Formation (American football) and State of Fear: Difference between pages

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{{infobox Book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
{{Articleissues| cleanup = June 2008| confusing = June 2008| primarysources = June 2008}}
| name = State of Fear
A '''formation''' in [[American football]] refers to the position players line up in before the start of a [[Down (American football)|down]]. There are both offensive and defensive formations and there are many formations in both categories.
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:MichaelCrighton StateOfFear.jpg|200px]]
| image_caption = First edition cover
| author = [[Michael Crichton]]
| cover_artist =
| country = [[United States]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| series =
| genre = [[Science fiction]],<br/> [[Techno-thriller]],<br/> [[Dystopian novel]]
| publisher = [[HarperCollins]]
| release_date = [[December 7]], [[2004 in literature|2004]]
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover]], [[Paperback]])
| pages = 640 pp (first edition, hardback), 567 pp without bibliography and appendix
| isbn = ISBN 0-00-718159-0 (first edition, hardback)
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}


'''''State of Fear''''' is a [[2004 in literature|2004]] "message" novel by [[Michael Crichton]] published by [[HarperCollins]] on [[December 7]], [[2004]]. Like most of his novels it is a [[techno-thriller]], this time concerning [[eco-terrorism|eco-terrorists]] who attempt [[mass murder]] to support their views. The novel had an initial print run of 1.5 million copies and reached the #1 bestseller position at [[amazon.com]] and #2 at the [[New York Times Best Seller list]] for one week in January 2005. The book contains many graphs and footnotes, two appendices, and a twenty page bibliography, all combining to give an actual or fictional impression of scientific authority.<ref>[http://www.climateprediction.net/science/pubs/nature_StateOfFear.pdf NATURE| VOL 433 |20 JANUARY 2005]</ref><ref>[http://www.wunderground.com/education/stateoffear.asp Review of Michael Crichton's State of Fear : Weather Underground]</ref><ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/27/opinion/27doran.html Cold, Hard Facts - New York Times]</ref><ref>[http://columbia.edu/~jeh1/hansen_re-crichton.pdf ''Michael Crichton’s “Scientific Method”'' James Hansen]</ref><ref>[http://go.ucsusa.org/global_environment/global_warming/page.cfm?pageID=1670#1 Union of Concerned Scientists ''Crichton's Thriller State of Fear: Separating Fact from Fiction'' ]</ref>
==Offensive formations==


Prominent climate [[scientists]] have stated that its use of scientific data is inaccurate and misleading.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002170342_warming04.html The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Novel on global warming gets some scientists burned up]</ref><ref>[http://www.wunderground.com/education/stateoffear.asp Review of Michael Crichton's State of Fear : Weather Underground]</ref><ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/27/opinion/27doran.html Cold, Hard Facts - New York Times]</ref><ref>[http://columbia.edu/~jeh1/hansen_re-crichton.pdf ''Michael Crichton’s “Scientific Method”'' James Hansen]</ref><ref>[http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/wg1-report.html IPCC Fourth Asessment Report ''Climate Change 2007'' ]</ref>
At the highest level of play in the [[National Football League|NFL]] and [[NCAA]], the one constant in all formations is the [[offensive lineman|offensive line]], consisting of the left and right [[tackle (American football position)|tackle]], left and right [[guard (football)|guard]], and a [[center (football)|center]]. These five positions are often referred to collectively as the "line", and have the primary role of blocking. Most teams play additional players near (but still off) the line of scrimmage to act as extra pass receivers.


== Overview ==
Of the four players behind the line, one is always the quarterback (defined as the player who receives the ball from the center). The quarterback has three options once he receives the ball:
{{Confusing|section|date=September 2008}}
'''State of Fear''' (like many of Michael Crichton's recent works) is a fictional work that uses actual science, unsupported speculation and technical non-fictional material (the author clearly{{Fact|date=September 2008}} identifies which is which) to support the storyline. The debate over [[global warming]] serves as the backdrop for the book. Crichton supplies a personal afterword and two appendices that attempt to link the fictional part of the book with real examples of his thesis, though critics{{Fact|date=September 2008}} dispute the validity of some of his [[citations]].


The main villains in the plot are environmentalists. Crichton does give blame to "[[industry]]" in both the plot line and the appendices. Various assertions appear in the book, for example:
*He may keep the ball and run with it
*He may hand or pitch the ball laterally or backwards to another player, who may then run or throw a forward pass
*He may throw a forward pass to an eligible receiver


* The science that supports or does not support the [[theory]] behind global warming is so incomplete that no reasonable conclusions can be drawn on how to solve the "problem" (or if the "problem" even exists).
The three other backs can be [[running back|half backs]], (who primarily carry the ball), [[fullback (American football)|fullbacks]], (who primarily block), or they can play near (but not on) the line of scrimmage to act as extra [[tight end]]s or wide receivers. A tight end that fills the role as the 4th back is often called an "[[H-Back]]" and a wide receiver that fills that role is sometimes known as a "flanker" or a "slot" receiver (depending on where he lines up). Most formations have a "strong" side (the side with the tight end, or the side with more players) and a "weak side" (the side opposite the tight end, or the side with fewer players).


* Elites in various fields use either real or artificial crises to maintain the existing [[social order]], misusing the "science" behind global warming.
The ends, which may be either [[wide receiver]]s, or [[tight end]]s, may catch a passed ball or receive a handoff.


* As a result of potential conflicts of interest, the scientists conducting research on topics related to global warming may subtly change their findings to bring them in line with their funding sources.
Below are the most common and historically significant offensive formations, along with descriptions and diagrams to display each. In each case, the diagrams will use the following symbols:


Michael Crichton argues for removing politics from science and uses global warming and real life historical examples in the appendices to make this argument. The author also states in the above mentioned sources{{Fact|date=September 2008}} that he also uses the story as a cautionary tale of the results of a decline in critical thinking skills in the Western World.
*QB = quarterback (the player who receives the snap to start the play)
*C = center (always the player who snaps the ball)
*G = guard
*T = tackle
*TE = tight end (also for H-back)
*WR = wide receiver (split end, flanker or slot receiver)
*HB = half back (the primary ball carrier)
*FB = full back (the primary blocking back)


The page opposite the copyright page contains the following disclaimer:
This list is not exhaustive; there are hundreds of different ways to organize a team's players while still remaining within the "7 on the line 4 in the backfield convention". Still, this list of formations covers enough of the basics that almost every formation can be considered a variant of the ones listed below.


:''"This is a work of fiction. Characters, corporations, institutions, and organizations in this novel are the product of the author's imagination, or, if real used fictitiously without intent to describe their actual conduct. However, references to real people, institutions and organizations that are documented in the footnotes are accurate. Footnotes are real."''
===Rules===


== Plot summary==
The offense is required to set up a formation before a play, subject to several rules:


The novel takes place in 2004; the plot is built around a group of eco-terrorists who are attempting to create a state of fear to further advance their agenda regarding global warming.
* The formation must have at least 7 players on the [[line of scrimmage]]<ref name="positionofplayers">{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/positionofplayers|title=NFL Rules Digest: Positioning of Players at Snap}}</ref>. The 7 players are not required to be next to each other, so they may spread out across the width of the field, but this is rare; most offenses place at least 5 players together in a continuous line.
* The other 4 players may be positioned anywhere, but all 4 must be at least 1 yard behind the 7 players on the line of scrimmage<ref name="positionofplayers"/>. The traditional saying is "7 on the line, 4 in the backfield" but this is something of a misnomer, as "backfield" usually refers to the area directly behind the offensive line. 3 of the 4 "backfield" players (i.e., the 3 not receiving the snap from center) may line up as wide receivers as long as they are behind the line of scrimmage; these are known as ''slot'' receivers.
* Of the 7 players on the line of scrimmage, the 5 players in the center of the line are ''ineligible receivers'': these players may not touch or catch a forward pass<ref>[http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/forwardpass NFL Rules Digest: Forward Pass]</ref> (unless it is first touched by an eligible receiver, including a deflection by a defensive player), and on a forward pass play, they may not advance ''downfield'' (i.e., across the [[Neutral zone (American football)|neutral zone]]) before the pass crosses the neutral zone. Ineligible receivers may advance freely on a running play or after a pass is thrown. These players typically have uniform numbers in the range 50-79 to indicate they are ineligible.
* In the NFL, players with numbers (50-79) indicating ineligibility, and who are not among the 5 ineligible receivers, must report to the referee as eligible; failure to do so will result in a penalty to the offense<ref>[http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/penaltysummaries NFL Rules Digest: Summary of Penalties]</ref>. The referee will relay that information to the defensive captain<ref name="positionofplayers"/>, and he will generally announce it to spectators as well. After reporting as eligible, those players may line up at any legal position just as if they were normally eligible receivers. Offenses sometimes use this tactic in a short yardage situation to provide extra blocking, and some plays are even designed for a designated player to receive a pass.
* The offense must ''set'' before the play: all players must take their positions and remain motionless for at least 1 second before the ball is snapped.<ref name="positionofplayers"/> Typically, after the offense breaks the huddle and walks to the line, the quarterback will call "set" and then begin his regular snap count. The offense is allowed to shift in certain situations and reorganize, but they must again set once they assume new positions.
* The offense may put one of the 4 backfield players ''in [[motion (football)|motion]]'' after the set but before the snap. The motion must be either parallel to or (if in the backfield) away from the line of scrimmage at the [[snap (football)|snap]]<ref name="positionofplayers"/>; certain types of football such as [[arena football]] allow forward motion at the snap. In [[Canadian football]], all of the players in the backfield can be in motion, in any direction, at the time of the snap, as long as they have not crossed the line of scrimmage before the snap.


The [[protagonist]] is an environmentalist [[lawyer]] named Peter Evans. Evans is a junior associate at a large Los Angeles law firm that represents many environmentalist clients (although they also have clients in industry). Evans is described as someone who eagerly accepts all conventional wisdom about global warming, but not unquestioningly. He is also described as something of a weak willed person who has lukewarm relationships with women. Evans's chief client is a billionaire philanthropist, George Morton, who donates large sums to environmentalist causes. Evans's main duties are managing the legal affairs surrounding Morton's contributions to an environmentalist organization, the National Environmental Resource Fund (NERF) (modeled after the [[Sierra Club]]).{{Fact|date=September 2008}}
===T formation===
[[Image:T green.PNG|thumb|right|275px|The T-formation, one of the most basic formations in football]]
{{Main|T formation}}


Morton becomes suspicious of NERF and its director, Nicholas Drake, after he discovers that NERF has misused some of the funds he has given the group. Soon after, Morton is visited by two men, John Kenner and Sanjong Thapa, who appear on the surface to be researchers at MIT, but, in fact, are international law enforcement agents on the trail of an eco-terrorist group, the Environmental Liberation Front (ELF) (modeled on the [[Earth Liberation Front]]).{{Fact|date=September 2008}} The ELF is attempting to create "natural" disasters to convince the public of the dangers of global warming; all these events are timed to happen during a NERF-sponsored climate [[conference]] that will highlight the "catastrophe" of global warming. The eco-terrorists have no qualms about how many people are killed in their manufactured "natural" disasters and ruthlessly assassinate anyone who gets in their way (their preferred methods being ones few would recognize as murder; the venom of a rare Australian [[Blue-ringed octopus]] which causes a form of paralysis most hospitals mistake for a disease and therefore never successfully treat and "lightning attractors" which cause their victims to get electrocuted in electrical storms). Kenner and Thapa suspect Drake of involvement with the ELF to further his own ends (garnering more donations to NERF from the environmentally-minded public).
The T formation is the precursor to most modern formations, in that it places the quarterback directly under [[center (football)|center]] (in contrast to its main competitor of its day, the [[#Single_wing|single wing]], which had the quarterback receiving the ball on the fly).


