Customer Reviews

State of Fear

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3 star:		(179)
2 star:		(175)
1 star:		(315)

 

 

Crichton has written a surprisingly serious and well researched indictment of the favorite sacred cow of the environmental movement -- global warming -- embedded within a typically action charged Crichton novel. The author uses Socratic dialogue and other devices to educate the reader as to what the data are showing in this complex, politically charged issue. The principal characters come well armed with graphs and data selected to back up their points, often lecturing the less informed, though environmentally concerned, characters (and the reader) on the true state of the art of the science. At the same time, the author indicts the environmental NGOs, the media, the research funding agencies, and political leaders for promoting their agenda with slanted, inaccurate portrayals of what the science is saying. He paints a jaundiced view of the motivations and methods of radical environmentalist organizations and their supporters. At a higher level, the book's title derives from a semiconspiratorial view, espoused by an eccentric, not quite credible character, that the climate warming issue is actually part of a complex social dynamic aimed a creating and maintaining a continual sense of anxiety and fear among the population at large. These literary devices call to mind Ayn Rand's influential novels, in which for example Howard Rourke is used to lecture us on the virtues of individualism and integrity.

As a scientist familiar with the climate warming issue, having managed research in the area, I believe Crichton's book makes an important statement to the many who believe that the issue is settled, that human-induced warming is real and that catastrophe will follow. He is absolutely correct in casting significant doubt on the definitiveness of the science and in indicting the politicization of the science surrounding it. He rightfully warns us to be skeptical about what we are told from the variety of mainstream sources we are exposed to. I suspect that it will be difficult for anyone whose mind is not closed on the global warming issue to read this book without gaining a different perspective. However, it would also be wrong for the reader to conclude that the opposite is true -- that the issue is a complete fabrication. The fact is that we understand little about the nature and extent of any effects of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and that much more research is needed, including work on new technology to provide humanity with the ability to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. This research needs to be conducted on a level playing field, in which funders and researchers seek only the best answers we can get.

First of all, this book is fiction, just like the Da Vinci Code. Yes, there are factual nuggets. However, the nuggets are conveyed in a manner that is very much like the propaganda that some of the characters rail against.

Second, having been trained in the Earth Science; a member of local, national, and global environmental groups; and an Environmental Science teacher I LOVED THIS BOOK! Why? Because it makes you think about what you know, why you know it, and where the information comes from. Nobody should take information published second-hand and not think about how data can be misconstrued (including the data published in this book).

Third, State of Fear makes you think about the hypocrisy of American Environmentalism: living in enormous houses in the middle of forest-fire prone landscapes, driving everywhere, wasting water, and then paying money to large environmental groups who overstate scientific findings (just like the energy companies do). Assuaging our guilt isn't going to make the world a better place.

Finally, Crichton encourages us to not be sheep. Think for yourself. Read the primary sources of data with an open-mind. Live the way you wish everyone else lived. Judgement without compassion is worthless.

Michael Crichton has always used the latent but, in his view, underappreciated dangers associated with scientific advancement as a theme in his books (microbiology in The Andromeda Strain, genetic engineering in Jurassic park, and so on).

In State of Fear he reverses field and uses the incorrectly perceived threats of environmental disaster as the underlying impetus for a novel. In Crichton's view, the whole global warming argument is false. His view is that environmentalism has degenerated into a quasi religious system devoid of scientific veracity. Thus, the proponents of the global warming hysteria are pushing faith over fact, many of them have lost their moorings and the inevitable result is a grand conspiracy.

At the heart of this conspiracy is Nick Drake, head of a radical environmentalist group. Outraged that a significant source of funding has been closed by the donors getting Drakes science debunked by a MIT professor, drakes sets out on a murderous course that is designed to both do away with his detractors and enemies while concomitantly creating a profound state of fear about global warming among the public.

As is generally the case with Crichton, an avalanche of scientific data is imparted in Crichton's usual informative yet entertaining manner. Many will debate the validity of Crichton's "science" as regards the issue of global warming. As Crichton so deftly displays in this novel, this issue has become more political than scientific in many ways and there's no reason this novel won't be analyzed in that light.

The story has all the traditional strengths and weaknesses of a Crichton novel. Crichton is an accomplished technician and that comes through in this novel. It can justifiably be called a page turner. However, the methodology of using characters to do the education creates a scenario wherein the characters become somewhat robotic and predictable, not truly fully fleshed out human beings.

However, that's quibbling. This is a very fine novel. I suspect one's enjoyment will be colored to a great degree with how strongly one leans to or away from Crichton's premise. That aside, this ranks as one of his better works.

As a scientist, this was a joy to read!

I am a specialist in mosquito-borne diseases. I worked for the CDC in the US for 22 years. Now I work for the Pasteur Institute in France.

