, and you have an exciting novel. And, of course, there is a time constraint (the chapters are broken up into time segments - as if I needed any more suspense).

This novel will strike home with those of you in the technology field (but don't think that only tech people will enjoy it - it is a great novel). First, there is one software company that owns the desktop and server operating systems. And there is one company that owns the majority of the infrastructure business. Sound kind of familiar? What if there is a concerted effort to hijack specific systems using the holes in either the Operating System? Or, what if during manufacture in China, certain "back doors" are installed in switches, routers, and firewalls? Scary thought. Oh, and Living Software? Basically, it is software that writes software. Without humans.

This novel takes place in the not-so-distant future. Around 2012, if I remember correctly. Almost everyone is driving a hybrid of some nature. To get from one place to another, Very Light Jets (VLJ) are used. And the military is very close to rolling out exoskeletons for their troops. Be sure to read the Author's Note to learn more about the technology that is he uses in the novel.

If you need some fiction, that uses a lot of fact, rolled up in an exciting premise, this is the novel for you. Very highly recommended.

I was disappointed with this book, as I expected to read a novel which is founded in facts. Unfortunately it is not. Clarke takes poetic license with the laws of physics, such as his description of how the bad guys kill our spy and communication satellites. Either Clarke has no knowledge of these or it doesn't matter to him that what he says is impossible. These satellite are in parking orbits 23000 miles from the earth in an equitorial plane. They have very small propulsion engines with only enough thrust to provide small velocity corrections on the order of a few feet per second or to move them from place to place in their current orbit. It would take major propulsive engines to cause them to escape earth's gravity, let alone to escape the solar system as Clarke claims. His book is filled with these errors. What a difference compaired to novels like Clancy's in which the laws of physics remain intact and the fictional plot is based on scientific fact.

it was good,but the author doesn't have much use for seriuos christians. he supports govt. funding for embryionic research.

Richard A. Clark is NOT an author. His character development is non-existent. I could care less whether the protagonists live or die. Each of his "heroes" is a mavarick with unbelievable talents and connections. They've been everywhere and done everything. The government is called "foggy bottom" where the CIA,FBI and every other agency are very slow and very ignorant. The heroes are outside of the mainstream of plodding bureaucrats. The character "Jimmy" actually asked his female associate to come with him to the bar for a drink. He wanted her there in order to stop other women from hitting on him"! You see, he's married to a gorgeous investment banker and doesn't want to disappoint the girls. The bad guys are politicians, millionaires and military types. The good guys are Chinese Communists, Russian mobsters and criminal computer hackers. This is so stupid I can't believe it!

This appears to be a little preposterous--but then again, you never know...good summer read, and good for computer geeks!

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."

This novel by veteran writer Richard A. Clarke centers itself around the accelerating technological advances of such items as nanotech, stem cell advances, and human-level A.I., among other things, that come into conflict with entrenched opposition. Unlike a previous reviewer I found this novel easy to read, in a flowing style, and the conversations between the various characters had a natural feel and rhythm, professionally written indeed, with a very good plot. And Clarke really has a gem of what could be considered 'near term hard science fiction', and he does'nt rsort to quasi-religious myth-making with it's associated supernatural nonsense, as many writers have done to sell books to the masses. Not only is this novel about technology that is more advanced (or may soon be, as this book is located in the year 2012) than many people are aware of, but it is also about unchecked political power (sound familiar?) and irrationalism.

Clarke does, in a round-about way, rightly brings up the idea that these advances will have to be examined in the future, with controls of some sort perhaps placed here and there, for our safety. But as he notes several times in this novel, if controls in the USA are placed on the research and development of new technologies, the work will go underground and/or overseas...and this appears to have already happened in the real world. I firmly believe that if a person does not fully embrace these new technologies over the next several decades he or she will be literally left behind. At the end of this book Clarke has written a synopsis of the current level of development of the various technologies mentioned in the novel, interesting, and he also states that this novel is meant to be predictive.

My friend Peter Nyheim, the info-tech guru for the hospitality
world gave me this book. "It's not very good" he said "but
you've gotta read it.

He was right. The opening chapter of Breakpoint is riveting
in the styleof so many military thrillers. We're placed in
the cockpit with the pilot who sees the fire as truck bombs
destroy the fibre-optic cables that carry internet signals
in and out of the country.
The scene is riveting and personal. Unfortunately, it's the last
thing in the book that's at all readable. The rest is one-dimensional
characters speaking unbelievable dialog in service to a plot that's
so predictable as to be annoying.