Morton pulls his funding from NERF and has Evans rewrite the contract so that Drake can't access the money except in small amounts. This earns Drake's wrath resulting in strained relations between Evans and the partners at his firm (Drake is a major client of the firm and accuses Evans of being a spy for corporate industry). NERF holds a banquet in Morton's honor citing him as "NERF's Concerned Citizen of the Year"; at the event Morton gives a rambling speech in which he announces the pulling of his funding. Morton subtly makes this look due to his having drunk too much on the flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco where he was accompanied by two of NERF's biggest supporters (Ted Bradley, an actor and [[celebrity endorser]] of NERF, and Ann Garner, a wealthy [[socialite]]) and Evans. Soon after the speech, Morton dies in a car accident under mysterious circumstances. Following Morton's last instructions, Evans teams up with Kenner and Thapa on a globe-spanning trip to thwart various ELF disaster schemes. Also along for the ride is Morton's beautiful assistant, Sarah Jones. Evans is intimidated by Sarah because of her beauty and because she possesses a self-confidence Evans lacks. By the same token, Sarah also finds Evans attractive, but is put off by his lack of bravado.
It consists of three running backs lined up in a row about five yards behind the quarterback, forming the shape of a T. It may feature two tight ends (known as the Power T) or one tight end and a wide receiver (in this case known as a split end). The latter variation is known as the Split T, created in 1941 by University of Missouri head coach Don Faurot. This is a running formation in which the [[option offense|option]] is effective. The T formation was made famous by the [[University of Minnesota]] in the 1930s and 1940's (winning five national titles). When the [[Chicago Bears]] used the T-formation to defeat the [[Washington Redskins]] by a score of 73-0 in the 1940 NFL championship game, it marked the end of the Single Wing at nearly all levels of play, as teams, almost overnight, moved to formations with the quarterback "under center" like the T.


A subplot parallels the main plot and is the driving force for many of Evans' actions later on, at the behest of Morton. Morton has promised to [[donate]] $10 million to support a [[class action]] lawsuit on behalf of the people of the fictional island nation Vanutu. The suit claims that by its inaction to curb global warming the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) has doomed Vanutu to destruction, technically an [[act of war]], because when [[sea levels]] increase by the amount that "most" climate models predict the nation will be buried underwater. At the behest of Morton, Evans pays a visit to the offices of the legal team that is preparing the suit where he volunteers to be a pre-[[jury selection]] interviwee. The interviewer is Jennifier Haynes who presents him with various pieces of evidence that she feels the [[defense]] will use in an attempt to discredit the "science" behind the lawsuit. Later, she reveals that the lawsuit is just an elaborate publicity stunt. The parties who initiated it know that it will never succeed. They only want to create a legal action that will drag on for years giving them numerous opportunities to dramatize the plight of the islanders as they cope with the "catastrophe" of global warming. Later, Haynes reveals herself to be Kenner's niece and in league with him.
One variation of the T-Formation would be where all the runningbacks would be closer than usual, being at fullback depth rather than halfback depth. Another variation of the "balanced T" formation is the so-called "unbalanced T" formation <ref>Avedisian, Charles T. and Trocolor, Robert G. "The Unbalanced T", New York: Warwick Printing Co. 1945</ref>. In this configuration the line of scrimmage has an end and tackle left of center, while to the right of the center are two guards a tackle and an end. This creates a line that is weighted toward the right of the center. With the backfield lining up in the conventional "T" formation behind the center (quarterback, two halfbacks and fullback), the resulting configuration is "unbalanced" due the asymmetry of the placement of the linemen.


Kenner, Sanjong, Evans and Sarah travel to various locations to sabotage the ELF's planned "natural" disasters: first, the detonation of several explosives in an Antarctic ice shelf to release an enormous iceberg, then the use of special rockets and filament wire to produce a man-made lightning storm and flood in a crowded national park. During his travels, Evans finds his convictions about global warming challenged by Kenner and Sanjong who present him with reams of data suggesting that global warming may not be happening at all, may be insignificant if it is, and may not be caused by human activity. Evans's convictions are further shaken as he observes the ELF trying to manufacture disasters that will kill thousands of people, discovers that Drake is directing these terrorist acts, and narrowly escapes several ELF assassination attempts. He also begins to shed his weak-willed demeanor and grows more enamored of Sarah after he saves her life on several occasions. After NERF disbands the legal team that was preparing the Vanutu suit Jennifier joins the group for the final leg of the trip.
===I formation===
{{main|I formation}}
[[Image:I-form green.PNG|thumb|right|275px|Basic I formation.]]
This is one of the most common formations used at all levels of football. It consists of two backs lined up behind the quarterback, with the back closest to the quarterback being called the fullback and the back behind the fullback called the [[running back]], [[tailback]], or [[I-back]]. The two backs line up either in a line (hence the name of the formation since it looks like a letter ''I'') or with the fullback "offset" to either side. The fourth back is most commonly employed as an extra wide receiver. Here are three diagrams of I-Formation, strong side right (that is, with the [[tight end]] lining up to the right, typical for a right-handed quarterback). Notice that the 4th back required by the rules is the set-back wide receiver at the right (called the flanker).
[[Image:I-form offset strong green.PNG|thumb|left|275px|I formation, fullback offset strongside]]
[[Image:I-form offset weak green.PNG|thumb|right|275px|I Formation, fullback offset weakside]]
{{clr}}Two other I formation variations include the '''Maryland I''' and the '''Power I'''. These formations lack a flanker, and use the maximum 3 running backs rather than the standard 2. They are used primarily as running formations. These may employ either tight ends or split ends (wide receivers) or one of each. The Maryland I was popularized by Thomas (TJ) Dodd being first called the "T" formation due to how the formation is set up in a T. It was first used on [[October 30]], [[1992]]. It is now called the "Maryland I" due to The University of Maryland being one of the last few teams to use it. The Jackson Park Raiders of Chicago also use this formation. <ref>Diagram and description of the Maryland I at [http://media.www.dailyutahchronicle.com/media/storage/paper244/news/2005/11/09/Sports/Maryland.I.Gets.An.A.New.Formation.Yielding.Results.For.Football.Team-1051095.shtml dailyutahchronicle.com]</ref>
[[Image:Maryland I green.PNG|thumb|left|275px|Maryland I]] [[Image:Power I green.PNG|thumb|right|275px|Power I]]{{clr}}


In the finale of the story, the group travels to a remote island in the Solomons to stop the ELF's "piece de resistance", a tsunami that will inundate the coastline of California just as Drake is winding up the international conference on the "catastrophe" of global warming. Along the way they battle man-eating crocodiles and cannibalistic tribesmen (who feast on Ted Bradley, whom Drake had sent to spy on Kenner and his team). The rest of the group are rescued in the nick of time by Morton who resurfaces. It turns out that he faked his own death to throw Drake off the trail so that he could keep watch on the ELF's activities on the island while he waited for Kenner and his team to arrive. The group has a final confrontation with the elite ELF team on the island during which Jennifer is almost killed and Evans kills one of the terrorists who had tried to kill both him and Sarah in Antarctica. The rest of the ELF team is killed by the backwash from their own tsunami which Kenner and his team sabotage just enough to prevent it from becoming a full-size tsunami and reaching California. Drake and his cohorts are arrested. Evans and Sarah finally admit their feelings for each other. Evans quits the firm and goes to work for Morton with his new (unnamed) organization, which will practice environmental activism as a business, free from potential conflicts of interest.
===Ace===
{{main|Ace formation}}
Also known as "single back" formation. Consists of 1 running back lined up about five yards behind the quarterback. The other 2 backs can either act as extra tight ends or wide receivers. This formation is normally used for a pass play, but can also be good for running, as defenders must move at least one player out of the middle of the field (the "box", between the tackles on the offensive line) to cover the additional wide receiver. In passing situations, this formation (and similar variations) is known as ''max protect'' as it requires the fullback and two tight ends to stay in the vicinity to block an oncoming pass rush and leaves only two wide receivers to catch a pass downfield.<br />
[[Image:Ace green.PNG|thumb|right|275px|Typical Single-back formation]]
Here is the basic single-back set. Notice the absence of a full back and the addition of the extra flanker. Since he is lined up in the space between the tackle and the split end, he is called the "slot" receiver. This formation may be referred to as "single back, slot left."


== Metaphorical Use of Characters ==
A variation of the ace is known as the spread formation. It utilizes 4 wide receivers and no tight ends. In the NFL, this formation was the basis of the [[Run & Shoot]] offense that was popular in the 1980s with teams such as the [[Detroit Lions]] and the [[Houston Oilers]] but has since fallen out of favor as a primary offensive formation.<br />
[[Image:Ace spread green.PNG|thumb|left|275px|Spread formation]]
It is often used as a pass formation, because of the extra wide receivers. It also makes an effective run formation, because it "spreads the field" and forces the defense to respect the pass, thus taking players out of the box. Certain college programs, such as the [[University of Hawaii]] and [[Texas Tech Red Raiders|Texas Tech]] still use it as their primary formation. Brigham Young University also uses the spread offense, although they tend to employ their tight ends more frequently than the University of Hawaii and Texas Tech. Minnesota and TCU are also starting to employ the [[spread offense]].


To allow the reader to clearly follow the various positions portrayed in the book, Crichton uses the major characters as proxies for differing viewpoints on the topic of global warming.
[[Image:Ace redskin green.PNG|thumb|right|275px|Joe Gibbs's "H-Back" set]]
[[Joe Gibbs]], twice head coach of the [[Washington Redskins]], devised an ace variation that used a setback, or "flexed" tight end known as an [[H-back]]. In this formation, the normal tight-end is almost exclusively a blocker, while the H-back is primarily a pass receiver. This formation is often referred to as a "Two Tight End" set. Some teams (like the [[Indianapolis Colts]] under [[Tony Dungy]]) use this formation with both tight ends on the line and use two flankers. Many other teams in the NFL, even those that don't use this as a primary formation, still run some plays using a variant of this formation.


* Kenner is a stand in for Crichton himself <ref>http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/14441/?a=f MIT Tech. Review of State of Fear</ref>
{{clr}}
* Evans is the stand in for the reader (who Crichton presumes accepts most of the tenets of Global Warming without any detailed study of it, but not unquestioningly)<ref> http://www.grist.org/advice/books/2005/02/01/roberts-fear/</ref>
* Drake is a stand in for the environmental movement "professional" activist <ref>http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110006022 Wall Street Journal Review </ref>
* Ted/Ann are stand ins for people who accept the "environmentalist" party line without question <ref> http://www.grist.org/advice/books/2005/02/01/roberts-fear/</ref>
* Sarah <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/30/books/review/30BARCOTT.html?_r=1&oref=login&oref=slogin New York Times Review of 'State of Fear']</ref>/Jennifer <ref>http://harvardmagazine.com/2005/03/overheated-rhetoric.html Harvard Magazine Review</ref> are stand ins for the academic community (intelligent enough to follow the debate but undecided until the evidence is presented) with Sarah being the portion of the community likely to believe in Global Warming on less then undeniable evidence (they will accept "Likely, but not proven" as sufficient proof) and Jennifer represents the part of the community that accepts undeniable evidence only
* Jennifer is also a stand in for conflicts of interest created by how the research is funded (i.e. her "official" story changes based on who is paying the bills but in private she makes her true feelings known)<ref>http://harvardmagazine.com/2005/03/overheated-rhetoric.html Harvard Magazine Review</ref>
* Sanjong is a stand in for the local university library/reputable Internet source verification, etc. <ref>http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2005-04/science-friction Popular Science's Review</ref>
* Morton is a stand in for public opinion (Crichton presumes{{Fact|date=September 2008}} that public opinion will turn very nasty against the traditional enviromental groups once they discover their "subjective" PR campaign)<ref>http://www.aapg.org/explorer/2005/02feb/crichton.cfm AAPG's Review/Award Page</ref>
Critics (and some first time/casual readers) mistake{{Fact|date=September 2008}} Kenner/Sanjong as being stand ins for industry. Since Kenner is often as critical of industry as he is of the environmental movement, his only real agenda is to present the science in a objective manner.


== Author's afterword/Appendixes ==
===Pro set===
{{main|Pro set}}
[[Image:Split green.PNG|thumb|left|275px|Basic split backs set]]
Also called the "split backs" or "three-end formation", this is similar to the I-formation and has the same variations. The difference is that the two backs are split behind the quarterback instead of being lined up behind him.