For more than 12 years I have been battling the mis-information on my speciality that is doled out by global warming alarmists. I believe I am winning: predictions of the "spread" of malaria, dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases were once top of the list of dangers predicted by these ignorant, uninformed people.

Sadly, the alarmists have now switched to sea-level rise and other dangers, despite the protests of professional scientists. Crighton's book reveals the disgraceful way that this mis-information is peddled. Let me summarize in my own words:

More than a million articles are published in peer-reviewed scientific journals every year. The lay-public is unaware of this colossal output; popular information on research findings is limited to "newsworthy" articles, selected, described and interpreted by the media.

Professional scientists rarely draw firm conclusions from a single article, but consider its contribution in the context of other publications and their own experience, knowledge, and speculations. The complexity of this process, and the uncertainties involved, are a major obstacle to meaningful understanding of scientific issues by non-scientists.

In the age of information, popular knowledge of scientific issues-particularly on issues of health and the environment-is awash in a tide of misinformation, much of it presented in the 'big talk' of professional scientists. Alarmist activists operating in well-funded advocacy groups have a lead role in creating and promoting this misinformation. In many cases, they blatantly manipulate public perceptions with emotive and fiercely judgmental 'scientific' pronouncements, adding a tone of danger and urgency to attract media coverage. Their skill in promoting notions of scientific 'fact' sidesteps the complexities of the issues involved, and is a potent influence in education, public opinion and the political process. These notions are often re-enforced by attention to peer-reviewed scientific articles that appear to support their pronouncements, regardless of whether these articles are widely endorsed by the relevant scientific community. Scientists who challenge these alarmists are rarely given priority by the media, and are often presented as 'skeptics'.

The democratic process requires elected representatives to respond to the concerns and fears generated in this process. Denial is rarely an effective strategy, even in the face of preposterous claims. The pragmatic option is to express concern, create new regulations, and increase funding for research. Lawmakers may also endorse the advocacy groups, giving positive feedback to their cause. Whatever the response, political activists-not scientists-are often the most influential cohort in science-based political issues, including the public funding of scientific research.

In reality, a genuine concern for mankind and the environment demands the inquiry, accuracy and skepticism that are intrinsic to authentic science. A public that is unaware of this is vulnerable to abuse.

In a totally unexpected manner, Crichton has succeeded where we scientists have failed: he has communicated with the lay-public.

He deserves a medal for his service to humanity.

First let me say that this is yet another exciting novel from Crichton. He has composed another thriller that begs you to continue to the next page until you reach the end. Ok, now to the important stuff.
While reading some reviews of this book on Amazon I came across some readers who complained that Crichton should not be expressing his views on the topic of global warming because he is not a scientist. I recently completed a research paper on global warming and found that most books on the subject are not by scientists or anyone who would have an especially extensive knowledge of the subject. This novel also has a larger bibliography than most books arguing for global warming (I actually read a few books that lacked bibliographies altogether.)
I feel that some reviewers of this book have missed the big point. The issue of global warming is used to bring to light a more important issue. The involvment of politics in science is enormous and has a detrimental affect to the sientific process. Some people have said that his comparison of global warming to eugenics is inappropriate but in the context that he is using it, it is a perfect analogy. Crichton also shows peoples close mindedness to new ideas. Many of his charcters refuse to question their beliefs even when convincing data is presented to them. The scientific theory has become dogma. The science has become religion, fixed and unchanging.
Crichtons novel is very insightful. If you are looking for a novel of pure entertainment this book might not be what you're looking for. If you are in the mood for a book that may be a bit harsh towards some of your beliefs but makes you think, this is a good choice.

Michael Crichton's latest novel depicts a cadre of environmentalists preparing a legal case to sue the US on behalf of a Pacific island which will be swamped when "global warming" causes the sea levels to rise. They've put together a think tank of lawyers and climatologists to prepare the case for court. But the more they study the data, and present the data to simulated juries, the more they realize their case is very, very weak. Their only hope to continue to obtain funding is to cause spectacular global climate disasters during well-publicized environmental conferences and hope people demand "something be done about it." The hero of the book discovers their plots and tries to prevent or thwart them to save innocent life.

Although global warming is the main example, the real topic is the "state of fear" we are in due to the media's easy acceptance of pseudo-science. Think of recent examples: Alar on apples, brain cancer from cell phones or power lines, silicon breast implants, coffee, eggs, and of course, global cooling and warming. This is not to say these problems are not worth investigating, rather Crichton's point is these things become scary by media infusion before the evidence has been fully assimilated. And the universities and laboratories doing the research have financial and political biases to arrive at predetermined conclusions. He makes a strong case for double-blind testing, as is done for pharmaceutical research, to be the only way to remove prejudice from testing.