So Peter was right about the not-very-good part. He was also
right about the gotta-read-it. If it's true that our infoassets
are so badly covered that they could be destroyed that easily,
then we're in trouble. A report on the state of internet security
never would have received the attention (or the royalties)
that this book got, so fiction was certainly the way to go.

But just as there are thoughtful ways to protect the national
security, there are thoughtful ways to write fiction. Let's hope
that Richard Clarke hires a writer next time or at least an editor.


--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG from Kunati Books. ISBN 9781601640005

There are other excellent reviews, so I just want to add that this book as well as his non-fiction book Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror is on my list of top 40 books on Earth Threat #9: Terrorism.

Also, Winn Schwartau was there first, see the following books from the 1990's; Winn, Peter Black, and I were among the first to talk about taking down America in 24 hours; Winn testified to Congress, and as they did with Peak Oil and the thermite evidence from 9-11, they ignored reality.

Terminal Compromise
Information Warfare: Chaos on the Electronic Superhighway
Pearl Harbor Dot Com
Cybershock: Surviving Hackers, Phreakers, Identity Thieves, Internet Terrorists and Weapons of Mass Disruption
Time Based Security
Internet & Computer Ethics for Kids: (and Parents & Teachers Who Haven't Got a Clue.)

While I knew Clarke has the knowledge about technology, geopolitics and terrorism he still managed to have a fascinating plot and characters and made the technology understandable to even neophytes. I appreciated the afterword where he explained what the technology in his novel. Made good points about the future battle in morality and religious beliefs of how to use this technology and technobio advances. He may well be right that the only ones to be able to afford this will be the super-rich who could build a society of perfect super-rich never can die except from accident beings. Frightening. Our 1984?

The one really interesting thing about the book is not just the new technologies presented but the convergence of those technologies. And this book deals not just with convergence of digital/IT technologies but also with genetic engineering and digital. The problem is that despite assurances in the author's note some of these developments are much farther off than Clark imagines. For just one example, his concept of living software is decades away at best. I say at best because there are inherent logical contradictions in the way he describes the software.

So the book reads like science fantasy to me. It may not seem so to others who don't get deeply into IT and they will likely be less critical (I work in IT). I think Clarke would do well to stay more within the government/international spheres of his experience.

Another really big problem with the novel is the thinness of the characters. Sometimes it reads like a script for a "made for TV" movie. The themes that hinge on values, ethics, morals and faith related to these technologies are also very thin.

The book is a quick read and may be of interest to people who are really into the hottest technologies but don't care too much about the poor quality of the writing. One reason it is a quick read is that lines are generously spaced and the font is larger than most books. I wonder if there is some reason someone needed to have it reach 300 pages.

Since I work in the technology industry, I'm always happy to find a novel that has a strong "cyber" theme to the plot. A friend recommended I give Breakpoint by Richard A. Clarke a shot. Overall, it was an interesting read that makes you wonder about the security of our nation's technology infrastructure. I personally would have enjoyed it even more without the overt message the author was trying to push...

The basic story is that the nation's computer and technology infrastructure is under attack. A number of primary nodes for internet traffic are physically destroyed, cutting off the US from a large part of the international traffic. Next, three major heads of government research departments are assassinated. High-tech buildings and sites are being targeted for destruction, and someone figures out how to hack and shut down the western power grid. All of these events seem to tie back to China, and it's thought that the attacks are a way to force the US to abandon Taiwan's bid for independence, as well as stopping the ever-widening technology gap between China and the US. A small group of investigators are trying to figure out exactly how these attacks are occurring, as well as who is ultimately responsible. As they dig deeper, the driving force appears to be something more than just nationalistic posturing. Instead, it could well be a fight against the melding of humans and technology to create a "super-race" of beings. And if that's indeed the case, then is it really China who's behind it all?

From a pure plot perspective, I enjoyed the book a lot. Many of the situations and technologies are things that either already exist, or are within a decade of becoming possible. And of course, there's the whole "how fragile are our connections" theme. Where I started getting frustrated is when the book strayed into the moralistic "we must stop this from happening" ground. The villains in all this are conveniently pegged as right-wing religious Luddites, and it was just too convenient of an "out" for the plot. Granted, it supported the plot as to why all the cutting-edge research has either gone underground or off-shore. Still, it was stereotyping in the first degree...

