My chief objection to the book is it's poorly written.Authors like John LeCarre can weave a tapestry from many threads; Diamond cant. His material is all over the place and unfocused, and the story has no logical progression. He bit off more than he can chew. And it's dreary reading....if you think reading ought to be enjoyable.On the other-hand, if you like Rube Goldberg Style contraptions, you may enjoy this effort.