Why is truth so hard to find...

Currently Playing: Thrice - Stare at the Sun

I just finished reading Michael Crichton's new book, State of Fear, and I'd have to say, it was quite a page-turner with an interesting premise. I have read (and enjoyed) a lot of Crichton's other books, like Jurassic Park, The Lost World, Prey, Timeline, etc...And they all are sci-fi thrillers that involve some technology on the rise that inevitably goes wrong (genetic manipulation, nanotechnology, and umm...time-travel). And with all his books, Crichton extensively researches the subjects of his writings, in the end blending scientific fact with his storytelling ability. State of Fear, however, takes a different stance. He instead tackles a growing contemporary issue that is gravely misunderstood and misconceived: the theory of global warming. I emphasize theory because that is all it is. There is no actual proof that there is an average increase in the global temperature, or that it is caused by the release of carbon dioxide and other gases, and Crichton takes great pains to establish this, even in most cases providing contrary evidence.

The book itself follows the story of a rich philanthropist's lawyer and assistant who struggle to decipher an intricate eco-terrorist plan after their boss suddenly dies, only moments after announcing that he was withdrawing support from a well known environmentalist group. I won't go too much into the plot, but the action was fast-paced and frequent. Yes, I know that for those of you who do not believe in reading, there can't be much action in a book, but you're all stupid.

The one gripe I have about the book is the lack character development. There is almost no information divulged about the character's backgrounds, which of course means that you never really understand why they are doing what they are doing.

Even before reading this book, I never really believed global warming, if true at all, would effect our planet as greatly as many would make it seem. And even if it did, who knows if the change will be detrimental to the earth as a whole? How can the global effects of such a change truly be known if the effects have merely been extrapolated through a computer simulation? Anyway, this book was very informative and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the environment or believes in global warming. It could very well change your perspective on the whole subject.

"We can't "assess" the future, nor can we "predict" it. These are euphemisms. We can only guess. An informed guess is just a guess."