But even with those (in my opinion) flaws, it was still an enjoyable read. I had a hard time putting the book aside for more important things, like sleep...

It is a great read and action packed. The funny thing is that I understand most of what they are talking about and have read articles about most of the science and technology they are using. There is no way we can get to that point by 2012, but it is very interesting to talk about. Anyone with an interest in the future of our society, who has kept up on what is in the political realm with a smattering of internet and science fiction, will have little problem reading and understanding this book.

It is just my kind of book except for one thing. It ridicules Christians as uninformed anti-technology bigots. Stereotypes are bad news. He appears to have rolled all Christians into the Luddite category and generally dismissed their moral concerns about where the transhumanist movement, with its enabling bio-technologies, is taking the human race. You could say that this ploy is part of his craft in creating a villain, but I sensed that it was more than that and deep seated.

The book also makes the case that morality has no place in science and that the application of science should never be argued on moral grounds, which is the same case made by Hitler. The idea that some science may be detrimental to certain groups of people or to everyone is ridiculed. The simple fact is that science has always been restricted by the bounds of morality by civilized nations and if those bounds were ever removed, our planet would become a mad-mad world indeed.

A lot of Clarke's views in the transhumanist arena are focused on his support of fetal stem cell research. He feels that it will produce a lot of scientific breakthroughs. Human cloning is the ultimate goal of all this research, which Clark never really addresses in this book. He focuses on human enhancement through bio-technology and gene manipulation. It all boils down to the same thing, babies made to order for the rich and powerful. This is a politician's dream world where the political class could effectively be manufactured to be superior to every other class of people and ensure that they hold power. This would also allow them to restrict entry to their class through control of the technology. The positive side of the technology would be to eliminate hereditary diseases and keep the workers more productive, and that is how the technology will be sold to the public. The ultimate result will be class warfare to stomp out the golden people and the technology that created them. That is where the Luddites come into play. Everyone who stands against this technology will be tared with that title as a way to degrade their position and cast them in a negative light.

Clarke is correct about many things in this book and is very successful at portraying many of the current directions of science today. I am disappointed that he did not include the cloning of humans in the mix of technologies that will risk the future of the human race. Most of the cloning research is being done off-shore in the same places as the fetal stem cell research.

Clarke consistently indicated that the U.S. is ahead in the new science race. What I see is quite different. The United States is slowly falling behind in many areas due to the fact that the government has ruined our educational system and turned it into a brain washing factory. Our social structure is crumbling because they are eliminating God from our society and replacing it with self worship. Our youth are destroying themselves with drugs and sexual diseases, which decreases the pool of talent to develop new science. But these are moral observations that should be silenced in the great new world of super-humans and super government that could and would manage every facet of your life.

Clarke's book opened my eyes to many new things that were pure science fiction when I was a kid. It also revealed how the scientific world views and divides society in their pursuit of success. It is hard to believe that these things are happening in my life time. Part of me wants to see many of these things happen for selfish reasons. It could extend my life considerably. However, my belief system tells me that God has set the days of my life and man is not in control. This science may create unforeseen problems that negate its effectiveness or application. I am on-board for the ride however for as long as God gives me.

Working in the high tech industry, I read about these amazing advances on a daily basis and I'm awed. Clarke connects the dots of where we'll be in a few years and I'm stunned. His compelling characters and fast moving plot are an entertaining way to present pros/cons on a slew of emerging moral, legal and ethical issues.

Yeah this book was definitely written by a ghost writer. I think Clarke just handed over a few pages of notes to somebody and they threw together a book in a weekend. At least that's what it reads like. Don't bother with this one.

Breakpoint is another warning about the high voltage danger to our communication networks illustrated in my novel PeaceMaker. Both novels, set in 2012, warn of the vulnerabilities of our computer-linked societies. Disrupt these networks and society crumbles. The equation is simple: Technology + Terrorism = Destruction.

The strength of Breakpoint is Richard Clarke's insider knowledge of the federal government's alphabet agencies. As a high-level pro in the Clinton and both Bush administrations, he understands how things work (or don't, as the case may be). Clarke also has a generally good handle on advanced technologies, although the idea of Living Software --- an intelligent operating system that can construct defect-free code to solve any problem --- is unrealistic.