I don't believe this book will ever be made into a movie. It attacks and ridicules Hollywood (stars and others) as "limosine liberals" who fly around the world in gas-guzzling jets and justify their luxurious mansions while pining for a return to nature a la natives in thatched huts.

I thought the action story was good, the data was presented effectively and the bibliography of references was impressive. I have the feeling Michael Crichton felt he had to overstate his case to combat the onslaught of media bias that presents these crises in only one way ... doom and gloom, putting us all in a "state of fear".

This book reminded me very much of Moby Dick with its heavy emphasis on both an adventure story and sharing detailed information. Those who prefer one aspect or the other will probably find themselves flipping quickly through the pages that emphasize the other aspect.

Popular opinions are almost always wrong. That's the theme of this book. The point is made in the context of describing how global warming, as perceived by the public and media, is different from what scientists are describing. Dr. Crichton argues through his story that we can waste a lot of time and resources on popular delusions, and we need to get our facts right. His appendix I on the dangers of politicized science is something everyone should read. The eugenics example is a chilling one.

The adventure story itself is a Frederick Forsyth/Clive Cussler-type thriller written from the perspective of a young lawyer who tags along with a James Bond-like character who single-handedly saves the day along with his trusty, almost silent, sidekick. They are about as good a source for scintillating conversation as the Lone Ranger and Tonto. Instead of greedy multinationals or rich megalomaniacs being at fault, this story looks at how lawyers and rabid environmentalists can get carried away.

In typical Michael Crichton fashion, the story develops around little-known scientific facts about how humans can influence the environment. So if you wanted to know more about how giant ice bergs, tsunamis and flash floods can be created, this is your book. At the same time, there are nice subplots around how to track terrorists via the Internet and an obscure way to assassinate people.

I found myself drawn to both the adventure story and the global warming information. It's a nice combination for the reader who likes a little substance along with their thrillers. Even I, though, thought the global warming was overdone. The characters needed a lot of work to become interesting, rather than just being devices to drive the plot along. I graded the book down accordingly.

I kept thinking as I read this book that I would like to read a book like this by Dr. Crichton that looks at people manufacturing domestic terrorism for political gain. Perhaps that will be his next subject.

Most of the reviews so far have separated the book into two parts: an action-romance-adventure thriller, and an exposition on a political subject. I will keep with the pattern.

The fiction part of the book is a little improbable, to say the least. Crighton has some pretty unlikely characters - a civil litigator, an executive assistant, an actor - chasing around the globe in roles better suited for highly trained commandos.

Yet Crighton may be excused for this because clearly the novel was written with an eye on the movie to follow. And rather than allow a screenwriter to heavily edit the story, Crighton provides up front the necessary elements for a Hollywood box-office hit. And so all the women are beautiful, and the prospect for sex is ever-present, the action scenes are exciting, the special effects guys are given clear guidelines to do their wizardry; and the chapters are short, each representing a nice bite-sized scene. Like Jurassic Park, it should be a thriller.

Unlike Jurassic Park, the underlying premise - the political story - is not so improbable. Indeed, it is Crighton's purpose to expose the popular and currently prevailing view on global warming as the improbable scenario. By citing a wealth of scientific data, available to any and all from peer-reviewed prestigious sources, Crighton shows us just some of the many flaws in the global warming theory, especially as it is popularly understood.

Crighton attributes this to a global conspiracy. I would disagree on this, his ultimate thesis. The more likely and mundane reason the science has strayed so far from what the facts truly are can be found in the nature of science research funding. That is, no researcher ever gets a grant proposal funded by saying, "we hypothesize there is no significant problem (and are ready to study the non-problem over the next 2 years for a cost of several million dollars)."

Nevertheless, I would predict this book could do to the global warming activists' movement what Reagan did to the Soviet Empire: make its continued existence untenable. Whether they are for or against Crighton's political views, the book is a must-read for those who want to participate as the debate goes forward.

It's interesting to read other reviews which excoriate Chrichton for this, his newest novel. Most of the comments betray the Left-liberal bias of the writers and their refusal to even countenance that their preconceptions might be false. Predictably, they cling to their tree-hugging ideals and rather than argue against Mr Chrichton's position they seek to rubbish him by casting aspersions on his politics or even his sanity and intellectual abilities. Would that most of these critics had the intellect and intelligence to read those peer-reviewed papers that Chrichton cites freely. But then the 'flat-earthers' and opponents of 'evolution' found it hard to accept that those things they thought correct all their lives were, in fact, wrong. It takes a big man to admit that he's wrong.

Mr Chrichton has constructed a decent, well-researched (and more importantly properly cited) novel based on the premise that 'global warming' is at worst a myth and at best not as worrying as those with a vested interest in the concept would have us believe. The premise of the novel is that governments and their stooges like to keep the populations of their countries in a 'State of Fear' and thus easy to control and manipulate. In the case of the novel it's a rather scary bunch of deluded 'global warming' enthusiasts that set about to create a range of 'natural disasters' that will support their theories.