Crichton included a statement of his views on global [[climate change]] as an afterword. In the "Author's message", Crichton states that the cause, extent, and threat of climate change is largely unknown and unknowable. He finishes by endorsing the management of wilderness and the continuation of research into all aspects of the [[Earth]]'s environment. In Appendix I, Crichton warns both sides of the [[global warming]] debate against the [[politicized science|politicization of science]]. Here he provides two examples of the disastrous combination of [[pseudo-science]] and politics, the early 20th-century idea of [[eugenics]], which he directly links to be one of the theories that allowed for the [[Holocaust]] and [[Lysenkoism]]. This appendix is followed by a [[bibliography]] of 172 books and journal articles that Crichton presents "...''to assist those readers who would like to review my thinking and arrive at their own conclusions.''" (''State of Fear'', pp, 583).
[[Clark Shaughnessy]] designed the formation from the T Formation in 1949 after acquiring halfback [[Elroy Hirsch|Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch]]. Shaughnessy thought he would make a great receiver but already had two great receivers in [[Tom Fears]] and [[Bob Shaw (football player)|Bob Shaw]]. Schaughnessy moved Hirsch to the flanker position behind the right end. Thus started what was known as the three-end formation.


==Criticism==
This formation is most often associated with [[Bill Walsh (football coach)|Bill Walsh]]'s [[San Francisco 49ers]] teams of the 1980s and his [[West Coast Offense]]. A modern example of the "pro-set" can be seen in the [[Florida State University Seminoles]] offense, which favors a Split Backs formation. The [[Seattle Seahawks]] also favor this type of formation with the tight end usually being replaced with a third wide receiver
===Scientific===


This novel received criticism from climate [[scientists]],<ref name="MillesAlen">{{Cite web| url=http://www.climateprediction.net/science/pubs/nature_StateOfFear.pdf | author=Milles Alen |title=A novel view of global warming |publisher=[[Nature (Journal)|Nature]] vol. 433| date=2005-01-20 | accessdate=2008-08-14 | language= }} PDF version from ClimatePrediction.net site</ref><ref name="DoranNYT"/><ref name="BorensteinTST">{{cite news | last = Borenstein | first = Seth | title = Novel on global warming gets some scientists burned up | publisher = [[The Seattle Times]] | date = 2005-02-10 | url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002170342_warming04.html | accessdate = 2008-08-17}}</ref>science journalists<ref>{{cite web | last = Mooney | first = Chris | title = Bad Science, Bad Fiction | publisher = Committee for Skeptical Inquiry | date = 2005-01-18 | url = http://csicop.org/doubtandabout/crichton/ | accessdate = 2008-08-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Evans | first = Harold | title = Crichton's conspiracy theory | publisher = [[BBC NEWS]] | date = 2005-10-07 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4319574.stm | accessdate = 2008-08-17}}</ref> and environmental groups<ref>{{cite web | title = Michael Crichton's State of Fear: They Don't Call It Science Fiction for Nothing | publisher = [[Natural Resources Defense Council]] | date = 2004-12-16 | url = http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/fcrichton.asp | accessdate = 2008-08-17}}</ref><ref name="ConcernedScientists">{{cite web | title = Crichton’s Thriller State of Fear | publisher = [[Union of Concerned Scientists]] | date = 2005-06-27 | url = http://go.ucsusa.org/global_environment/global_warming/page.cfm?pageID=1670 | accessdate = 2008-08-17}}</ref> for inaccuracies and misleading information. 16 of 18 top U.S. climate scientists interviewed by [[Knight Ridder]], said the author is bending scientific data and distorting research.<ref name="BorensteinTST" /> Several scientists whose research had been referenced in the novel stated that Crichton had distorted it in the novel. [[MIT]] meteorology professor [[Richard Lindzen]] was quoted as saying "''the science was handled intelligently and responsibly. Crichton... and comes to the issue with intelligence as well as a professional scientific background.''"<ref name="BorensteinTST" />
===Single wing===
{{main|Single-wing}}
This archaic formation was popular for most of the first 50 years of modern American football, but it is rare today, except as a novelty. (For instance, the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] occasionally used variations of the single wing in the 2006 season with the fullback directly behind the strong side tackle, one or two wingbacks, and halfback [[Brian Westbrook]] or quarterback [[Donovan McNabb]] receiving the snap. In 2008 the [[Miami Dolphins]] who won only 1 out of 16 regular season games in 2007 used the single wing formation 6 times to much success against the [[New England Patriots]] to win in week 3 of the 2008 season and break the Patriots 21 regular season game winning streak. This is used primarily to catch the defense off guard, and therefore force the other team to choose between wasting a time out or defending against a formation they had never faced.) There are many variations of this formation with really the only common thread being that, rather than lining up "under center", the quarterback is lined up a few yards behind with RBs on either side of him (similar to a modern [[shotgun formation]]).<ref>The single wing formation, at [http://www.coachwyatt.com/singlewing.html coachwyatt.com]</ref>
[[Image:Single wing green.PNG|thumb|right|275px|Typical Single Wing set. Note the unbalanced line. "C" will snap the ball, even though he is not strictly in the center. This diagram uses the modern terms. In the original single wing, the QB was called the "tailback" and the FB was called the "quarterback" or "blocking back"]]
The most famous version of the Single Wing offense would be [[Knute Rockne]]'s "[[Notre Dame Box]]" that he ran with the [[Four Horsemen (football)|Four Horsemen]]. It contained two [[tight ends]], and 4 backs. The quarterback in this formation (called at the time a "single-wing tailback"), like today's shotgun QB, received the snap on the fly. The other 3 backs lined up on the same side of the QB in various arrangements. Also, the formation often featured an ''unbalanced line'' where the center (that is, the player who snapped the ball) was not strictly in the ''center'' of the line, but close to the weakside. The formation was originally designed as a brute-force running formation, since it had 6 players to one side of the center and only 3 on the other. Rockne's innovations with this formation involved using complicated backfield shifts and motion to confuse defenses, and adapting it as a passing formation. The single wing has recently had a renaissance of sorts with high schools; since it is so rare, its sheer novelty can make it successful.


[[Peter Doran]], leading author of the ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'' paper,<ref name="Doran02">{{cite journal |url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v415/n6871/full/nature710.html |title=Antarctic climate cooling and terrestrial ecosystem response |author=Doran et al. |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=415 |issue=6871 |pages=517-520|year=2002 |doi=10.1038/nature710 |accessdate=2008-08-14 |language= }} in Letters to Nature 2002-01-13</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.uic.edu/classes/geol/eaes102/Doran.pdf | author=Doran et al. |title=Antarctic climate cooling and terrestrial ecosystem response|publisher=[[University of Illinois at Chicago]] | date=2002-01-13 | accessdate=2008-08-14 |language= }} PDF version: advance online publication Letters to Science</ref> wrote in the ''New York Times'' stating that
===Double wing===
:"... ''our results have been misused as “evidence” against global warming by Michael Crichton in his novel “State of Fear''”<ref name="DoranNYT">{{Cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/27/opinion/27doran.html | author=Peter Doran |title=Cold, Hard Facts |publisher=[[The New York Times]] | date=2006-07-27 | accessdate=2008-08-14 | language= }}</ref>
The double wing, a variant of the single wing, was invented by Pop Warner in 1912. The offense is primarily a running offense using misdirection and power plays. Most double-wing plays use a motioning wing back at the start of each play.


[[Myles Allen]], Head of the Climate Dynamics Group, Department of Physics, [[University of Oxford]], wrote in ''Nature'' in 2005:
A version known as the "wildcat formation" uses the same plays as the double-wing offense except that it uses a direct snap to either back and allows for more passing. In this formation, the quarterback from the offensive team is generally lined up in a wide receiver position, which allows for additional flexibility; for example, an end-around might be run with the QB receiving the ball, leaving him in a good position for a downfield pass.
:"''Michael Crichton’s latest blockbuster, State of Fear, is also on the theme of global warming and is likely to mislead the unwary. . . Although this is a work of [[fiction]], Crichton’s use of footnotes and appendices is clearly intended to give an impression of scientific authority.''"<ref name="MillesAlen"/>


The [[Union of Concerned Scientists]] devote a section of their website to what they describe as misconceptions readers may take away from the book.<ref name="ConcernedScientists" /> [[Jeffrey Masters]], Chief [[meteorologist]] for [[Weather Underground (weather service)|Weather Underground]], writes: ''"Crichton presents an error-filled and distorted version of the Global Warming science, favoring views of the handful of contrarians that attack the consensus science of the [[IPCC]]."''<ref>[http://www.wunderground.com/education/stateoffear.asp Review of Michael Crichton's State of Fear : Weather Underground]</ref> [[James Hansen]] wrote: ''He (Michael Crichton) doesn’t seem to have the foggiest notion about the science that he writes about.''<ref name="Hansen">[http://columbia.edu/~jeh1/hansen_re-crichton.pdf ''Michael Crichton’s “Scientific Method”'' James Hansen]</ref>
The Double Wing is often incorrectly referred to as the Wing T, which is a different formation that uses a different formation of the backs. The Double Wing is used mostly at a high school level, although some colleges run a similar offense out of the flexbone, but usually focus more on option runs. The Double Wing usually puts a wing back in motion at the beginning of the play, and the defense can sometimes pick up on this and use that to know where the play is going, so the Double Wing uses counters where the back that doesn't go in motion gets the ball. Also, the double wing can be set into different formations, such as the Maryland I, to take away the pre-snap key on the wing back, yet still run all the plays effectively.


=== Literary criticism and book reviews===
===Shotgun===
{{main|Shotgun formation}}
[[Image:Shotgun green.PNG|thumb|left|275px|Typical Shotgun formation]]
The modern descendant of the Single Wing. The quarterback lines up about five yards behind the center, in order to allow a better view of the defense and more time to get a pass off. The shotgun can distribute its 3 other backs and 2 ends any number of ways, but most commonly employs one [[running back]], lined up next to the QB, one tight end and three wide receivers. This formation is most commonly used for passing but the quarterback can also hand it off to a running back or run himself. Some teams use this as their primary formation, such as the [[Indianapolis Colts]], the [[University of Hawaii]] and [[Purdue University]]. Most commonly, however, the Shotgun is used in long yardage situations, when the team is playing catch-up or in other obvious passing situations. Historically, the Shotgun was used to great success as a primary formation in the NFL by the [[Tom Landry]]-led [[Dallas Cowboys]] teams of the 1970s and the 1990s [[Buffalo Bills]] teams under [[Marv Levy]], who used a variation known as the K-gun.


The novel has received mixed reviews from professional literary reviewers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/books/authors/crichtonmichael/stateoffear |publisher = Metacritic.com |title=State of Fear. What the Critics Said |date= |accessdate=2008-09-13}}</ref> Most critics made the following points as to the reason for their reviews: The storyline is weak compared to previous Crichton's works; the use of heavy footnoting and presentation of numerous graphs do not serve plot development and only exist to support Crichton's central thesis. The characterization is weak, and, in attempting to prove his central thesis, Crichton loses sight of the elements that have made him an appreciated techno-thriller author.
[[Image:Shotgun tripps.PNG|thumb|left|275px|Shotgun, Trips left (3 wide receivers on the same side)]]
[[Image:Shotgun max green.PNG|thumb|right|275px|Shotgun, Max Protect (Full back in to provide additional protection to quarterback)]]{{clr}}
===Pistol===
''Main article:'' [[Pistol Offense]]
[[Image:Pistol green.PNG|thumb|right|275px|Chris Ault's "Pistol" formation]]
This offense was originated by Chris Ault of The [[University of Nevada, Reno|University of Nevada]] Wolf Pack. It is essentially a shotgun variation, with the quarterback lined up closer than in standard shotgun, and a [[running back]] lined up behind, rather than next to, the QB.


