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Is there a genre of fiction that Robert Harris has not mastered? His first novel, Fatherland, set in a triumphant Germany’s post-World War II Berlin (yes, triumphant!) ranks as one of the finest “what if?” stories ever written. Pompeii sends us farther back in time, to the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius only days before the volcano was set to erupt. Ancient Rome at its pulpiest. Who knew aqueducts could be so sexy? The Ghost Writer (winner of the 2008 International Thriller Writers award for Best Novel) claims the shadowy world of contemporary North Atlantic politics as its subject. Classy Brit espionage best enjoyed with a gin and tonic in hand. All were international bestsellers. All were page-turners non-pareil. But best, all were frighteningly intelligent. Thrillers that made you think as you maddeningly bit your nails.
With The Fear Index, Mr. Harris has turned his gimlet eye on the secret world of billion dollar hedge funds, namely those that seek to earn profits by computer driven program trading. The result is a wholly unique entertainment: a strange, compelling, and utterly propulsive novel. I’m not sure who would enjoy it more: George Soros, Arthur C. Clarke or Edgar Allen Poe.
The story takes place over a tumultuous twenty-four hour period in the life of Dr. Alexander Hoffmann, computer scientist, mathematical genius, and, of late, hedge fund billionaire. It begins (as a fine thriller should) on a dark and stormy night when Hoffmann is awoken by an intruder inside his sixty million dollar villa on the shores of Lake Geneva. A confrontation occurs, Hoffmann is injured, and in his attempt to solve just how someone was able to gain entry into his well-guarded palace, Hoffmann comes face to face with the greatest danger he can imagine: himself. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say: his intellect. To reveal more would ruin the adventure...and adventure it is.
There is, however, a backstory. Hoffmann was not always a stock trader. He began his career as a computer scientist at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) where his work in artificial intelligence involved modeling sophisticated algorithms that programmed computers to teach themselves. It is this mastery of algorithms, and how they train computers to mimic human behavior, that he has turned to such profitable use at Hoffmann Investment Technologies. And it is this mastery that will come to haunt him.
What Harris does so admirably--in my mind, better than any other writing today--is intertwine nifty, page turning plots with important historical, political, or in this case, sociological questions. The late Michael Crichton did this kind of story well. In The Fear Index, Robert Harris does it fantastically.
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Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 15949804-n
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. FROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR'Harris is a master of pace and entertainment' Observer'Could scarcely be more of the moment' The TimesNothing spreads like fear . . .In the secretive inner circle of the ultra-rich, Alex Hoffmann is a legend.He has developed an algorithm for playing the financial markets that generates billions of pounds - and feeds on panic.When one day his system is threatened by a terrifying intruder who breaches the elaborate security of his lakeside home, his life becomes a waking nightmare of violence and paranoia.But who is trying to destroy him? And is it already too late?'There are moments when this book feels so up to date it could have been written next week . . . spookily exciting' Express So begins a waking nightmare of paranoia and violence as Hoffmann attempts - with increasing desperation - to discover who is trying to destroy him - before it's too late . Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780099553267
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9780099553267
Book Description Condition: New. pp. 400. Seller Inventory # 58030311
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780099553267
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. BRAND NEW ** SUPER FAST SHIPPING FROM UK WAREHOUSE ** 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Seller Inventory # 9780099553267-GDR
Book Description Condition: New. In. Seller Inventory # ria9780099553267_new
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 400 pages. 7.80x5.08x0.98 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0099553260
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. Generating billions of dollars, it is a system that thrives on panic - and feeds on fear. So begins a waking nightmare of paranoia and violence as Hoffmann attempts - with increasing desperation - to discover who is trying to destroy him - before it's too late . Seller Inventory # B9780099553267
Book Description Condition: New. Meet Alex Hoffmann: among the secretive inner circle of the ultra-rich, he is something of a legend. Based in Geneva, he has developed a revolutionary system that has the power to manipulate financial markets. Generating billions of dollars, it is a system that thrives on panic - and feeds on fear. Num Pages: 400 pages. BIC Classification: FH. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 198 x 129 x 25. Weight in Grams: 282. . 2012. Paperback. . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780099553267