There are two famous people called Robin Cook:
- The novelist born on May 4, 1940 in New York City.
- The British politician born on February 28, 1946.
The Novelist
Robin Cook was born on May 4, 1940, in New York City, the son of Edgar Lee and Audrey Cook. He received his M.D. from Columbia University in 1966. He was a resident in general surgery at Queen's Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii before serving in the U.S. Navy, becoming a Lieutenant Commander. He published his first book in 1972, Year of the Intern, an account of his residency at Honolulu.
From 1971-5 Cook was a resident in ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Boston. He also had a private practice north of Boston. Being interested in fiction, he read many bestsellers to determine what would capture people's attention, finally coming up with a formula for writing successful bestselling novels. In 1977, Cook published his first novel Coma, which became a bestseller and was made into a movie in 1978.
Robin Cook stories dealing with current medical issues to inform the public of potential issues while entertaining them. They are usually set in the New England area. He has come to the conclusion that even if he could write a medical article, more people will become aware of the issue if it is presented in the form of a science fiction book - not to mention being more profitable. It doesn't hurt that he works fast, often writing a novel in six weeks. Though his storylines have become predictable over time, Cook also uses his knowledge of medicine and surgery to give clear and accurate descriptions of what goes on inside hospitals, and many read him just for that.
Robin Cook continues to write medical thrillers. He is currently on leave from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Cook has homes in Boston and Florida, and has been married twice; he has no children. Besides his writing and his practice, Cook has several other interests: he paints, and enjoys diving, surfing, and skiing. Cook vacations in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire.
==Works by Robin Cook==
The Year of the Intern (1972) Coma (1977) Sphinx (1979) Brain (1981) Fever (1982) Godplayer (1983) Outbreak (1987) Mortal Fear (1988) Mindbend (1988) Mutation (1989) Harmful Intent (1990) Vital Signs (1991) Blindsight (1992) Terminal (1993) Fatal Cure (1994) Acceptable Risk (1995) Contagion (1996) Chromosome 6 (1997) Toxin (1998)
The Politician
Robin Finlayson Cook (born February 28, 1946) is a British Labour Party politician, who was Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2001. He resigned from his post as Leader of the House of Commons on March 17, 2003 as a protest over the Iraq crisis.
The son of a schoolteacher, Cook became MP for Edinburgh Central in 1974, and has represented Livingston since 1983. He became known as a brilliant parliamentary debater, and rose through the party ranks, reaching the Shadow Cabinet in 1987. In 1994 he ruled himself out of contention for the Labour leadership, apparently on the grounds that he is insufficiently attractive to be an election winner. He is believed to have craved the job of Chancellor of the Exchequer, but that job was promised by Tony Blair to Gordon Brown, so he became Shadow Foreign Secretary.
With the election of a Labour government at the 1997 general election, Cook became Foreign Secretary. He announced, to much scepticism, his intention to add "an ethical dimension" to foreign policy. Unfortunately for Cook, his own personal morals were soon in the headlines: when his affair with his secretary was revealed by a newspaper, he told his wife Margaret Cook he was leaving her at Heathrow airport on the way to a holiday. She later wrote a book recounting his many affairs and accusing him of having a drinking problem. A highly experienced hospital haematologist, she also became a prominent critic of the government's health policy.
His term as Foreign Secretary was marked by British interventions in Kosovo and Sierra Leone. The latter proved particularly contoversial, with allegations that a British company had supplied arms to supporters of the deposed president in contravention of a United Nations embargo. Cook was also embarrassed when his apparent offer to mediate in the dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir was rebuffed. The "ethical dimension" of his policies was subject to inevitable scrutiny, leading to criticism at times.
After the 2001 general election he was moved from the Foreign Office to be Leader of the House of Commons. This was widely seen as a demotion, but Cook welcomed the chance to spend more time on his favourite stage. As Leader of the House he was responsible for reforming the hours and practices of the House.
In early 2003 he was reported to be one of the cabinet's chief opponents of miltary action against Iraq, and on March 17 he resigned from the cabinet. In a statement giving his reasons for resigning he said, "I can't accept collective responsibility for the decision to commit Britain now to military action in Iraq without international agreement or domestic support." He also praised Blair's "heroic efforts" in pushing for the so-called second resolution regarding the Iraq disarmament crisis. Cook's resignation statement in the House of Commons, received with an unprecedented standing ovation by fellow MPs, was described by the BBC's Andrew Marr as "without doubt one of the most effective, brilliant, resignation speeches in modern British politics" and "by far a better speech than he has made at any time in government".
He is a keen follower of horse racing and has worked as a racing tipster in his spare time.