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Link [Library Binding]

Walt Becker
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)

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Book Description

February 2000 0613292839 978-0613292832
Deep in Africa, an international team of paleontologists is in search of the key to mankind's past. They're after bones. Ancient human bones. But what they'll find will change the course of history. At stake is nothing less than the final piece in the evolutionary puzzle, a prize that will confer instant immortality upon its discoverer. With the answer to this riddle comes technology so advanced that the future of the human race cannot go unchanged. For the long-sought “missing link” that made the leap from ape to man may have been stranger than we'd ever imagine. Fast-paced and provocative, this is a thriller that races the heart and challenges the mind.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Description

From Library Journal

Paleoanthropologist Samantha Colby makes a startling find in West Africa, then links up with former lover Jack Austin to outrun some bad guys. It's all good, Indiana Jones-style fun, and if the text is weighed down at times by excessive scientific theorizing, it's still entertaining enough to have hit the Los Angeles Times and Dallas Morning News best sellers lists. At a recent benefit involving multiple authors, Becker sold more copies of his book than anyone but Tom Brokaw, a newsworthy event in itself. Morrow has him on tap for two more novels.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Earnest, slightly hokey Michael Crichton style adventure tale that poses an extraterrestrial origin for some of humanity's best and worst traits. Newcomer Becker's grasp of speculative anthropology is surprisingly down-to-earth he appends a solemn afterword on unanswered questions about human origins, including a bibliography ranging from Charles Darwin to Carl Sagan. But such high seriousness is undermined by gratuitous gunplay, turbid romance, and spy-versus-spy plotting. A better-than-average debut that evokes suspense and moments of gee-whiz wonder from a tired science-fictional premise. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, thought-provoking thriller Aug 13 2006
Format:Hardcover
After seeing Link recommended on Amazon, I decided to find myself a copy and read it. I'm so glad I did! The book grabbed me within a couple of pages and kept me reading. I found the book impossible to put down, and finished it in just 2 sittings.

Walt Becker obviously did a great amount of research for Link, as can be seen in the impressive bibliography listed. Based on his research, he asks 'where did we come from'? The answer he came up with is ingenious and fascinating. The story he wrote based on his question had me reading through the night. The story unfolds quickly, and the action never lets up from start to finish.

The book also left me wondering about the theories put forth, and wanting to investigate further myself. I highly recommend Link as a fun, thought-provoking thriller. I also hope this isn't Walt Becker's only novel, as I'd love to read more from him.
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3.0 out of 5 stars Good story. Bad science Jun 4 2004
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed the story, but the author's insistence on pushing a Creationist agenda greatly detracted from it.

The main character is supposedly questioning established scientific theories, yet he not only misrepresents them, he shows a complete lack of understanding.

Bad physics. Misrepresents abiogenesis. Misrepresents evolution. Shows a complete lack of understanding of the Big Bang theory. Shows a complete lack of understanding of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

For an ignorant Fundie, this would be a great book. For everyone else, if you can stomach the pseudo-science, the story's not too bad.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Thumbs Up for Link April 13 2004
Format:Library Binding
If a great book contains heart-beating action, violence, love, interesting characters and a bit of the unknown then "Link" by Walt Becker is a great book. Link is one of the best books I have read in awhile. This book makes you start thinking and the action never stops. There are several climaxes that lead up to a final climax and the end only leaves you wanting to read it over again.

The whole point of this book is to answer the question: where did we come from if there has been no clear evolutionary link between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens? This is a question that the author Walt Becker seems to have been asking for awhile. But he has come up with a theory that we, modern humans, come from extraterrestrials as well as Homo erectus. Although this theory may seem far-fetched he weaves it into a story with facts from existing old documents and myths that by the end you are sure that it is true.

The main characters he weaves this theory into is Samantha Colby who is a paleoanthropologist- the study of and search for the keys to human history. And Jack Austin who was Samantha's ex-boyfriend/fiancé who has out of the world theories that had caused him to fall towards the bottom of the scientific food chain. But Jack's theory about "the source" of where modern humans came from are soon going to come true when Samantha finds a fossilized skeleton of something she had never seen before- an extraterrestrial and a mysterious isosceles triangular object that has Egyptian like hieroglyphs all over it.

This object is made entirely of an element not found on Earth and on the bottom within the triangle is made of 100% beryllium, which is found in the African country of Mali where they are. This object sends them on a wild chase to the ancient ruins of Tiahuanaco in Bolivia South America where they find the truth, action, violence and love. They find the truth through finding a compound in the ground made by the aliens. In this compound they found incredible technology that could change the world as we see it now, mummified aliens and the answers to long unanswered questions such as how prehistoric people were able to build the great pyramids of Egypt out of stones that weigh several tons. Even with the technology we have today we can't move them in one piece. This story's ending leaves you satisfied but wanting more.

This is the only book that Walt Becker has written and I very much hope that he write more books. This book is unlike the rest of those books who are about scientists because the scientists in Link actually believe that there is a God. And by going over the book again I found a quote that is in the very beginning but you won't get how it relates to the book until the end:

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-

and also afterward-

when the sons of God went to the daughters of men

and had children by them.

They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

-Genesis 6:4

I would highly recommend this book to anyone but especially to those who are sci-fi lovers and the ones who like to think of the origins of humans in a new way.

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Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Movie, Please... :-)
Let's see... what do I have to add? I actually read this about four years ago and its effect on my outlook on life is still apparent. Read more
Published on Dec 15 2003 by J. Wemer
3.0 out of 5 stars shallow fun
This book has obviously been well researched and perhaps if some of the same enthusiasm had been spent on character development,it could have been a truly great read. Read more
Published on Nov 20 2003 by orange
4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining romp that would make Speilberg smile.
"Link" is the type of book that you can sit down to for an hour of two and really dive into. Read more
Published on Sep 23 2003 by coachtim
3.0 out of 5 stars "COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER"
The novel starts with a lot of promise.....and somewhere ....it falters..... but i will definetly read Walt Beckers other books too. Read more
Published on April 30 2003 by sanjeev sood
1.0 out of 5 stars Truly awful
Wooden characters, action and violence seems to be thrown in just to meet a formula rather than for any good reason, and the most predictable romance imaginable. Read more
Published on Mar 6 2003
4.0 out of 5 stars Should Not be Missed!
This book takes the book "Chariots of the Gods?" to a new level and uses a fictionalized plot to explain most of the mysteries of that book. Read more
Published on Mar 28 2002 by Michael A. Newman
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Enjoyable Story
I'm really surprised that it doesnt have 'New York Times Bestseller' printed on it. Good length, fun story. Read more
Published on Mar 15 2002 by "enfranchise"
5.0 out of 5 stars What an imagination
I thought this was first rate, very well written and considering the scope of the imagination that went into it well worth the read. Read more
Published on Aug 22 2001 by Movie fan
1.0 out of 5 stars Bad writing, bad science
I looked forward to reading this book, thinking I would be along for a well written scientific adventure sweetened with interesting theories. I was sorely disappointed. Mr. Read more
Published on July 19 2001 by "rukmini"
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED THIS ONE! GREAT ENTERTAINMENT!
LINK was a great, quick read. The characters of Jack and Samantha were both well-developed and interesting and their relationship was involving, and not as cliche as other... Read more
Published on May 13 2001 by Shane Brooks
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