Michael Crichton's "State of Fear" is RW Industry driven crap.

[maveric]

Dont wastes your time or money reading this tripe.

Basically, Environmentalists = terrorists and are actually responsible for killing the environment and Industry is doing more to help the environment than environmentalism.

Global Wraming = non-existent.

The first 400 pages were slightly interesting then the "rah rah" for Industry and denigration of all environmentalist and causes, Then the characters became all too "cliche", environmentalist actor(Martin Sheen type), a pompous idiot, RW, govt guy know it all slams environmentalists and saves the world... and the story line tuned to something you might see on the Disney Channel. :puke:

We've lost this guy (Crichton), if we've ever had him.

600 pages of shit!

[Anakin Skywalker]

1. People Like him

are in it for the money like most "novelists" these days. He and his readers are too mundane to care about exploring truths. Tom Clancy is another one. I never could understand the appeal of these silly, weekend-warrior type fictions. Remember, the great books are still the ones on the "banned" list. You don't need these made-for-consumers crap.

[The Revolution]

15. I like Michael Crichton's work!

I guess I'm "too mundane to care about exploring truths"?

I really get sick of this "everyone that doesn't like what I like is intellectually inferior" attitude that so many people seem to have here.

If you're going to dismiss any evidence that might disagree with the opionion you've already formed, then how are you "exploring truths?"
You'll never arrive at the truth if you won't look at all sides of an issue.

Honestly, the book is not that right-wing. It doesn't attack environmentalism, so much as it attacks people who claim to be environmentalists, but spend all their time driving around in their SUV and throwing parties. The protagonists are all environmentalists and remain so at the end of the novel. In the end they decide that they will form a new enviromental organization that will really try to solve the problems we're facing. They talk about really working to end poverty and the great effect that can have on the environment. I think the book raises some valid issues as well. People seem to focus in on the global warming thing, but that's not all the book is about.

[Gabi Hayes]

16. no offense, but, what other books do you like?

I picked it up at my brother's house over Xmas and read about two pages...forcing myself to go that far

it was one of the most horribly written pieces of garbage I've read in a long time; at first I thought it was a parody of very bad writing, ala those Hemingway contests, but then I remembered who I was reading

If you want to read an intelligent book about global warming and the politics of globalized economic/environmental destruction, try Kim Stanley Robinson's latest

he can actually write

[The Revolution]

24. Different people prefer different styles of writing

I like Crichton's style of writing. I just enjoy reading his novels. Some people might not like it, and that's fine, but what I don't like is when people look down on you for whatever you like to read. Not everyone is going to enjoy reading the same book. When I was in high school, I had an literature teacher who thought The Scarlet Letter was the greatest book ever written. I didn't find it interesting at all.

I don't do as much reading as I probably should. As far as fiction goes, the last few books I've read have been Crichtons and some Star Wars novels. In nonfiction I enjoy books on astronomy and cosmology for the most part, things like "A Brief History of Time" and "Black Holes and Time Warps".

Look, I think there's a real problem on the left with this "I'm better than you" attitude that seems to be going around. We're supposed to be the party of the common person, but this type of attitude really turns people away. I think it plays a big part in this notion of "elitist liberals" that seems to be spreading through the country.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

20. Crichton is calling the "left" "terrorists" and this doesn't bother you?

:eyes:

If Crichton is ever banned I won't defend him.

[The Revolution]

22. I don't think he does call the left terrorists

There's a specific group of terrorists in the novel, who happen to be extreme environmentalists. He doesn't say that all people on the left are terrorists or that all environmentalists are terrorists. Like I said, the protagonists are environmentalists too.

[artemisia1]

23. Tom Clancy redeemed himself

and came out against the Iraq war. Cost him RW talk radio endorsements for his books, but in this, he put integrity first. He also co-authored a book with Gen. Anthony Zinni on leadership. Made him a lot of enemies among the RW pro-war crowd. He's no Hannity or Crichton. Facts matter to him as does integrity.

[ClintonTyree]

2. So I've heard, often.............

another "expert" who's going to weigh in with nothing but the "research" he did for the book. I wonder where he got his "research" material from? From the sounds of it, the Heritage Foundation would be my guess.

[walldude]

3. So we should be seeing the movie any time now..

Starring Heston, Selleck, Arnie, Bo Derek and Ron Silver... And paid for by the Clear Skies initiative

[maveric]

4. I was thinking just that. Bruce Willis will play Kenner, the govt guy

that saves the world.

[Arkana]

5. Um, I read it...I thought it was kinda good

Refresh my memory, but didn't he put a disclaimer at the end about the research he did?

[maveric]

6. He did. I didnt care for the way he slammed anything remotely liberal

or environmental. It was too one-sided and RW/Industry driven.
Predictable ending too.

[formernaderite]

21. My wife read it and loved it too....she's a bit of an old curdmudgeon

and a Libertarian. She said some tribe eats the actor....sat next to me in bed guffawing.

I love the environmental movement...but would agree in so far that some of the non-profits environmental protection groups are as big as corporations and probably just as corrupt. It's the nature of the beast. I do my work and support on a local level.

[quinnox]

7. I thought Timeline was pretty good

Sounds like his latest one has too much politics in it for my taste.

[maveric]

8. "Timeline" was my favorite Crighton novel. "Sphere" was ok too.

[sidwill]

9. Sounds like an ad-hominem attack on Crichton

If you had a problem with the science that Crichton used why not dispute it?

For starters instead of making the simple political attack on MC restate one of the studies he used as evidence and dispute it.

I for one think that a thread that discussed the conclusions Crichton made would make for fascinating reading.

[maveric]

10. Like I said, its not the reasearch I had a problem with.

Its the denigration of all environmental causes.

[sidwill]

12. Before I respond let me say

I have not come to a final decision on wether or not MC is correct in his assertions but...............

If he is right would it surprise you?

After all an Organizations primary need, once established, is self perpetuation. Any organization based on a hypothesis would struggle mightily towards affirming said hypothesis while struggling mightily against any data that might disprove it.

[Viking12]

14. Crichton's "science" debunked

Michael Crichton’s State of Confusion

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=74


Michael Crichton’s State of Confusion II: Return of the Science

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=76

[Blue_Tires]

18. Crichton's 'research' has been heavily disputed in past threads

on this forum and elsewhere...it's very easy to search or google

[OrlandoGator]

11. "A Case of Need" == Best pro-choice book ever written.

So he's not completely right-wing.

And Chrichton's best book is "Rising Sun" (was made into a horrible Snipes/Connery movie).

[sidwill]

13. I have read basically all his stuff

And Rwinger...he ain't.

[jab105]

17. My favorite writer is John Irving...A World According to Garp...

only books that could ever make me laugh and cry at the same time...


I dont think he's a right wing sorta guy...

[maveric]

19. What does Irving have to do with Crighton or this thread, for that matter?

????????

[footinmouth]

25. I love his books

I read to be entertained and I found this to be an entertaining read. It didn't change my opinions about anything. I just liked the book.