Provocative, absorbing thriller

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	• State of Fear Michael Crichton HarperCollins, 2004 - 624 pages average customer review:based on 1269 reviews view larger image
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My first Crichton book

This was my first Michael Crichton book and I couldn't put it down till it was finished.

Provocative, absorbing thriller

Crichton delivers a thriller based on science once again. The famous author of scientific thrillers from The Andromeda Strain to Jurassic Park has done it again with this novel that evolves around a scheme by eco-extremists to cause disasters that can be used to get more money for their environmental causes.

There are 2 main sets of characters - one group trying to prevent the tragedies and another group working to cause the tragedies. The action is fast-moving and switches all around the world from Iceland to Antarctica. I found the book well-paced and hard to put down, with the usual periodic disbelief in common people being able to do almost unbelievable things.

What is unique about this book (and the cause of the occasional crank reviewer) is that Crichton clearly uses the book to present the arguments on anthropogenic global warming and showing how much contrary evidence there is as opposed to the little supportive evidence. Junk Science is becoming more and more dangerous and global warming is being mis-used to advance all kinds of spurious causes - mostly involving spending taxpayer money on pet organizations and schemes. As a former aquatic ecologist, I can vouch for Crichton's science and his sources (included in the book as an occasional footnote and in an extensive bibliography in the back).

I can only say that Crichton is incredibly intelligent and has spent lots of time investigating this issue. His synthesis and overview of this complicated, often contradictory, material is breathtaking. Four stars and as highly recommended for its science as its fiction.

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An Inconvenient Novel

The unusual twist of this novel, reminiscent of Arthur Hailey's "Overload" from over 20 years ago, is that the usual "good guys", the environmental crusaders and protectors, have mutated into the villains who try to orchestrate cataclysmic events they can use to build political appeal for an otherwise dubious cause. Crichton's book may see a revival as many people grow tired of being harangued for their large carbon footprints by people living in mansions and flying charter jets. Interestingly, one of his protagonists, with stellar scientific qualifications and who rejects the global warming religion, nonetheless chooses to live in a small apartment and own no car.

As we have come to expect from Mr. Crichton, he gives us stunning characters, unusual settings, and a lot of adventure and suspense. While he writes fiction, it is obvious that he first carefully researched his venues and topics. Whether the political message embedded in the plot pleases the reader or not, the story is fun and exciting, with many surprises. My only criticism is more generic than this one book: like many others popular books, its characters are either arch-evil or amazingly heroic, just like in the movies. That's entertainment, but not reality. Obviously, a large segment of the reading public likes escape, and at least Crichton provides a provocative message for our vacationing minds!

Perhaps the best books come from authors who pursue topics of great personal interest. We can be thankful that Mr. Crichton takes an interest in topics that are timely, fascinating, and technically challenging, and should not mind if he allows his opinions and beliefs show through. No dinosaurs or rogue viruses are needed in this book. The monsters are mere humans who have allowed their political agendas to swallow their consciences and integrity. In this regard, the author gives us a large dose of realism!

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Below Crichton Standars

This book has raised the most controversy of all his work. In my opinion he misleads the reader on Global Warming, he defenitely mislead me, only after further study I came up with different facts on the subject. I love his writing and the story is ok, you have to understand that some of his books start by confusing the reader on what is real and actual and what is fiction, is his style. But I do recommend reading further information about global warming before making any judment about the subject.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The undisputed master of the techno-thriller has written his most riveting -- and entertaining -- book yet.

Once again Michael Crichton gives us his trademark combination of page-turning suspense, cutting-edge technology, and extraordinary research. State of Fear is a superb blend of edge-of-your-seat suspense and thought provoking commentary on how information is manipulated in the modern world. From the streets of Paris, to the glaciers of Antarctica to the exotic and dangerous Solomon Islands, State of Fear takes the reader on a rollercoaster thrill ride, all the while keeping the brain in high gear.

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