Book Review "The Dragon in the Sea"

This was a great read and I highly recommend it to all of Frank Herbert followers. He writes about the whats makes us tick. The difference between self will and God's will. Is anyone really sane? Well I like how he developed this story. I could not put it down, read from cover to cover. I consider this as one of Frank's pre Dune classics. He did it without, chair dogs, strong willed woman, no space ships, or aliens. He writes about four men on a mission under the sea.

FSD

By	Rick (Central Texas)

If you've read any of Herbert's works (Dune, etc.), you might realize that his endless but intriguing theme is what how people, economies, belief systems, ecosystems, etc. respond to potential extinction. His answer in each of his books with this theme reminds me of that line from Jurassic Park: "Life always finds a way." Having said that, *Under Pressure* is perhaps the smallest level at which he plays this game -- a small submarine whose mission it is to steal oil from an enemy country in a cold war several levels above what the U.S. experienced during the 1950s and 1960s. This might sound like a recycled sub movie plot, but don't be fooled by the premise. *Under Pressure* is more about how men bond...well, under pressure, and become something greater than they could singly. I read it first when I was in junior high, and I read it again earlier this year. It's amazing how quickly the book ends. The only thing that keeps it from earning five stars is what I've always considered Herbert's weakness -- characterization. He takes a whole book (sometimes more than a single book) to flesh characters out fully. Still, I heartily recommend this book because it deals with large themes and is better plotted than some of his more famous works.