This long (600 page) book will challenge many of the reader's preconceptions, and for many younger people who've been brought up to believe that global warming is an established fact rather than a hypothesis, it might make the rail and scream - and then throw personal insults at the author. Better that they should look on-line or through their local library for the research papers that Chrichton cites.

Whether Mr Chrichton is right or wrong, it's only correct that any belief system or political orthodoxy should be challenged, be it global warming, diversity or multi-culturalism. Proponents of these ideas have to do more than assert that their ideas are correct, they need to prove them, and they need to do it without rubbishing the integrity of their opponents. But then as Mr Chrichton writes, many environmentalists are long on attitude and short on facts. All they have left is the ability to rubbish anyone who doesn't swallow their argument. This tactic was very well demonstrated by the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century.

In all, this was a thought-provoking and interesting read.

This thriller is both entertaining and informative. It's well-researched and heavily footnoted, but it's also well-written and fast-paced. In State of Fear, we enter a fictional conspiracy that takes our heroes and heroines from one exotic location to another in a race to beat the bad guys. The characters defy death in such places as Paris, Los Angeles, Iceland, Antarctica, the Arizona desert, and the Solomon Islands. Some don't quite make it....

The characters are intriguing and the action is often intense. Twists, turns, and surprises keep the story moving at a fast and gripping pace. You keep wondering what will happen next. This was Chrichton's last book, and he was at the peak of his craft when he wrote it. It's his best novel ever.

At just under 600 pages (hardback version), State of Fear may initially be intimidating to some people. But once you start reading it, you don't really notice the length. You'll finish it, the same way you finish any good book. As a thriller, it's outstanding. So, read it if you like that kind of book. Especially if you like a page-turner.

Unlike many books on the American book market today, this one is in Standard Written English. I think this is important, because books written in substandard English show the author doesn't respect the reader enough to communicate clearly. And such books are a pain to read. They are now the norm, which is disgraceful.

In this book, we don't have that issue. Chrichton spares the reader the kind of torture inflicted on readers by such English-challenged authors as John Grisham. Chrichton doesn't force us to do mental gymnastics or jump over language potholes. Just read and enjoy!

This book has a story within the story, and it's told by facts just speaking for themselves. Some characters in the book agree with these facts, some don't. But the facts are verifiable and mostly from first-order sources. The bibliography stretches for 19 pages. Two additional pages list the sources used for graphs. The facts aren't just inserted via talking heads, as is done by lesser authors. They are part of the story and help move it along.

This book came to market during a time of hysteria in 2004, and as I am writing this review (in 2009), that hysteria has not yet abated. There's too much money being made by duping the gullible and intellectually lazy. If you can get government backing in perpetrating fraud, so much the better.

You can control people when you keep them scared. That is what permitted the senseless Cold War, which lasted half a century. That debacle cost trillions of dollars and thousands of lives. President Eisenhower, in his farewell address, equated specific military expenses to things like building 30,000 homes (or whatever number). The waste and fraud were permitted because people were controlled by fear into letting it happen.

Similarly, we are today immersed in a large scale fraud based on fear. It's killing and impoverishing millions of people. I'm not talking here about the Iraq War, but about the "global warming" fraud perpetrated by people like Al "I like to massively generate carbon" Gore. The "lead me to slaughter" folks who accept Gore's ocean level predictions conveniently ignore the fact that there's not enough water on the planet for that to happen. Not even close. Do the math.

*Al Gore wrote a wildly fictional work and called it non-fiction. He duped a huge number of people, spewing nonsense and blatant falsehoods while claiming they were true. Doing this made him a millionaire several times over.

*Michael Crichton wrote a factual work cloaked in fiction. He was already a highly successful author of both fiction and non-fiction works. Unlike Gore, he did not feel a need to engage in predatory behavior to support his lifestyle.

Unfortunately, Gore's fraud is drawing attention way from real problems that we can actually do something about. Some of those are environmental (e.g., reduce waste), but there are other issues his terror-mongering has managed to deep six in the public mind. Chricton never mentions Gore, and this book isn't an attack on that particular charlatan.

The storyline is based on the fear-mongering, manipulation, lying, and other tactics predatory people use to obtain and maintain power. The book uses the "global warming" fraud, for which Gore made himself a poster child, as the medium of the story (thus, my mention of Gore). State of Fear kicks it up a notch by having villains engineer some "natural" disasters while our heroes and heroines try to stop them.

I may get flamed by the passionately disinformed for suggesting the cult of "global warming" conflicts with reality, but it does. Blind devotion to false dogma does not make the dogma correct. The facts are what they are. Here's a fact I'll leave you with: this is one heck of a good book.