After reading a good review in one of the weekly magazines, i purchased this book. As the other reviews comment, the book is thinly drawn, tedious to read (with repeated footnotes which interrupt the flow), as well as a second parallel discussion coming from the "author". While some of the scientific material is quite interesting and appears to be accurate, it should have been incorporated into the main story instead of the interminable footnotes. While the basic plot story has been summarized in previous reviews, it is an original idea and perhaps will become a movie. Because that is all this really is, a screenplay or plot outline. Finally, if someone who has read this volume could please e-mail me with an explanation of the ending, i would sincerely appreciate it. thanx. ddben@aol.com.p.s. try Tom Wolfe's new book instead!