[[The Wall Street Journal]]'s [[Ronald Bailey]] gave a favorable review stating:<ref>{{cite news | author= Ronald Bailey| title = A Chilling Tale. Michael Crichton's "State of Fear" | publisher = [[The Wall Street Journal]] | date = 2004-12-10 | url = http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110006022 | accessdate =2008-08-13 }}</ref>
The Pistol formation adds the dimension of a running game with the halfback being in a singleback position. This has disrupted the timing of some defenses with the way the quarterback hands the ball off to the halfback. This also allows the smaller halfbacks to hide behind the offensive line, causing opposing linebackers and pass-rushing defensive linemen to play more conservatively. The Pistol can also feature the option play. With this offense, the quarterback has the ability to get a better look past the offensive line and at the defense. Pistol formations have gained some popularity in NCAA football, and in fact a variant of this offense was used by the 2008 BCS National Champs, LSU.
{{Cquote| In "State of Fear" ... Michael Crichton delivers a lightning-paced technopolitical thriller that turns on a controversial notion: All that talk we've been hearing about global warming&mdash;you know, polar ice caps melting, weather systems sent into calamitous confusion, beach weather lingering well into January&mdash;might be at best misguided, at worst dead wrong. Think "The Da Vinci Code" with real facts, violent storms and a different kind of faith altogether.


..."State of Fear" is, in a sense, the novelization of a speech that Mr. Crichton delivered in September 2003 at San Francisco's Commonwealth Club. He argued there that environmentalism is essentially a religion, a belief-system based on faith, not fact. To make this point, the novel weaves real scientific data and all too real political machinations into the twists and turns of its gripping story.|||[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}
===Eastern Shotgun===
{{main|Eastern Shotgun}}
[[Image:Shotgun green.PNG|thumb|left|275px|Typical Shotgun formation]]
This is a variation of the Shotgun Formation designed to easily implement running play audibles from the backfield. Instead of the quarterback lining of five yards back, he lines up four. This allows a better view of the defense but is still close enough to fool the defense that it's an I formation. The Eastern Shotgun formation adds the dimension of a running game with the halfback being in a singleback position. Both ends are often split wide as [[wide receivers]], though some variations include one or two tight ends.


On [[Entertainment Weekly]], [[Gregory Kirschling]] gave a favorable A<sup>-</sup> review and said:<ref>{{cite news | author= Gregory Kirschling| title = Book Review State of Fear (2004) | publisher = [[Entertainment Weekly]] | date = 2004-12-13 | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,955669,00.html | accessdate =2008-09-13 }}</ref>
===Wishbone===
{{Cquote| It's a first for Crichton, whose thrillers, from ''Jurassic Park'' to ''Timeline'' to ''Prey'', have always alternated ginormous action scenes with user-friendly rap sessions that outline the facts on DNA, quantum teleportation," or nanobots. Finally, he's written a book in which the science turns pages faster than the derring-do does. That's because, with ''Fear'', Crichton's found his best button-pushing subject yet: global warming...
{{main|Wishbone formation}}
Crichton doesn't buy it, and he's out to discredit the whole theory. For real! No wonder the novel's been cloaked in such secrecy right up till publication. "The threat of global warming," as one character puts it, "is essentially nonexistent"... This stuff's way better than nanobots or time travel. But his plot, for once, is a distraction...
[[Image:Wishbone green.PNG|thumb|right|275px|The Wishbone formation]]
A variation of the T-formation invented at the [[University of Texas at Austin]] by [[Emory Bellard]], then [[offensive coordinator]] under [[Darrell Royal]]. It consists of three running backs: a fullback lined up directly behind the quarterback, and the two halfbacks split behind the fullback. It can be run with two tight ends, one tight end and one wide receiver, or two wide receivers. It is used as a running formation for the most part. The option style of offense (where the Quarterback decides to run, handoff, or pitch the ball after the snap rather than before) is most closely associated with this formation. Notable college teams to run the Wishbone include Darrell Royal's Texas Longhorns of the 1960s, [[University of Alabama|Alabama]] of the early 1970s, and [[University of Oklahoma|Oklahoma]] of the late 1970s and early 1980s. As with any hugely successful formation or philosophy, as teams learned how to defend against it, it became much less successful. By 1990, few major programs were using the wishbone anymore.


Part of the fun is that, for the first 400 pages or so, Crichton wants you to think of him as a right-wing nut. Don't be fooled. He's not just deflating global-warming environmentalists. When he finally gets around to explaining what he means by "state of fear," it's in another character-sputtered rant on "''the way modern society works'' — by the constant creation of fear" by politicians, lawyers, and the media. Michael Moore, who made the same point in ''Bowling for Columbine'', could've written the passage. ''State of Fear'' is one of Crichton's best because it's as hard to pigeonhole as greenhouse gas but certainly heats up the room.|||[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}
===Flexbone===
{{main|Flexbone formation}}
[[Image:Flexbone green.PNG|thumb|left|275px|The base flexbone formation.]]
A common formation found in colleges and high schools. In this formation, one back (the fullback) lines up behind the quarterback. Both ends are often split wide as [[wide receivers]], though some variations include one or two tight ends. The two remaining backs, called wingbacks or slotbacks, line up behind the line of scrimmage just outside the tackles. This formation is primarily used to run the [[option offense|option]], especially the triple option. Often, one of the wingbacks will go in motion in the direction the play is being run in. The [[United States Air Force Academy]], the [[United States Naval Academy]] and [[Georgia Tech]] are three [[college football]] teams that use this formation. The Mount St. Michael Freshman team also occasionally use this formation to run a weak side option.


On [[The New Republic]], [[Sacha Zimmerman]] gave a mixed review and said:<ref>{{cite news | author= Sacha Zimmerman| title = Review-A-Day: State of Fear. Weather Man | publisher = [[The New Republic]] | date = 2005-01-20 | url = http://www.powells.com/review/2005_01_20.html | accessdate =2008-09-13 }}</ref>
===Wing T===
{{Cquote| Michael Crichton has long been well-known for taking controversial theories or technologies and surrounding them with the fast and sexy trappings of a thriller. His novels have been years ahead of their time... But his latest effort is almost uncanny in its timeliness. ''State of Fear'', Crichton's examination of global warming and environmental extremism, is very much a reflection of current global fascination.
[[Image:Wing-T green.PNG|thumb|right|275px|The Delaware Wing T, as developed by David Nelson. In this case, one of the half backs starts in the back field. The other (the wing back) almost always goes in motion towards the QB at the snap]]
...Crichton uses Evans's resolute belief in global warming as a means of instructing the reader in the facts of climatology -- or, at least the facts as Crichton sees them. Under the guise of a deposition, Evans is deluged with information and diagrams intended to alter his thinking. It would be a perfectly effective instructional device were it not for the fact that Crichton seems to think the reader is as daft as Evans. In depicting Evans's slow acceptance that global warming is a fiction, Crichton almost seems to be saying to the reader, "If an oaf like Evans can get it, then you would certainly be an idiot not to." Nevermind the fact that no author should force readers to examine dozens of similar charts with predictable outcomes or a fictional deposition that reads like a seminar in condescension. (Then there's the small matter of whether Crichton's instruction on global warming has any merit to begin with -- his views on the subject are controversial, to say the least.)
A formation similar to the Flexbone, though much older, is known as the "Delaware Wing-T" was created by longtime [[University of Delaware]] coach and NCAA Rules Committee chairman [[David Nelson]], and perfected by his successor [[Tubby Raymond]]. It has become a very popular offense with high schools and small colleges. It was designed at the time to be a mix between the single wing and T-formation. It took the motion and run-strength of the single wing, and the QB-under-center from the T. In this variation, there is only one wing back, with the other back lined up next to the fullback on the opposite side from the wing back.


But despite these problems, Crichton does deliver a globe-trotting thriller that pits man against nature in brutal spectacles while serving up just the right amount of international conspiracy and taking digs at fair-weather environmentalists.|||[[The New Republic]]}}
===Empty backfield===
[[Image:5-wide green.svg|thumb|left|275px|Empty backfield, trips left, slot right]]
Also known simply as "Five-wide", a reference to the five wide receivers. In the empty backfield formation, all of the backs play near the line of scrimmage to act as extra wide receivers or tight ends. This is almost exclusively a passing formation used to spread the field, often to open up short inside routes or screen routes. It can also be run with one or two wing backs like the flexbone formation allowing a running game and the ability to run the option. The quarterback can line up either under center or in the shotgun. This formation is becoming more popular in the NFL and college football, with recent successes at [[Texas Tech University]] and by the [[New England Patriots]] in their 3 [[Super Bowl]] winning seasons.


On the [[Sydney Morning Herald]], [[John Birminghamn]] gave a unfavorable review and said:<ref>{{cite news | author= John Birminghamn| title = Books: State of Fear | publisher = [[Sydney Morning Herald]] | date = 2005-01-15 | url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/Books/State-of-Fear/2005/01/14/1105582703308.html | accessdate =2008-09-13 }}</ref>
===Goal line formation===
{{Cquote| ''State of Fear'' is ostensibly about a James Bond-like conspiracy by green nutters to alert the world to the threat of environmental disaster by manufacturing a couple of environmental disasters. When Crichton sticks to this script he produces a number of agreeable set-piece action sequences which keep the pages turning and will doubtless form the basis of a $100-million Hollywood adaptation.
Also called "jumbo", "heavy", "full house" or other similar names. As the name implies, this formation is used exclusively in short-yardage situations, and especially near the goal line. This formation typically has no wide receivers, and often employs 3 tight ends and 2 running backs, or alternately 2 tight ends and 3 running backs. Often, a tight end or full back position is occupied by a player who normally plays offensive line or defensive line positions to act as extra blockers. The [[Chicago Bears]] of the mid 1980's famously used defensive tackle [[William Perry (American football)|William "The Refrigerator" Perry]] as a full back in this formation. In most cases, it is exclusively a running formation, designed to score by brute force. Some teams have successfully used this formation to pass out of, most famously the New England Patriots, who have used linebacker [[Mike Vrabel]] as a tight end to catch touchdown passes in both [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]] and [[Super Bowl XXXIX]]
What you probably won't see on the big screen are the many long, self-indulgent passages where Crichton hammers home the real point of his novel. As one of his characters puts it, "The threat of global warming is essentially non-existent. Even if it were a real phenomenon it would probably result in a net benefit to most of the world."


A sizeable chunk of the book is given over to quoting research to prove this point. It's the sort of thing you can expect to see turning up on Media Watch in the near future as right-wing talkback hosts quote slabs of Crichton, with or without attribution, in the never-ending quest to make the world safe for Exxon and BP.
===A-11===
{{main|A-11 offense}}


If this doesn't bother you - and most techno-thrillers do come with a heavy philosophical bias towards the right - you'll probably enjoy ''State of Fear''. However, it is by no means Crichton's best work.
One of the newest and most novel offenses to debut in the past several years is the [[A-11 offense]], invented in September 2007 by Kurt Bryan and Steve Humphries at [[Piedmont High School (California)|Piedmont High School]] in California. The offense exploits a loophole in the high school football rule books by running from what is technically considered a "scrimmage kick;" the quarterbacks (there are two of them) are positioned seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. The other nine players are then allowed to all wear numbers that make them appear to be eligible receivers, and thus spread across the field at or near the line of scrimmage (seven of these players on the line of scrimmage, the other two slightly off the line). While only four of the receivers are eligible during any given play, the formation allows the eligible and ineligible receivers to be interchanged frequently and makes it difficult to discern between eligible and ineligible receivers.


...''State of Fear'' falls down in its credibility. Not so much in the environmental science, which is merely boring after the first lecture, but mostly in the plotting... It's bad writing and it lets the reader ignore the larger point Crichton is trying to make.|||[[Sydney Morning Herald]]}}
==Defensive formations==
Rules regarding defensive formations are not as complex as their offensive counterparts. The defense may line up anywhere on its side of the neutral zone, and players are free to move at any time before the snap, but all defensive players must remain on their side of the neutral zone (defined as the width of the ball) before the snap. If they line up on the wrong side of the line, the offending player(s) are [[offsides]].


