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Cell  By  cover art

Cell

By: Robin Cook
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Publisher's summary

The New York Times best-selling author and master of the medical thriller returns with a top-notch fusion of groundbreaking medical science and edge-of-your-seat suspense.

George Wilson, M.D., a radiology resident in Los Angeles, is about to enter a profession on the brink of an enormous paradigm shift, foreshadowing a vastly different role for doctors everywhere. The smartphone is poised to take on a new role in medicine, no longer as a mere medical app but rather as a fully customizable personal physician capable of diagnosing and treating even better than the real thing. It is called iDoc.

George's initial collision with this incredible innovation is devastating. He awakens one morning to find his fiancée dead in bed alongside him, not long after she participated in an iDoc beta test. Then several of his patients die after undergoing imaging procedures. All of them had been part of the same beta test.

Is it possible that iDoc is being subverted by hackers - and that the U.S. government is involved in a cover-up? Despite threats to both his career and his freedom, George relentlessly seeks the truth, knowing that if he's right, the consequences could be lethal.

©2014 Robin Cook (P)2014 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Rare is the writer who can take us into the fast-paced, miraculous, often bewildering world of modern medicine the way Robin Cook can. Cell is a superbly crafted, full-steam thriller, to be sure, but also a vivid lesson in just how momentous are the advances being made in medicine almost by the day—and how highly unsettling are some of the possible consequences." (New York Times best-selling author David McCullough)

"With Cell Robin Cook demonstrates why he is the undisputed king of medical thrillers. Can a smartphone app kill you? You'll believe it can after you read this story, which blasts along faster than a truckload of quad core processors. Equal measures a substantive social commentary that we will all soon have to deal with and a terrifying blood-and-guts tale of what lies right around the technology corner, Cook has delivered a home run worthy of the writer who has consistently thrilled millions ever since his blockbuster Coma." (Number one New York Times best-selling author David Baldacci)

"Robin Cook has been entertaining medical thriller fans for decades, but he does much more with his latest novel, Cell...a thought-provoking story." (Associated Press)

What listeners say about Cell

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Wow!!!

Robin Cook nailed this one! I work in Health Care and the idea of an app that controls a patients care is not outrageous.

If one thinks of the just how much technology is used in health care and the outrageous cost of care in this country coupled with the use of social media for communication it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see where things COULD go.

I found merit in both the arguments of the insurance company and the protagonist.

An EXCELLENT book and George Guidall is icing on the cake.

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28 people found this helpful

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Well Done

IN FOR A PENNY, IN FOR A POUND
I am the impatient one and this Cookbook takes awhile to thaw. The first two hours are basically information dump. Even after that, the story sat on simmer for about five more hours. Cook's writing, like usual was tasty enough to wet my appetite and kept me at the table. The last five hours was the dessert and made the waiting well worth it.

HEURISTIC
The conception of having an app on your phone as your primary doctor, is an exciting one. I kind of had my doubts at first, but Cook does a great job of showing the benefits of such an App. The way it is explained also makes it seem very probably in the near future. This is a thriller though and that is where the possible bad side or should I say very bad side comes into play. The story and the outcome are not as black and white as you might think and Cook does a great job of showing the pros and cons. Even better, he does not make up the mind of the reader for them. He lets it all hang out and the ending which has upset and confused some, basically leaves it up to the reader. Mostly it gives the reader food for thought.

George Guidall is the icing on the cake and makes listening more satisfying than reading the novel.

Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

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19 people found this helpful

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Need a Sequel

Good story. I have heard that an implant similar to this is already in the works for diabetics. Kinda scary. Interesting references to Obamacare. Love the way Robin Cook takes a current topic and writes a novel about it. I really do need to know what happens to George. When will "Cell 2" be released? Also, love George Guidall's narration.

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18 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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There's an app for that!

I haven't listened to or read a Robin Cook book in years. But the idea of having an iphone app called idoc was intriguing...and scary! Can you imagine using your iphone instead of seeing a doctor? How about your phone managing your meds? What if you're somewhere where the signal is lousy, your battery is dead and the power is out? I liked this book.

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A Little Disappointed

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes....I like Robin Cooks novels. Always worth checking out.

Would you be willing to try another book from Robin Cook? Why or why not?

Yes....I'm hoping he will go back to his more realistic characters, like Jack Stapleton.

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

He captures the real essence of the characters.

Could you see Cell being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes....not sure of who could play main role. He would need to play "naive" very well.

Any additional comments?

I used to excitedly await Robin Cooks new books. Now I tend to wait and see the reviews. He's gotten a little unrealistic. I found this one the same....but I'm not giving up on him!

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Good story with some realistic consequences

I love how this book has realistic consequences, this technology is not that far off with the automatic pumps and all the changes to health care I can honestly see the government pushing this through.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Robin Cook never let's his readers down!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this book. You are hooked from the first page. Great roller coaster ride.

What did you like best about this story?

The development of the characters. You feel like you are there with them, viewing the events.

Which character – as performed by George Guidall – was your favorite?

George, but he did an awesome job with all of them.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely! I listened to it one weekend when I was taking wallpaper down! Sure made the time fly by!

Any additional comments?

Not fond of the ending, so there must be a sequel coming out. Hopefully sooner rather than later

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Where's the ENDING??

Would you try another book from Robin Cook and/or George Guidall?

Yes, but not for a while. Cook is always about an internist stumbling on an Insurance Conspiracy, when no one else believes them. Comma was the best at this, everything else is the same. I do like his story concepts, but his characters are all the same.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Stephen King's Mr. Mercedes. I just finished Dr. Sleep and couldn't put it down. "The Stand" and "The Shinning unite!"

Which scene was your favorite?

When George started to wise up, and not trust EVERYONE as his friend!! No person is that stupid or naive!? Very gullible for a Doctor??

Was Cell worth the listening time?

Not with no ending, or hint to a sequel.

Any additional comments?

Listen to the first line of each chapter, then call it a day. That's how complicated the characters are, but the concept of a 24/7 personal doctor is, "cool."

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Fascinating concept; poor writing

Would you try another book from Robin Cook and/or George Guidall?

Robin Cook often comes up with interesting concepts in the medical field, as he did for this one. I probably will try another one from him sometime. I ADORE George Guidall in the Longmire series but just didn't feel that his delivery suited the main character.

What could Robin Cook have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Make the characters more realistic, especially the protagonist. I know that doctors are humans and flawed but he seemed to lack any social skills whatsoever - unable to carry on a conversation, unable to assert himself in any way, unable to see glaringly obvious manipulation. Because of all this, in the end I really didn't like him much.

Plus edit, edit, edit!

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

George Guidall has, to my ears, a rather "homey" sounding voice with a slower delivery. As I said, he embodies Sheriff Walt Longmire perfectly and I have enjoyed some other books that he has narrated but for a book that is essentially a thriller, no, I don't think his narration matched the pace.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The concept of a smartphone app to monitor health was developed very well. Unfortunately, the most interesting idea in the world doesn't really make up for so-so characters.

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Predictable

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

My wife liked the beginning of this book because it was related to health care, which she works in, so this might be more enjoyable to anyone in health care.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Not sure, definitely non-fiction.

What three words best describe George Guidall’s voice?

I have no idea - but he's a very good reader. I've listened to several books narrated by him and he's always good.

What character would you cut from Cell?

No one in particular.

Any additional comments?

My main problem with this book is how predictable it was. I knew the entire plot after about an hour of listening. There were no surprises at all from that point forward.

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