If you are looking for well-rounded characters that strike a chord, Breakpoint is not for you. But if you're interested in an exciting techno-thriller with a dramatic portrayal of our high-tech society's increasing vulnerability to terrorism, strap this one on.

PeaceMaker

There are novels that are written by authors who obviously haven't taken the time to do research and have little or no expertise in the area that they are writing about. This is not the case with Richard Clarke. Clarke's resume is impressive. He is the kind of expert that any author in this genre would love to spend even a few minutes with.

The information in the novel about advancing technologies is fascinating stuff but the novel itself is just so-so. Clarke's writing is adequate at best, his characters are wafer thin, and the plot zips along at such a rapid pace it feels like a film treatment. (It actually would make a good action flick)

The plot is little more than an excuse for Clarke to give the reader a whirlwind tour of up and coming technologies. The premise of the novel is that someone (the Chinese perhaps) is sabotaging the world's cutting edge technologies. This plot allows Clarke to introduce the reader to everything from robot dogs to genetically enhanced babies to super armor suits for soldiers. My favorite part of the novel was actually the author's note at the end where Clark discusses the technologies featured in the novel and their current state of development.

The novel is worth reading if you have an interest in emerging technologies but aside from that, there isn't much to get excited about.

There are novels that are written by authors who obviously haven't taken the time to do research and have little or no expertise in the area that they are writing about. This is not the case with Richard Clarke. Clarke's resume is impressive. He is the kind of expert that any author in this genre would love to spend even a few minutes with.

The information in the novel about advancing technologies is fascinating stuff but the novel itself is just so-so. Clarke's writing is adequate at best, his characters are wafer thin, and the plot zips along at such a rapid pace it feels like a film treatment. (It actually would make a good action flick)

The plot however is little more than an excuse for Clarke to give the reader a whirlwind tour of up and coming technologies. The premise of the novel is that someone (the Chinese perhaps) is sabotaging the world's cutting edge technologies. This plot allows Clarke to introduce the reader to everything from robot dogs to genetically enhanced babies, to super armor suits for soldiers. The best part of the novel is actually the author's note at the end where Clark discusses the technologies featured in the novel and their current state of development.

The novel itself may or may not be worth reading (depending upon how much you value your time), but whether or not you read the novel, I highly recommend the author's notes.

Richard Clark's book Against All Enemies was brilliant. His first non-fiction, Scorpion's Gate, less so, but here he has hit his stride. This techno-geek-thriller is dead-on and he combines his own mastery of international relations with a surprisingly strong understanding of technology to create a masterful thriller.

The plot of this book is potentially good/interesting. The writing and execution of Clarke's plot/ideas is, however, abysmal. There are scenes where Clarke literally duplicates phrasing. Honestly, a high schooler should have better writing skills. His lexicon seems forced and his style is a watered down version of a Dan Brown/Michael Chriton/Daniel Silva. His characters perfectly define cliché - Jimmy an NYPD cop who's smarter than he appears with boyish charm...come on. To his credit, though, he has interesting ideas and a fairly solid understanding of how the technology he describes works (though it is certainly flawed at times). All in all, if Hollywood took this novel, rewrote it (made it flow/sound better and less cheesy) it would make for a great action/tech thriller movie...in fact, you'd be much better off reading something else and just waiting for the film to come out on this one.

Richard Clark's book Against All Enemies was brilliant. His first non-fiction, Scorpion's Gate, less so, but here he has hit his stride. This techno-geek-thriller is dead-on and he combines his own mastery of international relations with a surprisingly strong understanding of technology to create a masterful thriller.

The plot of this book is potentially good/interesting. The writing and execution of Clarke's plot/ideas is, however, abysmal. There are scenes where Clarke literally duplicates phrasing. Honestly, a high schooler should have better writing skills. His lexicon seems forced and his style is a watered down version of a Dan Brown/Michael Chriton/Daniel Silva. His characters perfectly define cliché - Jimmy an NYPD cop who's smarter than he appears with boyish charm...come on. To his credit, though, he has interesting ideas and a fairly solid understanding of how the technology he describes works (though it is certainly flawed at times). All in all, if Hollywood took this novel, rewrote it (made it flow/sound better and less cheesy) it would make for a great action/tech thriller movie...in fact, you'd be much better off reading something else and just waiting for the film to come out on this one.

Imagine that we are back in the world of 1943, and Hitler saw an opportunity to stop America's ability to supply the Allies with armed forces and material by mining the U.S. coastlines and having U-boats on patrol across from every harbor. Would Hitler take such an opportunity? Sure.