On [[The Guardian]], [[Peter Guttridge]] gave a unfavorable review and said:<ref>{{cite news | author= Peter Guttridge| title = Well, the bibiography sings | publisher = [[The Guardian]] | date = 2005-01-16 | url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/jan/16/crime.michaelcrichton | accessdate =2008-09-13 }}</ref>
The three basic defensive positions are:
{{Cquote|Underlying the novel is what he regards as 'the postmodern view of science' - that science is not a quest for knowledge and/or truth but another power struggle in which competing scientists are more likely to be influenced by self-interest and prejudice than by any objective evaluation of evidence.


He argues the point robustly both within the novel and an appendix... What has caused controversy is that he has chosen global warming to demonstrate this point of view. Crichton's argument is that there is no incontrovertible proof that global warming, in the way we envisage it in relation to carbon-monoxide emissions, actually exists.
*[[Defensive lineman]] (DL): Linemen play at the line of scrimmage, directly across from the offensive line. They are categorized as ''defensive tackles'' (DT) or ''defensive ends'' (DE). The 4-3 defense has 2 tackles and 2 ends; the 3-4 defense has 2 ends and 1 tackle, who is sometimes called a ''nose tackle'' (NT) to indicate the 3-4. Tackles line up inside and rely on power to stop the run, while ends line up outside and are faster and more athletic to allow them to pursue the quarterback.


He tries to be even-handed, but the plot thrust of the novel clearly aligns him with those people, such as President Bush, who are sceptical about global warming and prefer inaction to action on the issue.
*[[Linebacker]] (LB): Linebackers are positioned 2 to 4 yards behind the defensive line. The 4-3 defense has 3 linebackers, who are categorized as strong, middle and weak (SLB, MLB, WLB; also called Sam, Mike and Will). This is not an indication of strength; it instead refers to the positioning of the linebackers relative to the offense. Strong linebackers line up on the same side as the tight end, weakside away from the tight end. A 3-4 defense will use 4 linebackers, who are indicated by their side (right/left) and positioning (inside/outside).


... Crichton's thrillers sometimes have shortcomings such as cardboard characterisation and clunky writing but he is usually excellent at passing on all the research he has done in an interesting way. Here, however, his didacticism gets the better of him... In State of Fear's 600-plus pages, there is a great deal of discussion about global warming. Technical information is sometimes conveyed through graphs and charts. This, in the end, gets in the way of the thriller elements. This is a thriller that reads more like a polemic.
*[[Defensive back]] (DB): Defensive backs can include ''cornerbacks'' (CB), a ''strong safety'' (SS, lines up on same side as tight end) and a ''free safety'' (FS, so called because they are "free" to roam where needed). Cornerbacks are almost always responsible for defending receivers against the pass. Safeties often defend receivers as well, but they are usually positioned in the center of the field to be prepared to stop the run as well.


State of Fear does wrestle with what is happening in the world around us and Crichton provides ample food for thought. Check out that bibliography - it's a fascinating reading list - but the fact that my interest was held more by the bibliography than the plot of the novel means that this is a thriller that definitely fails to thrill.|||[[The Guardian]]}}
Two terms often heard in referring to defensive formations are "the box" and "the secondary". The box is defined as an area on the defensive side of the ball, within 5 yards of the [[line of scrimmage]] and framed by the offensive tackles. This area is most commonly occupied by defensive linemen and linebackers. The secondary can refer to the defensive backs as a group, or to the area behind the linebackers usually occupied by defensive backs. The two standard NFL defenses, the 4-3 and the 3-4, have 7 players in the box; sometimes the phrase "8 in the box" will be used to indicate that one of the safeties has moved into the box to defend against the run.


On [[The New York Times]], [[Bruce Barcott]] gave a unfavorable review and said:<ref>{{cite news | author= Bruce Barcott| title = 'State of Fear': Not So Hot| publisher = [[The New York Times]] | date = 2005-01-30 | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/30/books/review/30BARCOTT.html | accessdate =2008-09-13 }}</ref>
[[Image:The box.PNG|thumb|center|400px|'''A defensive formation with the "box" highlighted.''']]
{{Cquote|There's a problem with Michael Crichton's new thriller, and it shows up before the narrative even begins. In a disclaimer that follows the copyright page, Crichton writes: "This is a work of fiction... However, references to real people, institutions and organizations that are documented in footnotes are accurate. Footnotes are real."
These formations assume the offense is lined up strong side right (from the offenses point of view). These diagrams could be matched up to the diagrams above to make a complete 22 player football field.


Footnotes?
===4-3===
This is the base defense for most teams. It consists of four defensive linemen, three linebackers, and four defensive backs (two safeties, two corners). Against two-receiver offensive sets, this formation is effective against the run and the pass. In the 4-3, the linemen tend to line up in the gaps between the offensive line. On passing downs, the Mike (middle linebacker) is often responsible to cover any running backs, the Sam (strong-side linebacker) covers the Tight End, and the Will (weak-side linebacker) either covers a back or "blitzes" in an attempt to "sack" the quarterback. This formation was invented by former [[Dallas Cowboys]] Head Coach [[Tom Landry]] while he was the defensive coordinator of the [[New York Giants]].


Yes, there will be footnotes. Although "State of Fear" comes dressed as an airport-bookstore thriller, Crichton's readers will discover halfway through their flight that the novel more closely resembles one of those Ann Coulter "Liberals Are Stupid" jobs. Liberals, environmentalists and many other straw men endure a stern thrashing in "State of Fear," but Crichton's primary target is the theory of global warming, which he believes is a scientific delusion. In his zeal to expose the emperor's nudity the author cites, ad nauseam, actual studies that seem to contradict the conventional wisdom on global warming. Hence, footnotes.
[[Image:4-3 green.svg|thumb|center|400px|'''Basic 4-3''']]


...The annoying citations make it apparent that the author desperately wants to be taken seriously on the global warming stuff. That would be perfectly fine in a Weekly Standard cover story. In a thriller, it's a little like having the author interrupt the story to insist that Dr. Evil actually has a death ray. Crichton's proof is itself laughably rigged. Kenner cites study after study but Drake, the scheming NERF leader, is allowed no evidence. "Just trust me, it's happening," Drake says of global warming. "Count on it." There are, of course, thousands of scientific studies that raise disturbing questions about climate change and the human role in its cause. To claim that it's a hoax is every novelist's right. To criticize the assumptions and research gaps in global warming theory is any scientist's prerogative. Citing real studies to support the idea of a hoax is ludicrous.|||[[The New York Times]]}}
[[Image:4-3 over green.svg|thumb|center|400px|'''4-3 over (linebackers shifted to strong-side)''']]


== Controversies ==
[[Image:4-3 under green.svg|thumb|center|400px|'''4-3 under (linebackers shifted to weak-side)''']]
Despite it being a work of fiction, the book has found use by global warming skeptics. For example, United States Senator [[Jim Inhofe]], who once pronounced global warming "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people",<ref name="CBSnews">{{cite news | last = Mooney | first = Chris | title = Warmed Over - American Prospect: Sen. James Inhofe's Science Abuse | publisher = [[CBS News]] | date = 2005-01-11 | url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/11/opinion/main666190.shtml | accessdate = 2008-08-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Coile | first = Zachary | title = Senator says warming by humans just a hoax | publisher = [[San Francisco Chronicle]] | date = 2006-10-11 | url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/11/WARMING.TMP | accessdate = 2008-08-15}}</ref> made ''State of Fear'' “required reading” for the [[Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works]], which he chaired from 2003-2007. In September 2005, Inhofe called Crichton to testify before this committee.<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite news | last = Janofsky | first = Michael | title = Michael Crichton, Novelist, Becomes Senate Witness | publisher = [[The New York Times]] | date = 2005-09-29 | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/29/books/29cric.html | accessdate = 2008-08-15}}</ref> During Crichton's testimony Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton scolded him for views that "muddy the issues around sound science" and Senator Barbara Boxer said, "I think we have to focus on facts, not fiction." <ref name="NYTimes" /> In part for his reliance on Crichton's novel as a scientific source, [[Chris Mooney]] of [[The American Prospect]] called Inhofe "the U.S. Senate's leading abuser of science."<ref name="CBSnews" />


The novel received the [[American Association of Petroleum Geologists]] (AAPG) [[2006]] Journalism Award. AAPG Communications director Larry Nation told the ''[[New York Times]]'', "It is fiction, but it has the absolute ring of truth." The presentation of this award has been criticized as a promotion of the politics of the oil industry and for blurring the lines between [[fiction]] and journalism.<ref name="DeanNYT">{{cite news | last = Dean | first = Cornelia | title = Truth? Fiction? Journalism? Award Goes to . . . | publisher = [[New York Times]] | date = 2006-02-09 | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/09/national/09prize.html | accessdate = 2008-08-17}}</ref> After some controversy within the organization, AAPG has since renamed the award the "Geosciences in the Media" Award.<ref>[http://www.aapg.org/explorer/president/2006/06june.cfm President 06:2006 EXPLORER]</ref>.
===6-1===
The 6-1 defense basically has the personnel of the 4-3 defense, but instead of the outside linebackers playing behind the defensive line, they line up alongside of the defensive line. The middle linebacker is the only one directly behind the line.


[[Daniel P. Schrag|Dr. Daniel P. Schrag]], Director of the [http://www.eps.harvard.edu/people/faculty/schrag/ Center for the Environment] at [[Harvard University]] , called the award "''a total embarrassment''" that he said "''reflects the politics of the oil industry and a lack of professionalism''" on the association's part. As for the book, he added, "''I think it is unfortunate when somebody who has the audience that Crichton has shows such profound ignorance.''"<ref name="DeanNYT" />
===3-4===
This is the base defense of some teams. It consists of three defensive linemen, four linebackers, and four defensive backs (two safeties, two corners). The advantage is that while 4 players still usually rush the line, the quarterback can be less sure of which of the 4 linebackers will join the 3 linemen. This formation sacrifices some size (of linemen) for speed (of linebackers), but coaches choosing to utilize this formation as their base defense typically choose larger players in the front 7 to make up for the shortage of size. In this formation, the single tackle usually lines up directly over the "nose" of the ball, and is often called the "[[nose tackle]]". In this formation, the linemen often line up directly in front of the offensive line, while the linebackers "shoot the gaps".


[[Al Gore]] said on [[March 21]] [[2007]] before a US House committee: "The planet has a fever. If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor [...] if your doctor tells you you need to intervene here, you don't say 'Well, I read a science fiction novel that tells me it's not a problem.'" This, in several commentators' opinion, is a reference to ''State of Fear''.<ref>[http://news.ansible.co.uk/a237.html Ansible 237, April 2007]</ref><ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/04/01/climate_of_fear/ Climate of fear], [[The Boston Globe]], 1 April 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.alaskareport.com/do77777.htm More from 'Inconvenient Gore'], Alaska Report, 22 March 2007</ref>
[[Image:3-4 green.svg|thumb|center|400px|'''Basic 3-4''']]


===3-5===
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}
This is equivalent to a 3-4 only the strong safety plays as a linebacker.


== External links ==
===2-5===
* [http://slate.com/id/2110815/fr/rss/ Slate review of book]
In this variation of the 3-4, known also as the "3-4 eagle", the nose tackle is removed from play and in his place is an extra linebacker, which lines up on the line where the nose tackle would be, sometimes slightly behind where the nose tackle would be. It allows defenses more flexibility in man to man coverages and zone blitzes. It was created by the defensive guru [[Buddy Ryan]].
* [http://www.crichton-official.com/fear/index.html Official site from Michael Crichton]
* [http://www.pewclimate.org/state_of_fear.cfm Answers to Key Questions Raised by M. Crichton in State of Fear] &ndash; [[Pew Center on Global Climate Change]]


{{Michael Crichton}}
===4-4===
Consists of four defensive linemen, four linebackers, and three defensive backs (one safety, two corners). Puts "eight men in the box" to stop the run, but it sacrifices deep coverage against the pass, especially if the opponent's receivers are better athletes than the cornerbacks. The formation is popular in high school football as well as smaller collegiate teams.


