State of Fear by Michael Crichton Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of State of Fear
Book Review: Crichton should stick to medicine--zero stars
Summary: 1 Stars
Crichton is a medical doctor, not a climate scientist, earth scientist, or chemist. For that matter, he's not a scientist at all, he's an M.D. Crichton is credential mongering by using his medical credentials to push his absurd right wing agenda about climate change. If you want climate information, visit some university web sites to learn what real scientists have to say about climate change. For every Crichton-type book filled with misinformation, there are thousands of peer-reviewed, scientific journal articles that indicate (with data) that global warming is very real. I suppose Crichton will take aim at the Theory of Natural Selection next.Book Review: Crichton vs. Grisham
Summary: 4 Stars
I can't help but think of John Grisham as I read this book: both Grisham's works and Crichton's semi-newest are both at times long and quite longwinded, slow to get to the point of things... and utterly thrilling during both the long and boring parts and the action/thriller sequences. I like how you can pretty much tell the character foils as soon as you get into the book (i.e. Nick Drake to Peter Evans, George Morton to that crazy old "environmental prophet" dude, etc.)- wow, still slipping back into Mrs. Welborn's AP English class, and I've been out of it for about six months now.
Anyways, the plot is pretty much this: NERF (the National Environmental Research Fund) is funded mainly by contributions from companies wanting their share of the action, but alot also by one wealthy individual named George Morton. NERF is run by the evil psychopath Nick Drake (okay, so he's not really a psychopath, but neither is he the most likeable character in the novel; I think Sarah holds that honor... but I digress) who is arguing with Morton over what is known throughout State of Fear as the Vanutu lawauit- in essence, proving or disproving both the existence and the effects of global warming on the environment. As the preparation for the lawsuit progresses, Morton and Drake both end up in big trouble with the wrong people, and after a botched press conference, Morton ends up both withdrawing his $10 million gift to NERF and drinking WAY too much; this (the drinking) apparently causes his car to flip, causing him to fall to the depths (the shark-infested depths) below the mountain... but was his "death" what it seemed? Is anything what it seems?
Crichton's newest thriller was a genuine page-turner, one I literally finished in one (long) car ride to Virginia (today, actually). As I stated before, Crichton and Grisham are not too far apart on this effort. So why four stars instead of five? Quite frankly, all the scientific lectures, graphs (which there are a lot of) really tend to drudge the reader down and make him want to just skip those parts- which isn't good, cause I know those graphs and such are vital to the point Morton, Drake, and the others are trying to make; I just wish there were less of them. But enough bad said. This is by far (graphs aside) Crichton's second-best novel to date (kudos for the best goes to amazingly enough Sphere, which I've heard not many other people like). Thanks for making another masterpiece, Crichton- here's hoping Next is as good as this one.
Andy ~O~
Book Review: DESERVES ZERO STARS!!
Summary: 1 Stars
If this book were a good thriller, one might be able to overlook
the horrible message it sends. Unfortunately, it fails miserably
on ALL levels. Hard to believe this is the same author who
wrote Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain!! He is now
officially a HACK!
Book Review: Disappointed
Summary: 2 Stars
Chriton comes across as preachy, patronizing and condescending in this book. He has a political viewpoint to push, and he pushes it hard, losing his audience in the process. The data he uses to support his viewpoint is mostly outdated. He is basically telling his audience that if they believe global warming to be real, they are uneducated fools and he has the data to prove it.
Let's not forget that Chriton is an MD, not a climatologist. His take on global warming is no more relevant than that of any other educated person who reads journals and compilations of data: It's an opinion. If he were a climatologist, I'd take him more seriously.
I wish I had not bought this book.
Book Review: Dispelling the State of Fear
Summary: 5 Stars
Critics of this book are unhappy about the fact that Crichton deigns to use this story to question the assumptions about global climate change and the "scientific consensus" that so many accept as axiomatic. He tells this story with passion and conviction. Crichton's book is not some mindless rant by a right-wing nut job, but rather a serious polemic about a vital issues that has been shamelessly politicized. I think that it is unfortunate that some reviewers mistake Crichton's convictions as dogmatism, as well as "anti-environment." Nothing could be further from the truth. He comes across in this book as being more than willing to explore the issue of global climate change and its effects on humankind. If I am understanding him correctly, Crichton is wanting this debate to be responsible, scientifically based, civil, and, above all, open to questioning and consideration of all viewpoints even those that differ from the current enviro-zeitgeist. In short, far from being against responsible and proactive environmentalism, Crichton, at least to me, is against irresponsible fear-mongering that has no basis in scientific fact.
Crichton uses a compelling fictional account about a radical environmental group to not simply question the motives, but the basic assumptions surrounding the controversial issue of global warming. The environmentalists in the story who buy into global climate change lock-stock-and-barrel have a visceral, hate-filled reaction to those in the book who do not accept the "theory" of global warming without reservation.
I have seen reviews of this book which state that Karl Rove must have written this book, or at least provided "talking points," as well as charges that industrialists are behind a grand conspiracy to silence proponents of climate change theory and this book is one of the tools.
The moral of the story in the State of Fear is that the mixture of politics and science, especially absent scientific rigour, is a receipe for disaster. Crichton uses the example of eugenics to make this point abundantly clear, in an addendum.
The book reads fast and furious. It is a proverbial page-turner and will have you thinking, questioning, and on the ride of your life. Thoroughly entertaining, thought-provoking, and informative.
Don't let the negative reviews scare you away. Be open-minded to those opinions that differ from your own and you might find yourself with a fresh perspective on one of the most controversial issues of our time.