Comments (21)

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Nov 03, 2023SRoskowski rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Given the recent increased public awareness of Gen AI and broader ML capabilities, I found this book to be ahead of its time as it came out over a decade ago. The thriller combines HFT, AI, trading technicalities, and hedge fund marketing…
Mar 08, 2022Matthew412 rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Artificial intelligence and Sentient intelligence are not the same, but this author's story confuses the two forms creating a storyline that makes no sense. The main characters are completely uninteresting. Consigned to the rubbish heap…
Nov 24, 2021gloryb rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This modern story about stock markets, hedge funds, and the use of computers in short selling stocks reminded me of Mary Shelly's classic story, "Frankenstein" where the creator/inventor and the creation/invention face off after the…
Apr 10, 2021tjdickey rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A fascinating exploration of a "what if" scenario, when a CERN scientist moves from automated machine learning for data analysis at CERN to creating similar programs for a hedge fund, and the success leads to unintended outcomes. A novel…
Sep 19, 2018CICarlier rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A good idea based on the real fact that algorithm are already impacting financial markets in drastic ways. Good representation of the finance world too. Story is not bad, but could use a bit more development.
May 23, 2018jazpur rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Robert Harris clearly saw the implications of the power of computer programming when this book was published in 2011. Taut and scary. Would translate well for film or television.
Mar 01, 2015DanglingConversations rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Good plot idea but the two main characters, Hoffman and his wife are not well developed so we are 3/4 of the way through the book and really don't care much what is happening to people. The contact with the CERN scientist who warned…
May 05, 2014VRMurphy rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
Might have been a good story in there, but I couldn't get past the first few pages due to the writing style. Makes Dan Brown look like F. Scott Fitzgerald.
billmacrotarian
Nov 23, 2013billmacrotarian rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Robert Harris takes unique perspectives on historical events as his alternate history Fatherland demonstrated many years ago. The Fear Index is more recent and deals with hedge funds and the financial meltdown of recent years. This novel…
Oct 10, 2012
This book was a major disappointment --- guess the author was friends with all the blurb writers? Poor character development, couldn't care less if they were all killed off, you've read this same novel, thousands of times, seen the same…
Oct 08, 2012
"Having designed a self-evolving algorithm that monitors fear to make investment decisions, artificial intelligence researcher and hedge fund manager Alexander Hoffman and his colleagues are making a mint - until a series of events makes…
Oct 08, 2012
"Having designed a self-evolving algorithm that monitors fear to make investment decisions, artificial intelligence researcher and hedge fund manager Alexander Hoffman and his colleagues are making a mint - until a series of events makes…
Oct 08, 2012
"Having designed a self-evolving algorithm that monitors fear to make investment decisions, artificial intelligence researcher and hedge fund manager Alexander Hoffman and his colleagues are making a mint - until a series of events makes…
Apr 29, 2012nannerl rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Very Kafkaesque, dark paranoia, enjoyable read except a very weak ending.
Mar 29, 2012shapjul rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
This book was quite disappointing. I've read several others by him--liked Pompei the most. Here the characters are uninteresting, the details mind-numbing and the plot quite obvious. I really do not think it is worth the time (sad to…
mjhartstein
Feb 19, 2012mjhartstein rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Excellent read but the very end was a bit disappointing since it left some questions unanswered.
RobertaJ
Feb 14, 2012RobertaJ rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I love Robert Harris, so was not surprised to love this novel. I WAS a little surprised how the suspense worked its way into my unconscious. The book talks about all the aspects of fear; personal, financial, group/mob mentality, fear of…
Feb 13, 2012
good review: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/09/column-freeland-machines-idUSL2E8D9E1620120209
johnf108
Feb 12, 2012
If you liked this, read Robert Taylor's "Paradigm:A Novel." Don't be turned-off by the 'trading system' the novel starts with---you will soon get caught-up in the story and it is enough to make you paranoid about Wall Street---at least for…
Jan 16, 2012cmllow rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A rolicking read - it does tear along at pace. The suspense keeps you turning the page, but somehow the ending did not satisfy. Maybe I had not expected the triumph of the machine and had hoped that human would prevail! It is a novel of…
Dec 19, 2011Patricia03 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this story. Very topical - all about the greed of the very rich but how it is more about the thrill of creating the money making machine. And how in the end the machine is the master of man.