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Zero Day  By  cover art

Zero Day

By: Mark Russinovich
Narrated by: Johnny Heller
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Publisher's summary

A technothriller for the malware and Stuxnet era

An airliner’s controls abruptly fail mid-flight over the Atlantic. An oil tanker runs aground in Japan when its navigational system suddenly stops dead. Hospitals everywhere have to abandon their computer databases when patients die after being administered incorrect dosages of their medicine. In the Midwest, a nuclear power plant nearly becomes the next Chernobyl when its cooling systems malfunction.

At first, these random computer failures seem like unrelated events. But Jeff Aiken, a former government analyst who quit in disgust after witnessing the gross errors that led up to 9/11, thinks otherwise. Jeff fears a more serious cyber terrorism attack targeting the United States computer infrastructure is already under way. And as other menacing computer malfunctions pop up around the world, some with deadly results, he realizes that there isn’t much time if he hopes to prevent an international catastrophe.

Written by a global authority on cyber security, Zero Day presents a chilling “what if” scenario that, in a world completely reliant on technology, is more than possible today - it’s a cataclysmic disaster just waiting to happen.

©2011 Mark Russinovich (P)2012 Macmillan Audio

What listeners say about Zero Day

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Uninspired...

Zero Day has an interesting premise, but falls waaaaaay short in execution.

The only one you get to know a little in this book is the main male character...the others are just plain and uninteresting. The story fails to interest much after the stupid 'TV' start to the book. If you are brave enough to try this one out, you'll know what I mean. The ending...well...anticlimax doesn't cover it.

This book could have been sooooo much more...some interesting found, but not enough to recommend it to anyone except hard core tech nerds...

Some notes on the audio book version...when there is code bits in the book...they get spelled out. Kinda tiring considering the first one lasted around 5 minutes.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I was a skeptic but now I'm not! Really good book!

This is a really good book by Mark Russinovich. There are many reviews plus the publisher's summary so I will not expound on what has already been written.
This book has a really good plot and some scenes that actually brought about a reaction. In the very beginning of the book there is an airplane scene. The plane's autopilot malfunctioned and the plane stalls after climbing to a height way above where it should have been. The author describes the nose dive the plane takes and the inhuman noises coming from the passengers who believe they are about to die. This is GREAT writing!
Other parts of the book describe the hero Jeff Aiken. He is an expert at computer security. At one point he's working on a computer system with a virus and there is an awful lot of code that is read. I don't understand code and zeros and what should be there and what is there and so on... so, I fast forwarded through that.
I will purchase the other books in this series. Lots of action and even more interaction while working to find out who, how and why.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. Johnny Heller does an excellent job narrating.
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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Techno-thriller that gets the tech right

What did you love best about Zero Day?

It's not all that common that authors who use technology in their stories get the tech right. Mark does that very well. Since I have a background in tech, getting it wrong would have really taken away from the story. Instead, this was great for a long road trip so I could keep listening.

What did you like best about this story?

The use of technology was well placed and well used. This is important for someone who works with technology, otherwise the story would have had major distractions in it

Any additional comments?

It feels like this book ends abruptly, but I believe that it continues in Trojan Horse which wasn't available on Audible at the time of this writing.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good concept, bad narration

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Narration... Narration... Narration...
I couldn't believe my ears when the narrator kept pronouncing malware as mailware... are you serious? I also hear ICQ pronounced IQC.... just horrible narration. I didn't want to take a star away from overall but the narration really take away from the overall experience.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Boilerplate Storyline; Preachy; Dry; Predictable

Would you try another book from Mark Russinovich and/or Johnny Heller?

Not sure. This story was dry and preachy. It tried too hard to force the points. Cook and Crichton wrap their messages in suspense and storyline... this book just kept citing examples of doom and went nowhere to hold my attention or interest.

Has Zero Day turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, but I'll hesitate before buying a book from this writer.

What didn’t you like about Johnny Heller’s performance?

Dry. No story development.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

None.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Are you a techie?

If you aren't, don't waste a credit. If you are, you will probably enjoy how our new "toys" are being put to use in today's fight against terrorism. Technology is fascinating but can get a bit boring. The author spends way too much time explaining acronyms, it got old. Johnny Heller did a great job narrating.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

This is not a Daniel Suarez experience

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A better narrator who changed voices better and expressed emotion. This reader was not good.

Would you ever listen to anything by Mark Russinovich again?

Yes, maybe.

What about Johnny Heller’s performance did you like?

His voice was odd No expression, No sense of which character is speaking. Just an overall poor narrator. But hey, I'm used to Jeff Gurner who is the best of the best.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

boredom and disappointment.

Any additional comments?

The story could have been more enjoyable had it been presented by a better reader. But still, the story line was lackluster and the ending was like a fizzling candle that had a barely glowing flame that smoldered into smoke and died.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not for me

Plot sounded great... but execution didn't work for me. Way too much un-needed sex and innuendos, jerky, preachy and I was unable to suspend my disbelief. Think computer pro's racing through New York, Russia and France while people all around them are being murdered. This is not an EOTWAWKI book, rather a near repeat of 9/11 type attack using cyber terrorism. The computer as a risk for doomsday is clearly shown and I would love a more realistic book using that scenario.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

I should have expected this from the description

Any additional comments?

Are you afraid of the internet? Are you afraid of Muslims? Do you think they're all wealthy, lust driven, oversexed patriarchs? Are you afraid they want to kill all Americans for amorphous reasons like that they just hate America (for no discernible reason other than that Americans have an apparently benign but substantial international influence)? If so, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! If you can stomach that nonsense, you might enjoy this reasonably paced thriller. The narrator does an excellent job, so that's something.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

gripping tale

I loved this book and how close to real life it could be. I hope there will be more!

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3 people found this helpful