the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself

So far from what I’ve read, I feel that Crichton has good intentions when he is writing, but I’m not a fan of his writing style. I think that to try and relay information about such a huge topic is too hard to do in a story-type book. The “education” readings are very lengthy, and hard to get through. If someone were to start reading this book thinking it was a fictional story, which it is, they would probably become turned away by the science overload unless they were really interested by the topic. Just as the cover says it is “edge of your seat story-telling,” but the edge of a seat can get uncomfortable if a lot of time is spent there. Now I am also not familiar with Crichton, this is my first time reading his work, so this could very well be the writing style that has gotten his name so known, but from what I’ve read, I’m not completely attached. This could very well change as I progress into the book.

From reading some reviews of State of Fear, it is apparent that not all of Crichton’s sources are legitimate. Some of the scientific claims he makes about global warming are false, and can be proven false. Not to say I don’t give him a lot of credit for the research he has done on the subject, but this topic is hugely being discussed all over, and it is assumed that people educated on this subject will read his book. Many people will probably critique it, so I feel he should make sure his shit is legit. But maybe his point in this was to say that not one person knows all of the facts 100% about any one subject, which is exactly why global warming is such a debated topic. People can make claims or try and find truths, but they may be wrong in doing so.

There are many charts, graphs, hybrids, and other “seeing devices” used in his book. These tools remap people’s thoughts by structuring their mind to believe what they are seeing. Words can be refuted, but as soon as something is put in a graph, map, diagram, etc, it is harder to ignore or object what is being displayed. They give people a way to make sense out of something, or find a new meaning in something, or find a way to relate everything to math and science. Using maps and graphs help legitimate Crichton’s work.

“The other men had each taken one of his wrists, and they were pulling his arms, wide, spread-eagling him on the bed. They were getting ready to do something to him. He felt terrified and vulnerable. He moaned, and somebody hit him on the back of the head. ‘Quiet!’” This is a passage on page 14 of the book. Crichton wastes no time getting to the suspenseful parts in the book, engaging the reader right away. This is a smart move on his part, because it would be hard to put something down at a part like this. This passage, along with many others, is strategically written, as to keep the reader alert even during some of the boring, education parts.