[[Category:2004 novels]]
===46 (forty-six)===
[[Category:Environmental fiction books]]
{{main article|46 defense}}
[[Category:Futurology]]
This formation was invented by [[Buddy Ryan]], defensive coordinator of the [[Chicago Bears]] during the 1980s. Not 4 down linemen & 6 linebackers; it's actually a 4-4 set using 4-3 personnel . This was accomplished by moving a safety up into the "box" instead of a fourth linebacker. The '46' refers not to any lineman/linebacker orientation but was the jersey number of [[Doug Plank]], the player [[Buddy Ryan]] first used in this role at Chicago. The other feature of the 46 was the placement of both "outside" linebackers on the same side of the formation, with the defensive line shifted the opposite way. This defense was the philosophical equivalent of the "Notre Dame Box" offense devised by Knute Rockne in the 1930s, in that it used an unbalanced field and complex pre-snap motion to confuse the opposing offense. Chicago rode this defense into a 15-1 season in 1985, culminating in a 46-10 win over [[New England Patriots|New England]] in [[Super Bowl XX]].
[[Category:Techno-thriller novels]]
[[Category:Novels by Michael Crichton]]


[[cs:Říše strachu]]
[[Image:46 green.svg|thumb|center|400px|'''The 46. Notice the strong safety in the box and the 2 outside linebackers shifted to the same side outside of the defensive end''']]
[[de:Welt in Angst]]

[[es:Estado de miedo]]
===5-2===
[[fr:État d'urgence (roman)]]
Consists of five defensive linemen, two linebackers, and four defensive backs (two corners, two safeties). Used to stop the run without sacrificing a safety. This formation is common in high schools and college.
[[it:Stato di paura]]

[[nl:State of Fear]]
[[Image:5-2 green.svg|thumb|center|400px|'''The 5-2. If the defensive ends drop into pass coverage, this formation becomes functionally equivalent to a 3-4''']]
[[pl:Państwo Strachu]]

[[zh:恐惧状态]]
===Nickel formation===
Any formation that uses 5 defensive backs (from nickel = 5 cent piece) instead of the usual 4. Often used when the offense is using extra wide-receivers, as it matches an extra corner back against the extra wideout. The extra corner is often called a [[nickelback (position)|nickelback]]. Some variations use an extra strong safety instead of an extra corner. Strong safeties are often the most physical of the safeties, often resembling linebackers, so a nickel with the extra safety can be more effective against the run than one with an extra corner. The Nickel formation comes in several varieties:

[[Image:4-2-5 green.PNG|thumb|center|400px|'''The <u>4-2-5</u> removes a linebacker from the standard 4-3 to get the extra defensive back. A variation is the <u>2-4-5</u> which replaces rush ends with outside linebackers. It is common among teams which normally use a 3-4 set.''']]

[[Image:3-3-5 green.svg|thumb|center|400px|'''The <u>3-3-5</u> removes a lineman to get the nickelback.''']]

[[Image:33 stack green.svg|thumb|center|400px|'''The <u>33 stack</u> uses an extra strong safety, and "stacks" linebackers and safetys directly behind the defensive linemen.''']]

[[Image:3-5-3 green.svg|thumb|center|400px|'''The <u>3-5-3</u> refers to a defense that has three down linemen (the "3" level), three linebackers and two corners (the "5" level), one free safety and 2 strong safeties (the "3"level). This is similar to a 33 stack, but with players more spread. Also called the "umbrella" defense or "3-deep." In this set, the third safety would be referred to as a "weak safety" (WS) and allows two position safeties at the mid-level with a third safety deep. It is because of this that the secondary safety in a football defense is called a free safety rather than a weak safety''']]

===Dime formation===
Any defense consisting of six defensive backs. The sixth defensive back is known as the dimeback and this defense is also used in passing situations (particularly when the offense is using four wide receivers). As the extra defensive back in the nickel formation is called the nickel, two nickels gives you a dime, hence the name of the formation.

[[Image:Dime green.PNG|thumb|center|400px|'''A <u>4-1-6</u> (typical dime set-up)''']]

===Quarter and half-dollar formations (prevent defense)===
:''See also [[American football strategy#Prevent]]

Any defense consisting of seven (quarter) or eight (half dollar) defensive backs. The seventh defensive back is often an extra safety, and this defense is used in extreme passing situations (such as to defend against a [[Hail Mary pass]]). It is occasionally referred to as the '''prevent defense''' because of its use in preventing desperation plays. The cornerbacks and safeties in a prevent defense usually make a point in a prevent defense of defending the goal line at the expense of receivers in the middle of the field, thus making the formation susceptible to running plays and short passes.

The quarter formations are run from a 3-1-7 or a 4-0-7 in most instances; the [[New England Patriots]] have used an 0-4-7 in some instances with no down linemen. Half dollar defenses are almost always run from a 3-0-8 formation. The eighth defensive back in this case is usually a [[wide receiver]] from the offense; this is usually because the offensive players would be better than the defensive roster depth at that point, and the wide receiver's pass catching skills would come in handy in some situation.

Unlike other formations, the extra safety is '''''NOT''''' referred to as a quarterback or halfback, for obvious reasons, but rather simply as a [[defensive back]] or a safety.

[[Image:Quarter green.PNG|thumb|center|400px|'''3-deep quarter formation (3-1-7), the most common''']]

[[Image:Patriots quarter green.PNG|thumb|center|400px|'''[[Bill Belichick]], head coach of the [[New England Patriots]], has used this unusual variation "Quarter" formation with no linemen (essentially a 0-4-7)''']]

===Goal line defense===
Defense used on the goal line or in short yardage situations where the entire defense lines up close to the line of scrimmage in an attempt to stop an expected running play. It is usually used to counter a Goal Line offense. Since there is not more than 10-11 yards of field left, the safeties can be pulled for more linemen or linebackers.

However, depending upon the abilities of a particular receiving corps, some defenses may be forced to keep their defensive backs in goal-line situations, weakening their ability to stop the run.

[[Image:Goalline green.PNG|thumb|center|400px|'''A goal-line defense with "9 in the box"''']]

===Other variants===
Clearly, the permutations are endless, bound only the individual and collective abilities of a defensive unit. More extreme formations may be called for when a coach feels that his team is at a particular disadvantage due to personnel matchups. For example, Coach [[Eric Mangini]] of the New York Jets has employed an interesting scheme that involves 1 defensive lineman and 6 linebackers serving as the front seven. Prior to the snap, only the lineman assumes a three-point stance, ready to rush the passer. The 6 linebackers, meanwhile, "rove" up and down the line of scrimmage, attempting to confuse the quarterback as to whether they will rush, drop into coverage, or even bring the blitz. This defense, combined with poor weather conditions, did serve to improve the Jets' pass rush against a normally reliable Patriots o-line, limiting Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady to just 14/27 passing, with 0 TDs and 1 INT, during a December 16, 2007 contest, but proved ineffective in stopping the Patriots' running attack.

==Special teams formations==
===Kicking situations===
[[Image:Punt block formation.svg|thumb|right|240px|Diagram of a punt formation (blue, at top), against a punt-block formation (red, at bottom).]]

Punting formations use a five-man offensive line, three "upbacks" (sometimes also referred to as "personal protectors") approximately 3 yards behind the line to act as an additional line of defense, two wide receivers known as "[[gunner (American football)|gunners]]" either to stop the punt returner or to down the ball and the punter, 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage to receive the long snap. The number of upbacks and gunners can vary, and either position can be replaced by a tight end in a "max protect" situation.<br clear="all"/>

<!-- Anyone able to convert these ascii art pics to real images would be greatly appreciated. -->

| |[][][][][] [][][][][]
| FS | PK
| LB LB LB |-----------()-----------
|CB DEDTNTDTDE CB| [] [] [] [] []
|---------()---------| [] []
| TELTLGLSRGRTTE | [] []
| UB UB | KR KR
| PH |
| |
| PK |

:''Above: [[ASCII art]] representations of the offensive kick (bottom left) against a generic kick defense formation (top left) Note the extremely tight spacing of the linemen. Top right: Kickoff formation, bottom right: kick return formation.''

Most field goals feature nine offensive linemen (seven on the line, both ends in the tight end position, with two extra slightly off the line of scrimmage), a place holder who kneels 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage, and a kicker.

Kickoff formations are usually in a straight line, with ten players (nine if a placeholder is used on the kickoff) lined up across the field several yards behind the ball. Many leagues require that at least four players be on each side of the kicker at the time of a kick; prior to this, an [[onside kick]] formation often had all ten of the other players on one side of the kicker.

Kick return formations vary; in most situations, an [[association football]]-like formation is used, with eleven players staggered throughout the field including a kick returner or two back to receive a deep kick. To defend punts, the defensive line usually uses a man-on-man system with seven defensive linemen, two cornerbacks, a linebacker and a kick returner. They may choose to attempt to block the punt, or drop back to block the receiver.

[[Image:Post-Pisarcik QB kneel formation.svg|150px|right|thumb|The "kneel" formation was developed in 1978 after [[The Miracle at the Meadowlands]].]]

===Kneel===

A special formation is used at the end of a game, when a team has a lead and simply needs to run out the clock to win the game. The "[[quarterback kneel|kneel]]" or "victory" formation was developed in the [[1978 NFL season]] after a botched play led to what is known today as [[The Miracle at the Meadowlands]]. This formation is intended for one purpose: to allow the quarterback to safely down the ball without losing control, preventing the defense from recovering and advancing the ball to the end zone. The formation features several stop-gaps in the event the quarterback does lose the ball: a seven-man line, the quarterback, two upbacks (running backs) immediately behind him, one at each side in the event he fumbles, and a fast player (usually a wide receiver or cornerback) several yards back as a last resort in case the defense recovers and is able to advance the ball.<br clear="all"/>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.sportsmogul.com/footballcd/Help/formations.htm Diagrams of NFL offensive and defensive formations]
* [http://mutigers.collegesports.com/trads/miss-split-t.html Article on the history of the Split T formation]
* [http://www.dailytexanonline.com/media/paper410/news/2004/09/24/Sports/Wishing.For.Options-730445.shtml Story on the invention of the Wishbone]

{{American football positions}}

[[Category:American football formations| ]]

Revision as of 04:24, 13 October 2008

State of Fear
First edition cover
AuthorMichael Crichton
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fiction,
Techno-thriller,
Dystopian novel
PublisherHarperCollins
Publication date
December 7, 2004
Media typePrint (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages640 pp (first edition, hardback), 567 pp without bibliography and appendix
ISBNISBN 0-00-718159-0 (first edition, hardback) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character

State of Fear is a 2004 "message" novel by Michael Crichton published by HarperCollins on December 7, 2004. Like most of his novels it is a techno-thriller, this time concerning eco-terrorists who attempt mass murder to support their views. The novel had an initial print run of 1.5 million copies and reached the #1 bestseller position at amazon.com and #2 at the New York Times Best Seller list for one week in January 2005. The book contains many graphs and footnotes, two appendices, and a twenty page bibliography, all combining to give an actual or fictional impression of scientific authority.[1][2][3][4][5]

Prominent climate scientists have stated that its use of scientific data is inaccurate and misleading.[6][7][8][9][10]

Overview

State of Fear (like many of Michael Crichton's recent works) is a fictional work that uses actual science, unsupported speculation and technical non-fictional material (the author clearly[citation needed] identifies which is which) to support the storyline. The debate over global warming serves as the backdrop for the book. Crichton supplies a personal afterword and two appendices that attempt to link the fictional part of the book with real examples of his thesis, though critics[citation needed] dispute the validity of some of his citations.

The main villains in the plot are environmentalists. Crichton does give blame to "industry" in both the plot line and the appendices. Various assertions appear in the book, for example:

  • The science that supports or does not support the theory behind global warming is so incomplete that no reasonable conclusions can be drawn on how to solve the "problem" (or if the "problem" even exists).
  • Elites in various fields use either real or artificial crises to maintain the existing social order, misusing the "science" behind global warming.
  • As a result of potential conflicts of interest, the scientists conducting research on topics related to global warming may subtly change their findings to bring them in line with their funding sources.

