A NOVEL IDEA
''The Fear Index'' By Robert Harris Book Review by Chris Stuckenschneider
A
uthor Robert Harris prefaces his fastpaced financial thriller with a quote from Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” Shelley’s cautionary words warn that man’s knowledge not outpace and overwhelm his “nature.” But that’s exactly what happens in “The Fear Index,” a fast-paced novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat and provides food for thought regarding technology that “takes on a life of its own.” The New York Times SyndicationOne Salescannot Corporation help but sympathize with 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 Dr. Alexander Hoffmann, a brilliant physiFor Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Thursday, April 05, 2012 For Release Friday, March 2012 and bordering on genius. cist, 30, quirky
Someone is trying to drive him to the brink of insanity as he endeavors to run Hoffmann Investment Technologies, a highly successful hedge fund he founded, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Hoffmann lives there in a mansion with his English artist wife, and both benefit from the billions he makes, but question the wisdom of doing so. Amassing a fortune wasn’t always important to Hoffmann, but it’s the lifeblood of business partner and friend Hugo Quarry. The key to Hoffmann’s success is computer-generated artificial intelligence he creates that is highly accurate in predicting the buying and selling of Edited by Will Shortz No. 0301 0224 stock for an array of high-class investors. Across 28 tidbit 61 de ___ Across 36 Salad Devicebar with a 56 Festa Company whose 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 João 30 Pile of glacial hard disk Nasdaq symbol 1 Add-on to the Cuisine featuring Though Hoffmann is driven and is the company’s nam or prikend of a 37 debris start 62 Native parka 14 15 16 It has a 13 14 15 16 name bright, he is haunted by a nervous repeated, stem (as in 31 When wearer 5 word Identifies denomination of 57 Keep alive, as a words before $1,000 17-, 25-, 35-, 4917 18 19 9 Counterpart 63 Sharp-crested 17 18 breakdown he suffered in the past, a fire “burning bright” 57-Across) ridge 38 to Homeric 13 and Mezzo-soprano start a William 20 21 22 23 past that haunts him when a rare, first 19 20 character who Marilyn 6 Forward 64 Directional Blake poem Down commits 15 Players 1968 Best Actor 32 Bark ending 11 who edition book by Charles Darwin is deliv24 25 26 27 21 22 23 matricide 1 Peter Showed a bit nominee for of spend most 65 who 34 Nap finish? ered to his home. Though Hoffmann “The time Fixer”on the 41 Weapons used more their 28 29 30 directed “The 24 25 35 Good place for a to finish off the friendliness 17 bench, A blimpbriefly may Dresser” knows he did not order the book, an picnic? Greek army at hover over one 2 Poet who gave 31 32 33 34 26 27 28 29 14 ___ Club, 38 German 66 Like an unlucky Thermopylae email later shows that he authorized a 18 Induce us “carpe diem” interjections 1930s-’60s New encierro squirming in, 46 What a robot 35 36 37 30 31 32 33 34 35 3 Singer at 41 Honor His York hot spot significant transfer of funds to purchase participant perhaps might resemble Barack’s Honor, say 15 Ellington 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 19 Peer Coat of that’s easy 47 To the left 36 37 the volume. inauguration 42 Pushes for to take off Down 16 Fish of the 48 Psychedelic 4 Poor 46 47 48 The evening the book arrives, an 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 21 genus FrenchMoringua loanword 46 Fly-catching 1 Urban 1968 song birds 5 playground Hymn sung to that literally featuring a 17 Unnecessary intruder breaks into Hoffmann’s home, 49 50 51 52 Apollo 46 47 means “rung on 48 Out surface lengthy drum words cluttering 49 Like a ladder” 6 Kansas Trees inmil. Gray’s knocking him unconscious, but robbery post solo a tenacious 2 wise sayings? 53 54 55 48 49 50 sibling? built in 1853 country 22 Colors 51 What a whatnot is not a motive. An MRI shows suspect 19 ___ (Italian 52 Nutritional fig. churchyard 3 Support 24 Rai Perfect 56 57 58 59 60 has 51 52 TV channel) 53 Additions and 4 7 Sportscaster Kaplan who coareas in Hoffmann’s brain, possibly 25 It was MSNBC’s 52 Like molasses deletions, say 20 Google results Cross highest-rated hostedand six 61 62 63 53 54 early dementia. This symptom coupled others 54 53 Soak Danger for a program when 21 Dropper? seasons of “High climber canceled in 2003 55 Old Dodge 64 65 66 5 Classic Jaguar Stakes Poker” 55 56 57 with the previous breakdown, plants 22 See 36-Down 26 Antique shop 56 54 Sharp-edged President’s 6 successor 8 Arafat Acknowledge a 24 ___ Shuffle seeds of fear in Hoffmann’s mind about purchase tool daughter on Puzzle Atwood commander’s 7 Israel’s thirdPuzzle by by Steven Patrick E. Berry “The West Wing” 29 (boxing Wizard’smove) 57 “We’ve taken the entrance, largest citymaybe his mental health as the crazy cards 25 Threat 32 of a bottom 40 48 e.g. ship may garmentin but cantowe 44 L’Eiger, Begin with 30 Top Obstruct 34 A Sober 55 city, Alternative 9 That: Pizza Sp. sauce 8 “Armageddon”? defend it?”? appear on it stack up against him. 30 Paper assets “your” 50 -like enthusiasm 33 Former 35 Nonwoody plant 10 Insurance Not going with 9 giant 31 Trunk item intelligence agcy. 43 More likely to 51 45 Runaways Got a lot of Hoffmann attempts to discover who parts thethe flow? 32 Too on N.Y.S.E. ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE make you sick, laughs out of 36 Three-term title 55 Spanish 11 Further Round-bottomed accommodating 10 in 39 say Senate sheets is behind the evil stalking him, and for 47 alternative? 1980s Tyne Daly P A O V O L O T H container S H T V R O O ET A J TE V R S K 11 City for 22-Across: one’s own named after 40 Make possible Abbr. role finds himself embroiled in a scheme 44 Postscript A GI N A D S S G O O R E 12 the Letter on KalH U I A UI A T H X A E N 58 Brazilian good French for 37 Like some lips R E N El’s costume 42 Like Disobey theglass 49 greeting Small quantity “strait” O G L TE C R O N P TI R T O A L K II LL E O 45 some that could ruin his hedge fund and spell 33 OnceE S S L ES U A T N G D rule? 14 Princess One hanging or wood P H Y S AI C E C L UI P C 12 in a way Leia,at 38 Quiet, 59 home 50 Take Surrealism autonomous disaster for countless others. a temple G R E H A O S W E M O E Y e.g. N O O N R KE C K forerunner stay all the 47 Bay of 60 Not 39 Cheeseburger 43 Europe’s Baltimore’s ___ people of A P T E S T I S A K 16 It’s all in your Thinking caps are required for this 13 Not Rubens’s C O K E R E H A B S up ___ cheese 51 way Buddy Park southern Russia head A W S W E R type O E E S N E O N S R TE L NI EI X F thriller, but even if some details are For 20 Agitate Christmas H A E N T 18 For answers, answers, call call 1-900-285-5656, 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 $1.49 a a minute; minute; or, or, with with a a credit credit M E GI R A R B EI P T L A K C E E E M P S T O card, 1-800-814-5554. green? too difficult to absorb, the action and card, 1-800-814-5554. 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14 april 5, 2012 MATURE ARKANSAS
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Reprinted with permission, Missourian Publishing Company. Copyright 2012.