From the puzzling paralysis and murder of a graduate student in Paris, whose only interest had been wave studies in a tank, to a group''s deadly encounter with cannibals in the South Pacific, an island on which environmental criminals are orchestrating a tsunami, Michael Crichton''s action-filled State of Fear keeps the reader immersed in the tale he has created. The introduction quietly paves the way to the story by explaining that it concerns a lawsuit pertaining to global warming.
The data in State of Fear contraindicates global warming, the much touted environmental cause. Between the action, different characters narrate the facts researched by Crichton, which can also be found at the end of the book. As one of the characters explains, the phrase "State of Fear" refers to the manipulation of facts, especially concerning environmental causes, by media and governments, in order to keep the public concerned over what may happen in the future.
The facts include the advance of glaciers in Iceland and the melting of icecaps in the Himalayas, due to deforestation, not global warming. It is mentioned that the trees at the mountains'' base acted as a buffer to the climate in this region, nourishing glaciated ice with moisture and preventing warm air from reaching the summit. After the trees were removed, melting began to occur. Since 20,000 years have lapsed since the last ice age, the estimated interval by scientists for the time period between ice ages, Crichton states that climate changes may indicate future cooling, rather than global warming.
Scientific data in State of Fear, such as graphs illustrating temperature variations over the last one hundred years for various cities worldwide, also illustrate Crichton''s point. If the data for one city indicates very little temperature change, when viewed as century, shorter time periods within the data, which show a marked increase or decrease in temperature, may become skewed data, if used by the unscrupulous to illustrate a point.
Perhaps this is why Crichton expresses concern about the significance of scientific research. Since all research is funded by one organization or another, it is far too easy to adjust results to what the patron may desire, in order that the researchers continue to receive a paycheck. Crichton compares modern researchers and the research they produce as being similar in nature to paintings created by artists during the Renaissance.
State of Fear is thought provoking, as well as an exciting aciton adventure. The ensemble of characters Crichton has created encourage the reader''s involvement in the tale.