Michael Crichton argues for removing politics from science and uses global warming and real life historical examples in the appendices to make this argument. The author also states in the above mentioned sources[citation needed] that he also uses the story as a cautionary tale of the results of a decline in critical thinking skills in the Western World.

The page opposite the copyright page contains the following disclaimer:

"This is a work of fiction. Characters, corporations, institutions, and organizations in this novel are the product of the author's imagination, or, if real used fictitiously without intent to describe their actual conduct. However, references to real people, institutions and organizations that are documented in the footnotes are accurate. Footnotes are real."

Plot summary

The novel takes place in 2004; the plot is built around a group of eco-terrorists who are attempting to create a state of fear to further advance their agenda regarding global warming.

The protagonist is an environmentalist lawyer named Peter Evans. Evans is a junior associate at a large Los Angeles law firm that represents many environmentalist clients (although they also have clients in industry). Evans is described as someone who eagerly accepts all conventional wisdom about global warming, but not unquestioningly. He is also described as something of a weak willed person who has lukewarm relationships with women. Evans's chief client is a billionaire philanthropist, George Morton, who donates large sums to environmentalist causes. Evans's main duties are managing the legal affairs surrounding Morton's contributions to an environmentalist organization, the National Environmental Resource Fund (NERF) (modeled after the Sierra Club).[citation needed]

Morton becomes suspicious of NERF and its director, Nicholas Drake, after he discovers that NERF has misused some of the funds he has given the group. Soon after, Morton is visited by two men, John Kenner and Sanjong Thapa, who appear on the surface to be researchers at MIT, but, in fact, are international law enforcement agents on the trail of an eco-terrorist group, the Environmental Liberation Front (ELF) (modeled on the Earth Liberation Front).[citation needed] The ELF is attempting to create "natural" disasters to convince the public of the dangers of global warming; all these events are timed to happen during a NERF-sponsored climate conference that will highlight the "catastrophe" of global warming. The eco-terrorists have no qualms about how many people are killed in their manufactured "natural" disasters and ruthlessly assassinate anyone who gets in their way (their preferred methods being ones few would recognize as murder; the venom of a rare Australian Blue-ringed octopus which causes a form of paralysis most hospitals mistake for a disease and therefore never successfully treat and "lightning attractors" which cause their victims to get electrocuted in electrical storms). Kenner and Thapa suspect Drake of involvement with the ELF to further his own ends (garnering more donations to NERF from the environmentally-minded public).

Morton pulls his funding from NERF and has Evans rewrite the contract so that Drake can't access the money except in small amounts. This earns Drake's wrath resulting in strained relations between Evans and the partners at his firm (Drake is a major client of the firm and accuses Evans of being a spy for corporate industry). NERF holds a banquet in Morton's honor citing him as "NERF's Concerned Citizen of the Year"; at the event Morton gives a rambling speech in which he announces the pulling of his funding. Morton subtly makes this look due to his having drunk too much on the flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco where he was accompanied by two of NERF's biggest supporters (Ted Bradley, an actor and celebrity endorser of NERF, and Ann Garner, a wealthy socialite) and Evans. Soon after the speech, Morton dies in a car accident under mysterious circumstances. Following Morton's last instructions, Evans teams up with Kenner and Thapa on a globe-spanning trip to thwart various ELF disaster schemes. Also along for the ride is Morton's beautiful assistant, Sarah Jones. Evans is intimidated by Sarah because of her beauty and because she possesses a self-confidence Evans lacks. By the same token, Sarah also finds Evans attractive, but is put off by his lack of bravado.

A subplot parallels the main plot and is the driving force for many of Evans' actions later on, at the behest of Morton. Morton has promised to donate $10 million to support a class action lawsuit on behalf of the people of the fictional island nation Vanutu. The suit claims that by its inaction to curb global warming the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has doomed Vanutu to destruction, technically an act of war, because when sea levels increase by the amount that "most" climate models predict the nation will be buried underwater. At the behest of Morton, Evans pays a visit to the offices of the legal team that is preparing the suit where he volunteers to be a pre-jury selection interviwee. The interviewer is Jennifier Haynes who presents him with various pieces of evidence that she feels the defense will use in an attempt to discredit the "science" behind the lawsuit. Later, she reveals that the lawsuit is just an elaborate publicity stunt. The parties who initiated it know that it will never succeed. They only want to create a legal action that will drag on for years giving them numerous opportunities to dramatize the plight of the islanders as they cope with the "catastrophe" of global warming. Later, Haynes reveals herself to be Kenner's niece and in league with him.

Kenner, Sanjong, Evans and Sarah travel to various locations to sabotage the ELF's planned "natural" disasters: first, the detonation of several explosives in an Antarctic ice shelf to release an enormous iceberg, then the use of special rockets and filament wire to produce a man-made lightning storm and flood in a crowded national park. During his travels, Evans finds his convictions about global warming challenged by Kenner and Sanjong who present him with reams of data suggesting that global warming may not be happening at all, may be insignificant if it is, and may not be caused by human activity. Evans's convictions are further shaken as he observes the ELF trying to manufacture disasters that will kill thousands of people, discovers that Drake is directing these terrorist acts, and narrowly escapes several ELF assassination attempts. He also begins to shed his weak-willed demeanor and grows more enamored of Sarah after he saves her life on several occasions. After NERF disbands the legal team that was preparing the Vanutu suit Jennifier joins the group for the final leg of the trip.

In the finale of the story, the group travels to a remote island in the Solomons to stop the ELF's "piece de resistance", a tsunami that will inundate the coastline of California just as Drake is winding up the international conference on the "catastrophe" of global warming. Along the way they battle man-eating crocodiles and cannibalistic tribesmen (who feast on Ted Bradley, whom Drake had sent to spy on Kenner and his team). The rest of the group are rescued in the nick of time by Morton who resurfaces. It turns out that he faked his own death to throw Drake off the trail so that he could keep watch on the ELF's activities on the island while he waited for Kenner and his team to arrive. The group has a final confrontation with the elite ELF team on the island during which Jennifer is almost killed and Evans kills one of the terrorists who had tried to kill both him and Sarah in Antarctica. The rest of the ELF team is killed by the backwash from their own tsunami which Kenner and his team sabotage just enough to prevent it from becoming a full-size tsunami and reaching California. Drake and his cohorts are arrested. Evans and Sarah finally admit their feelings for each other. Evans quits the firm and goes to work for Morton with his new (unnamed) organization, which will practice environmental activism as a business, free from potential conflicts of interest.

Metaphorical Use of Characters

To allow the reader to clearly follow the various positions portrayed in the book, Crichton uses the major characters as proxies for differing viewpoints on the topic of global warming.

  • Kenner is a stand in for Crichton himself [11]
  • Evans is the stand in for the reader (who Crichton presumes accepts most of the tenets of Global Warming without any detailed study of it, but not unquestioningly)[12]
  • Drake is a stand in for the environmental movement "professional" activist [13]
  • Ted/Ann are stand ins for people who accept the "environmentalist" party line without question [14]
  • Sarah [15]/Jennifer [16] are stand ins for the academic community (intelligent enough to follow the debate but undecided until the evidence is presented) with Sarah being the portion of the community likely to believe in Global Warming on less then undeniable evidence (they will accept "Likely, but not proven" as sufficient proof) and Jennifer represents the part of the community that accepts undeniable evidence only
  • Jennifer is also a stand in for conflicts of interest created by how the research is funded (i.e. her "official" story changes based on who is paying the bills but in private she makes her true feelings known)[17]
  • Sanjong is a stand in for the local university library/reputable Internet source verification, etc. [18]
  • Morton is a stand in for public opinion (Crichton presumes[citation needed] that public opinion will turn very nasty against the traditional enviromental groups once they discover their "subjective" PR campaign)[19]

Critics (and some first time/casual readers) mistake[citation needed] Kenner/Sanjong as being stand ins for industry. Since Kenner is often as critical of industry as he is of the environmental movement, his only real agenda is to present the science in a objective manner.

Author's afterword/Appendixes

Crichton included a statement of his views on global climate change as an afterword. In the "Author's message", Crichton states that the cause, extent, and threat of climate change is largely unknown and unknowable. He finishes by endorsing the management of wilderness and the continuation of research into all aspects of the Earth's environment. In Appendix I, Crichton warns both sides of the global warming debate against the politicization of science. Here he provides two examples of the disastrous combination of pseudo-science and politics, the early 20th-century idea of eugenics, which he directly links to be one of the theories that allowed for the Holocaust and Lysenkoism. This appendix is followed by a bibliography of 172 books and journal articles that Crichton presents "...to assist those readers who would like to review my thinking and arrive at their own conclusions." (State of Fear, pp, 583).

Criticism

Scientific

This novel received criticism from climate scientists,[20][21][22]science journalists[23][24] and environmental groups[25][26] for inaccuracies and misleading information. 16 of 18 top U.S. climate scientists interviewed by Knight Ridder, said the author is bending scientific data and distorting research.[22] Several scientists whose research had been referenced in the novel stated that Crichton had distorted it in the novel. MIT meteorology professor Richard Lindzen was quoted as saying "the science was handled intelligently and responsibly. Crichton... and comes to the issue with intelligence as well as a professional scientific background."[22]

Peter Doran, leading author of the Nature paper,[27][28] wrote in the New York Times stating that

"... our results have been misused as “evidence” against global warming by Michael Crichton in his novel “State of Fear”[21]

Myles Allen, Head of the Climate Dynamics Group, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, wrote in Nature in 2005:

"Michael Crichton’s latest blockbuster, State of Fear, is also on the theme of global warming and is likely to mislead the unwary. . . Although this is a work of fiction, Crichton’s use of footnotes and appendices is clearly intended to give an impression of scientific authority."[20]

The Union of Concerned Scientists devote a section of their website to what they describe as misconceptions readers may take away from the book.[26] Jeffrey Masters, Chief meteorologist for Weather Underground, writes: "Crichton presents an error-filled and distorted version of the Global Warming science, favoring views of the handful of contrarians that attack the consensus science of the IPCC."[29] James Hansen wrote: He (Michael Crichton) doesn’t seem to have the foggiest notion about the science that he writes about.[30]

Literary criticism and book reviews

The novel has received mixed reviews from professional literary reviewers.[31] Most critics made the following points as to the reason for their reviews: The storyline is weak compared to previous Crichton's works; the use of heavy footnoting and presentation of numerous graphs do not serve plot development and only exist to support Crichton's central thesis. The characterization is weak, and, in attempting to prove his central thesis, Crichton loses sight of the elements that have made him an appreciated techno-thriller author.

The Wall Street Journal's Ronald Bailey gave a favorable review stating:[32]

In "State of Fear" ... Michael Crichton delivers a lightning-paced technopolitical thriller that turns on a controversial notion: All that talk we've been hearing about global warming—you know, polar ice caps melting, weather systems sent into calamitous confusion, beach weather lingering well into January—might be at best misguided, at worst dead wrong. Think "The Da Vinci Code" with real facts, violent storms and a different kind of faith altogether. ..."State of Fear" is, in a sense, the novelization of a speech that Mr. Crichton delivered in September 2003 at San Francisco's Commonwealth Club. He argued there that environmentalism is essentially a religion, a belief-system based on faith, not fact. To make this point, the novel weaves real scientific data and all too real political machinations into the twists and turns of its gripping story.

— The Wall Street Journal

On Entertainment Weekly, Gregory Kirschling gave a favorable A- review and said:[33]

It's a first for Crichton, whose thrillers, from Jurassic Park to Timeline to Prey, have always alternated ginormous action scenes with user-friendly rap sessions that outline the facts on DNA, quantum teleportation," or nanobots. Finally, he's written a book in which the science turns pages faster than the derring-do does. That's because, with Fear, Crichton's found his best button-pushing subject yet: global warming...

Crichton doesn't buy it, and he's out to discredit the whole theory. For real! No wonder the novel's been cloaked in such secrecy right up till publication. "The threat of global warming," as one character puts it, "is essentially nonexistent"... This stuff's way better than nanobots or time travel. But his plot, for once, is a distraction...