Nations are aggressive about protecting their sovereign interests, even from hypothetical risks . . . such as the possibility that a nation may be harboring a particular terrorist or might have a weapon of mass destruction. That's the interesting premise of Richard Clarke's new novel, Breakpoint.

In 1811, skilled textile workers in England broke into factories and smashed the new looms that allowed unskilled labor to replace them. In 1848, barge workers, bridge masons, and dock workers tore up rail lines all over France to eliminate competition for their jobs and the "English" influence on the nation. In 1942, Japan attacked the United States to break the economic embargo that threatened Japan's ability to compete with the U.S. As you can see there's plenty of precedent for acting violently to deal with economic risks to one's standard of living and aspirations.

In a world where advanced technology is about to take a great leap forward, what might people do to stop that leap? If you mix in technology that might replace humans, could devalue many humans, and create new class differences, you can have an explosive mix.

As this book opens in a fictional 2012, someone is taking down the world's ability to communicate. It's a surgical strike . . . and very effective. As you read these fictional accounts, you'll be chilled to realize that such attacks could easily occur today.

While the big government agencies wallow in routine, the special projects office of the Intelligence Analysis Center contacts key thinkers and quickly discerns the pattern. But can action move fast enough to stop these deadly threats? And who is doing the threatening?

Before the book is over, you'll find almost all of your assumptions about a future war . . . and future terrorism . . . need to be revised. As the Author's Note points out, all of the technology described in the book either exists or is being rapidly developed. This is science fiction about the near, rather than the far, future.

The book is a very entertaining way to learn about these new opportunities and threats to our way of life. Lectures or PowerPoint presentations wouldn't be nearly as much fun.

Ultimately, the author has to be evaluated as a writer . . . and he needs work. The first few pages are taut and interesting. Right after that, the story sinks into a babble of initials, acronyms, and unfamiliar phrases. It was hard to stay focused and follow what was going on. Fortunately, a strong narrative thread emerges again later on. So don't be discouraged if you find parts of the book hard to appreciate. The following sections will eventually sort it all out well enough for you to understand what's going on.

Mr. Clarke has tried to pack a little too much into his story. He has enough plots in here for two-and-a-half novels. If narrowed down into a plot for one novel, it would have been a better story.

But if you are mostly moved by a desire to read the imagination of someone who sees the risk in everything, you'll like this book at about the level of four stars.

recommend to anyone who is not afraid to "think out of the box" on any issue.

The author is learning a new trade - writing fiction. His characters are still two dimensional and his segues rough, but he throws a dizzying number of premises very quickly at the reader. His skill is in exposing large ideas rather than in character development.

This is a much faster read than his first novel, and less confusing overall. I could not put this book down, and am looking forward to his next novel. His style will smooth out and his characters become more robust with experience.

...but this book has the best opening chapter that I've read in a long time. Then it plunges downhill rapidly. Not useful in the way a Michael Crichton novel is, delivering scientific thought along with twisted plots. Not much of a plot, amateur writing and dialog. For gawd's sake, who can relate to a hero called Jimmy? This book can be skipped without any loss to your library.

At the bottom of the first page I realized I had to cancel my appointments for the next day. The story of Breakpoint is very interesting, the pace is fast, the narrative is very detailed, peppered with information of today status of the fragility we live in. Dick Clark is a feverish buracrat, imaginative beyond the horizon of paranoia, a theorist whom has deep ties within the institution of the US federal goverment, in this sci-fi novel he delivers yet another presentation of various possible scenarios that are ignored by the officials in charge in the current administration.

"sometimes you call tell more truth through fiction"

A man capable of properly assessing events in real time shouldn't be this good at writing about philosophical issues on the horizon. He is. The decision curve for pondering questions of public policy is getting steeper. Breakpoint illustrates a growing challenge for the media-stupefied public mind.

It's definetly a novel for any reader. I've read it and scaryingly it seems alot of the events in the book are coming true.

Seriously, best way to describe is as a poorly written Hardy Boys novel. The story is a joke of confusion, obviousness, and badly written characters.

The book clearly is written by someone who understand the industry, but that's about the only thing that the writer can claim in his credentials. This is why smart people get help from ghostwriters.