Part of the fun is that, for the first 400 pages or so, Crichton wants you to think of him as a right-wing nut. Don't be fooled. He's not just deflating global-warming environmentalists. When he finally gets around to explaining what he means by "state of fear," it's in another character-sputtered rant on "the way modern society works — by the constant creation of fear" by politicians, lawyers, and the media. Michael Moore, who made the same point in Bowling for Columbine, could've written the passage. State of Fear is one of Crichton's best because it's as hard to pigeonhole as greenhouse gas but certainly heats up the room.

— Entertainment Weekly

On The New Republic, Sacha Zimmerman gave a mixed review and said:[34]

Michael Crichton has long been well-known for taking controversial theories or technologies and surrounding them with the fast and sexy trappings of a thriller. His novels have been years ahead of their time... But his latest effort is almost uncanny in its timeliness. State of Fear, Crichton's examination of global warming and environmental extremism, is very much a reflection of current global fascination.

...Crichton uses Evans's resolute belief in global warming as a means of instructing the reader in the facts of climatology -- or, at least the facts as Crichton sees them. Under the guise of a deposition, Evans is deluged with information and diagrams intended to alter his thinking. It would be a perfectly effective instructional device were it not for the fact that Crichton seems to think the reader is as daft as Evans. In depicting Evans's slow acceptance that global warming is a fiction, Crichton almost seems to be saying to the reader, "If an oaf like Evans can get it, then you would certainly be an idiot not to." Nevermind the fact that no author should force readers to examine dozens of similar charts with predictable outcomes or a fictional deposition that reads like a seminar in condescension. (Then there's the small matter of whether Crichton's instruction on global warming has any merit to begin with -- his views on the subject are controversial, to say the least.)

But despite these problems, Crichton does deliver a globe-trotting thriller that pits man against nature in brutal spectacles while serving up just the right amount of international conspiracy and taking digs at fair-weather environmentalists.

— The New Republic

On the Sydney Morning Herald, John Birminghamn gave a unfavorable review and said:[35]

State of Fear is ostensibly about a James Bond-like conspiracy by green nutters to alert the world to the threat of environmental disaster by manufacturing a couple of environmental disasters. When Crichton sticks to this script he produces a number of agreeable set-piece action sequences which keep the pages turning and will doubtless form the basis of a $100-million Hollywood adaptation.

What you probably won't see on the big screen are the many long, self-indulgent passages where Crichton hammers home the real point of his novel. As one of his characters puts it, "The threat of global warming is essentially non-existent. Even if it were a real phenomenon it would probably result in a net benefit to most of the world."

A sizeable chunk of the book is given over to quoting research to prove this point. It's the sort of thing you can expect to see turning up on Media Watch in the near future as right-wing talkback hosts quote slabs of Crichton, with or without attribution, in the never-ending quest to make the world safe for Exxon and BP.

If this doesn't bother you - and most techno-thrillers do come with a heavy philosophical bias towards the right - you'll probably enjoy State of Fear. However, it is by no means Crichton's best work.

...State of Fear falls down in its credibility. Not so much in the environmental science, which is merely boring after the first lecture, but mostly in the plotting... It's bad writing and it lets the reader ignore the larger point Crichton is trying to make.

— Sydney Morning Herald

On The Guardian, Peter Guttridge gave a unfavorable review and said:[36]

Underlying the novel is what he regards as 'the postmodern view of science' - that science is not a quest for knowledge and/or truth but another power struggle in which competing scientists are more likely to be influenced by self-interest and prejudice than by any objective evaluation of evidence.

He argues the point robustly both within the novel and an appendix... What has caused controversy is that he has chosen global warming to demonstrate this point of view. Crichton's argument is that there is no incontrovertible proof that global warming, in the way we envisage it in relation to carbon-monoxide emissions, actually exists.

He tries to be even-handed, but the plot thrust of the novel clearly aligns him with those people, such as President Bush, who are sceptical about global warming and prefer inaction to action on the issue.

... Crichton's thrillers sometimes have shortcomings such as cardboard characterisation and clunky writing but he is usually excellent at passing on all the research he has done in an interesting way. Here, however, his didacticism gets the better of him... In State of Fear's 600-plus pages, there is a great deal of discussion about global warming. Technical information is sometimes conveyed through graphs and charts. This, in the end, gets in the way of the thriller elements. This is a thriller that reads more like a polemic.

State of Fear does wrestle with what is happening in the world around us and Crichton provides ample food for thought. Check out that bibliography - it's a fascinating reading list - but the fact that my interest was held more by the bibliography than the plot of the novel means that this is a thriller that definitely fails to thrill.

— The Guardian

On The New York Times, Bruce Barcott gave a unfavorable review and said:[37]

There's a problem with Michael Crichton's new thriller, and it shows up before the narrative even begins. In a disclaimer that follows the copyright page, Crichton writes: "This is a work of fiction... However, references to real people, institutions and organizations that are documented in footnotes are accurate. Footnotes are real."

Footnotes?

Yes, there will be footnotes. Although "State of Fear" comes dressed as an airport-bookstore thriller, Crichton's readers will discover halfway through their flight that the novel more closely resembles one of those Ann Coulter "Liberals Are Stupid" jobs. Liberals, environmentalists and many other straw men endure a stern thrashing in "State of Fear," but Crichton's primary target is the theory of global warming, which he believes is a scientific delusion. In his zeal to expose the emperor's nudity the author cites, ad nauseam, actual studies that seem to contradict the conventional wisdom on global warming. Hence, footnotes.

...The annoying citations make it apparent that the author desperately wants to be taken seriously on the global warming stuff. That would be perfectly fine in a Weekly Standard cover story. In a thriller, it's a little like having the author interrupt the story to insist that Dr. Evil actually has a death ray. Crichton's proof is itself laughably rigged. Kenner cites study after study but Drake, the scheming NERF leader, is allowed no evidence. "Just trust me, it's happening," Drake says of global warming. "Count on it." There are, of course, thousands of scientific studies that raise disturbing questions about climate change and the human role in its cause. To claim that it's a hoax is every novelist's right. To criticize the assumptions and research gaps in global warming theory is any scientist's prerogative. Citing real studies to support the idea of a hoax is ludicrous.

— The New York Times

Controversies

Despite it being a work of fiction, the book has found use by global warming skeptics. For example, United States Senator Jim Inhofe, who once pronounced global warming "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people",[38][39] made State of Fear “required reading” for the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, which he chaired from 2003-2007. In September 2005, Inhofe called Crichton to testify before this committee.[40] During Crichton's testimony Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton scolded him for views that "muddy the issues around sound science" and Senator Barbara Boxer said, "I think we have to focus on facts, not fiction." [40] In part for his reliance on Crichton's novel as a scientific source, Chris Mooney of The American Prospect called Inhofe "the U.S. Senate's leading abuser of science."[38]

The novel received the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) 2006 Journalism Award. AAPG Communications director Larry Nation told the New York Times, "It is fiction, but it has the absolute ring of truth." The presentation of this award has been criticized as a promotion of the politics of the oil industry and for blurring the lines between fiction and journalism.[41] After some controversy within the organization, AAPG has since renamed the award the "Geosciences in the Media" Award.[42].

Dr. Daniel P. Schrag, Director of the Center for the Environment at Harvard University , called the award "a total embarrassment" that he said "reflects the politics of the oil industry and a lack of professionalism" on the association's part. As for the book, he added, "I think it is unfortunate when somebody who has the audience that Crichton has shows such profound ignorance."[41]

Al Gore said on March 21 2007 before a US House committee: "The planet has a fever. If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor [...] if your doctor tells you you need to intervene here, you don't say 'Well, I read a science fiction novel that tells me it's not a problem.'" This, in several commentators' opinion, is a reference to State of Fear.[43][44][45]

References

  1. ^ NATURE| VOL 433 |20 JANUARY 2005
  2. ^ Review of Michael Crichton's State of Fear : Weather Underground
  3. ^ Cold, Hard Facts - New York Times
  4. ^ Michael Crichton’s “Scientific Method” James Hansen
  5. ^ Union of Concerned Scientists Crichton's Thriller State of Fear: Separating Fact from Fiction
  6. ^ The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Novel on global warming gets some scientists burned up
  7. ^ Review of Michael Crichton's State of Fear : Weather Underground
  8. ^ Cold, Hard Facts - New York Times
  9. ^ Michael Crichton’s “Scientific Method” James Hansen
  10. ^ IPCC Fourth Asessment Report Climate Change 2007
  11. ^ http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/14441/?a=f MIT Tech. Review of State of Fear
  12. ^ http://www.grist.org/advice/books/2005/02/01/roberts-fear/
  13. ^ http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110006022 Wall Street Journal Review
  14. ^ http://www.grist.org/advice/books/2005/02/01/roberts-fear/
  15. ^ New York Times Review of 'State of Fear'
  16. ^ http://harvardmagazine.com/2005/03/overheated-rhetoric.html Harvard Magazine Review
  17. ^ http://harvardmagazine.com/2005/03/overheated-rhetoric.html Harvard Magazine Review
  18. ^ http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2005-04/science-friction Popular Science's Review
  19. ^ http://www.aapg.org/explorer/2005/02feb/crichton.cfm AAPG's Review/Award Page
  20. ^ a b Milles Alen (2005-01-20). "A novel view of global warming" (PDF). Nature vol. 433. Retrieved 2008-08-14. PDF version from ClimatePrediction.net site
  21. ^ a b Peter Doran (2006-07-27). "Cold, Hard Facts". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  22. ^ a b c Borenstein, Seth (2005-02-10). "Novel on global warming gets some scientists burned up". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  23. ^ Mooney, Chris (2005-01-18). "Bad Science, Bad Fiction". Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
  24. ^ Evans, Harold (2005-10-07). "Crichton's conspiracy theory". BBC NEWS. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  25. ^ "Michael Crichton's State of Fear: They Don't Call It Science Fiction for Nothing". Natural Resources Defense Council. 2004-12-16. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  26. ^ a b "Crichton's Thriller State of Fear". Union of Concerned Scientists. 2005-06-27. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  27. ^ Doran; et al. (2002). "Antarctic climate cooling and terrestrial ecosystem response". Nature. 415 (6871): 517–520. doi:10.1038/nature710. Retrieved 2008-08-14. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help) in Letters to Nature 2002-01-13
  28. ^ Doran; et al. (2002-01-13). "Antarctic climate cooling and terrestrial ecosystem response" (PDF). University of Illinois at Chicago. Retrieved 2008-08-14. {{cite web}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help) PDF version: advance online publication Letters to Science
  29. ^ Review of Michael Crichton's State of Fear : Weather Underground
  30. ^ Michael Crichton’s “Scientific Method” James Hansen
  31. ^ "State of Fear. What the Critics Said". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  32. ^ Ronald Bailey (2004-12-10). "A Chilling Tale. Michael Crichton's "State of Fear"". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  33. ^ Gregory Kirschling (2004-12-13). "Book Review State of Fear (2004)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  34. ^ Sacha Zimmerman (2005-01-20). "Review-A-Day: State of Fear. Weather Man". The New Republic. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  35. ^ John Birminghamn (2005-01-15). "Books: State of Fear". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  36. ^ Peter Guttridge (2005-01-16). "Well, the bibiography sings". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  37. ^ Bruce Barcott (2005-01-30). "'State of Fear': Not So Hot". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  38. ^ a b Mooney, Chris (2005-01-11). "Warmed Over - American Prospect: Sen. James Inhofe's Science Abuse". CBS News. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  39. ^ Coile, Zachary (2006-10-11). "Senator says warming by humans just a hoax". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  40. ^ a b Janofsky, Michael (2005-09-29). "Michael Crichton, Novelist, Becomes Senate Witness". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  41. ^ a b Dean, Cornelia (2006-02-09). "Truth? Fiction? Journalism? Award Goes to . . ". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  42. ^ President 06:2006 EXPLORER
  43. ^ Ansible 237, April 2007
  44. ^ Climate of fear, The Boston Globe, 1 April 2007
  45. ^ More from 'Inconvenient Gore', Alaska Report, 22 March 2007

External links

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