This book tries to show off cool new future concepts while connecting back to events of today... for instance the connection to Google via the "Googleplex" described in the book. It's something like 10 years in the future, yet no real tech changes have actually happened. Oh wait, some tech changes have gone well overboard. The entire internet taken down with a few well placed bombs on unguarded shacks. Uh...

Unfortunately, like many novels written by subject matter experts, there is far too much detail about the wrong things and too little time spent on the right things. The book only lightly touched on the real story, because it got sidetracked dealing with trying to introduce us to characters we a) don't find out much about in the story, and b) we don't really care about in the first place.

Think I'm being overly harsh? Here's an excerpt, judge for yourself (main character Susan has literally JUST met a supporting character, Will):

++++++

"Well, here is the truth: I hate dessert wines," Susan protested, convinced that she had already had enough wine for two nights.

"At least try it," Gaudium pleaded. "My wife loved it." He tended to the dwindling fire, stirring the embers and adding a log.

Sipping the liqueur-like wine, Susan had to admit, "I can see why. Like honey, but not syrupy or oversweet."

"Just like you," Gaudium let slip. "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate, Susan."

"No, Will, don't be upset. It was fine. In vino veritas. I love getting compliments," she said. "but if you don't mind, tell me about your wife."

All this to set up the story about his wife. Cheesy, to say the least.
++++++


Any writer who is afraid to use contractions is just a bad novelist, in my book. Mr. Clarke, when writing diaglouge between two friendly characters, use words like "couldn't" rather than "could not". Or "wouldn't" not "would not". When was the last time you used "would not" consistently with one of your own friends??

Clarke as a counterterrorism expert is highly respected by many, including me. I'd love to see more from him in the form of non-fiction... I'm sure the stories he could tell about the realities of the fight against all kinds of terrorism would send chills up your spine. I'll be the first to pre-order his non-fiction stories.

I just hope the next time around he employees a novelist to help him form his stories into a well-written book.

Do yourself a favor and skip this book all together.

First off, let's get away with the bad: the book needs some work. It has an interesting underlying concept for a plot, but it's hindered by many unpolished elements. The main characters are stereotypes (with names like Jimmy, no less), the lack of seamlessness in introducing new technologies, apparent over emphasis to bring some facts to the reader's attention (it's 2012, we get it already), not defining certain terms (I know what POTUS is, but how many other readers?), loose bits (killing a person with a karate chop, when all these witnesses saw you go in/leave the scene of the crime?), forceful/obvious input of personal politics even though it doesn't quite fit, etc.

That said, it's got that interesting plot. I feared while reading this that this would be a story about a renegade AI. It wasn't. I feared that GlobalGrid would be this sentient fictional impossibility. It wasn't. There was a hacker. I cringed. Being a "computer security enthusiast", I just feared what might be done in the name of hacking.

While liberties were taken here and there, they're small. Your imagination can make up the missing links as to how these events could truly unfold. While many others in the media have employed hackers in the past to consult, you can see that this guy actually listened. Or understood what was going on. No repeat of the MTV fiasco, or god forbid, any hacker movies, here.

So hackers will likely enjoy this. Apart from the "How to own a Network/Identity/[insert here]" series, this is one of the few *fiction* titles that has some semblance of accuracy.

This was my first Richard Clark read. After listening to Clark interviewed on NPR about Breakpoint I was moved to buy it. What intrigued me was all the sci-fi/James Bond type advances in technology that Clark says are only a few years away from becoming a definite reality.

While it was mind blowing to considering the impact of these technologies - I couldn't get over the pedestrian writing style. How could examining this new & interesting science possibly bore me to distraction? Well... it did. None of the characters were dimensional & thus the story falls flat.

Clarke's book is highly revealing. While his book is fictional, the information that surrounds his story is not. Interestingly, much of America's great infrastructure is `hiding in plain sight.' It is only hidden because so few people know about it and where exactly it is, but it is not guarded. Many have spoken about chemical and gasoline manufacturers as sites for potential terrorism activity. Clarke talks about something else. He talks about communications.

It turns out that in just a few locations the majority of internet and telephone connections to Europe can be attacked almost with impunity, if one knows where they are located. Clarke's point is to show that there are huge vulnerabilities in American systems and processes which could be exploited by terrorists at any time. These terrorists can be internal or external. In fact, due to the advantages of the Internet and DARPA very complex terrorist activities can be executed from virtually any part of the world. Clarke posits that the software code that runs communications was also attacked through hidden "back doors" that are built into the software by the designers and is not subject to normal security checks of the software. A user or terrorist with this "back door" information could get into a piece of software and modify it partially or totally.

Clarke writes an interesting, but slightly predictable mystery story to highlight his concern about attack on American infrastructure. Yet, the story does hold the reader's attention and does a good job of illustrating just how many ways there are to mount a serious attack from afar on those systems. It is highly recommended for readers of modern mystery novels. While Clarke talks about concepts and entities that seem futuristic, the basic science to perform these things is already extant. It can be done and in some cases, it has been done. Clarke's talent lies in his experience as a high level government employee in the area of terrorism for so long. Clarke now thinks like a terrorist and is therefore able to map out stories that have a real life feel to them. Clarke is an author to watch.

He is a little plodding in his writing, as in Scorpion Gate, but I think Ricahrd Clark will end up becoming a good author -- after all, he already writes better than the dreadful Grisham and Dan Browne. His characters are easy to identify with though they don't come to life in their dialog.

This is worth reading though it is hard to enthuse about it. It does make you think and it is pretty solid on the techie stuff

This book belongs to the science fiction genre despite Dick Clark's disclaimer that it is not science fiction. There is nothing wrong with this genre although Clark appears to think so. Science fiction authors, as a whole, have never pretended to great writers, but consider themselves explorers of probable futures and purveyors of original ideas. This book does exactly this. It is not great literature, but it contains a number of significant ideas and presents a very probable future for the digital age.

The central, and overarching, premise of this book is the extreme vulnerability of the so-called Global Network as it exists today. The term Global Network (Clark calls it the `Globalgrid')), refers not to a specific network, but rather refer to the phenomenon of worldwide inter-connectivity that has been created between independently owned and operated telecommunication networks. Curiously, given his tenure a presidential advisor on Cyberspace Security, Clark apparently is not aware that the Global Network exists today and such 21st Century phenomenona as the Internet are dependent on it. Be this as it may, Clark does an excellent job of expounding on the physical and operating vulnerabilities of the Global Network. Further he implies that the third leg of information assurance, robust network resilience, is lacking in the Network and would contribute to the massive disruptions even a partial Network failure would cause.

Clark is not a great writer of novels, but he is an excellent purveyor of important ideas. This book is not even on the Tom Clancy level as work of fiction, but it is an enormously significant contribution to the on going debate information assurance in a digital age. In Clark's own words, "Sometimes you can tell more truth through fiction." Hear, hear.

Richard A. Clarke is an expert on terrorism and technology. This futuristic, sci-fi thriller set in the year 2012 brings readers into a possible scenario of cyberterrorism. How vulnerable are we? According to Clarke, VERY.

The Chinese just shot down a satellite the other day. Are they capable of disrupting our hi-tech world? Heck, they manufacture a lot of hardware and they could tamper with it and we wouldn't know, would we? Clarke presents some troubling ideas. Then there are all the other countries that envy America.

It's a quick read but it isn't great literature. Clarke's characters are one-dimensional. His plotting is mediocre. Still, techies will enjoy all the hi-tech doodads.

"Breakpoint" presents two valid points, each of which could better be summarized in a single paragraph rather than woven into a long novel filled with "snappy banter," cyborg and future-weapon fantasies, irrelevant details (especially meaningless acronyms), and politically-correct character casting. The first is that the U.S. is increasingly vulnerable to Internet hackers and saboteurs interfering with data and voice transmission and possibly interrupting utility transmission; the second is that serious disruption need not await initiation by rogue/aggressive state - a few well-organized zealots can do just as well.

"Breakpoint's" evil-doers were first believed to be the Chinese government, irate over events threatening reunification with Taiwan; later, suspicion shifts out-of-control elements in the People's Liberation Army, and finally identifies retired General Bowdin (a thinly veiled General Boynkin in real life) and religious nuts upset over potential progress in genetic engineering as the real culprits.

Unfortunately, "Breakpoint" provides no understanding of how vulnerable the U.S. is to Internet hackers and saboteurs, and the fact that a few well-organized zealots can wreak havoc was already made clear with 9/11. (On the other hand, China's recent success in destroying its own satellite does give added credibility to the notion of vulnerable U.S. communications.)

Clarke has a wealth of invaluable experience and skill; however, writing novels is not one of them.

I didn't read Clarke's earlier novel, but I found Breakpoint to be entertaining. I noticed some people complained about his writing style, and I admit it's not perfect, but I read a book for the story and the entertainment value. Breakpoint is indeed a very fast read, and I thought he did a great job tying in new and emerging technologies to create a story that is set in the future, but is imaginable. Will the book win a literary award? Not even close. Is the book entertaining? Absolutely. The characters are not deep, and you will not feel an emotional tie to them, but the pace is fast and the story is interesting.

Breakpoint is easy reading, but perhaps not the best writing I ever read. Whatever the shortcomings in the style is more than made up for by the insight from a man who knows what he is talking about. After "Scorpion's Gate" I thought another mediocre thriller might be coming again, but this is where Richard Clarke's experience is made the best use of, and he leaves the reader with plenty to think about, and that is a positive not to be missed.

Maybe, as a suggestion for the next book, a better job of editing and perhaps a ghost writer with more experience would make for a smoother reading experience.

Looking for a literate and arresting political thriller? Not here. This is pretty weak stuff. Maybe Clarke can do an essay, but he's not an author. The kind of thing one gets handed at a writers conference. Needs work and lacks sophistication. I got the idea - tech danger, intreped sleuths, danger - but this is far from gripping. Kind of a literary version of Hallmark television.
Read it on the beach this summer. And leave it there.

This book is awful!!! It has no literary merit. The author writes like he is writing a telephone book. Plot is simplistic and repetitive. Book is filled with acronym piled upon acronym, and in the language of bureaucratese. It truly lacks any sense of literary skill, and in the end is quite boring. It is defitely a quick read, since one can hardly wait to get to the end, to start another book. I read a LOT (2-3 books/week), and I would not recommend this book as anything other than kindling material. I do hope that I made my point clear. I'm just a bit angered I got sucked into buying it, and used my time to read it. Oh well...maybe next time.

The pace of this book was great for reading during some recent travel. The story takes off quickly and does not slow for anyone. It is easy to read, put down at any point and pick back up again. And like Scorpion's Gate, the fictional story sure has some real-day linkages. It was good to have a return of some familiar characters in the story and a new one from NYPD. If you are from the Boston or San Francisco Bay area you will find the story centering around some fun landmarks; and if you enjoy wine there are references to some great labels.

Enjoy!

Whether it's judging future applications of scientific advancements or determining whom our enemies are,
"Breakpoint" illustrates the need to not leap to erroneous conclusions. Rather, the meat of this novel is very
good at stressing the axiom, "think before you act".
The only faults I find have to do with cardboard characters and dialogue that sometimes reads like something
from a "B" movie. However, it is the discussion and use of technology which saves the day.

I wanted to escape a little from work so started this book and finished it within 24 hours. It's a quick read, and Clarke gives the reader insights into many new technological innovations that I had not heard of. If you liked this book, you should also read Against All Enemies and The Scorpion's Gate. All three are very informative and interesting.

I read this book over a relaxing weekend on the couch. It has likeable characters who readers will enjoy joining on this romp through technological thrills. For avid readers of techno-thrillers and national security themed novels - BREAKPOINT is new way of presenting fact to readers by including a series of end notes that gives you more information on the technological innovations described throughout the story. It would be great to see other novelists follow this line to help readers see the facts through the fiction. Another thing I liked most about the book is not only that the characters are engaging, but that as the United States and the global community continue to confront challenges in the War on Terror, Iraq, and nuclear proliferation -- there is also a much ignored focus on the many commercial and scientific innovations that will indeed revolutionize society and the way we engage with each other in confronting numerous new medical, scientific, educational, and national security issues. Read this book for fun or for new knowledge - either way you can't lose.

If you are interested in the potential merger of genetic research, nanotechnology, religious fundamentalism and the internet, this exciting book will be an eye-opener. I'm only giving it 4 stars due to the fact that character development is a little sparse and sometimes the narration comes off a little goofy ("Susan digested the new information, and the pasta."). The true value of this book, however, comes from Mr. Clarke's ability to use his first-hand knowledge of the latest technological developments and the political landscape to create an interesting tour of what the future may hold.

Even though I am not a computer geek, I found the story to be quite interesting and not too confusing. As pointed out in the author's notes at the end of the book, all of the technological developments referenced in this book are in progress at this time. This is a quick and entertaining read, but viewers of the Colbert Report should know that, contrary to Stephen's assertions during the interview, there is no robo-sex.

had a hard time getting into this book. i think it was to technical for me. maybe it was just me?.