I really loved Jurassic Park, Andromeda Strain and Prey, so I thought I'd love this. Wow, was I wrong. This book was terrible!! First off, it was just plain boring. Crichton seems to be writing an editorial against global warming rather than a novel. I don't want to read page after page of his opinions on science, I want to read a story. Plus the characters were cardboard cutouts of people and weren't interesting. They were just stock characters, stereotypes with no depth at all and weren't even likable. The book was just plain awful. I couldn't get through it. This was one of the most disappointing books I have ever attempted to read. I hated this so much, I may never pick up a Crichton book again. I want my money back!

I'm not a huge proponent of global warming, but this was a case of a man with an agenda trying too hard to weave it into a thriller, and failing. Far too many inconsistencies and inaccuracies, not to mention way over the top, plot-wise. I finally put it down because these things were just too irritating. My first Crichton book since that "Congo" to find the junk heap.

A complex and compelling book. You just have to stick with it through the setup phase and pay close attention to the long list of characters and how they all fit together. It's rare to find a piece of fiction that is entertaining and also educational (with resources and footnotes to help keep the facts straight).

I was hoping for a thrilling adventure story with some sound scientific ponderings to keep me thinking. Instead, what the author has given us in "State of Fear" is a poorly disguised rant.

Look, whether or not you "believe" in global warming, this is a poorly written effort. The characters are cardboard, one-dimensional. If the characters believe in global warming, they are superficial, ignorant and pompous. You hate them. If they don't believe, they are superficial, suffer from superiority complexes, and arrogant. You hate them. Then there are the few characters that don't even reveal THAT much in the way of personality; all they do is lecture. A lot. To the point of tears.

The story part of the book is added as an afterthought. Most of the time is spent flying somewhere (usually a very long flight) and having the characters lecture until the plane lands.

Oh, and Michael...that throwaway comment about the anthropologist who wrote the book on cannibalism? I read that book too. It was fascinating, and not nearly as black and white as you portrayed it for your purposes. What a shame. The minute you mentioned it, I KNEW the fate of your character Bradley. You should have just written a non-fiction book on the environment and been done with it, rather than torture your devoted readers.

You may look at global warming with new eyes after reading this well-researched and documented novel.

Michael Crichton, as usual, tells a good tale and while he's at it, he kicks Al Gores' global warming butt.

The novel takes place in 2004. The protagonist is an environmentalist lawyer named Peter Evans. Throughout the novel, Evans' views concerning the facts surrounding global warming are frequently challenged by other characters as he repeatedly thwarts terrorist activities initiated by a radical environmentalist group.

This is the typically quick, compelling read that we've come to expect from Crichton, but it is not his finest novel. On the plus side, his book will make you think carefully about the dogma that global warming has become. But, Crichton has taken some serious liberties by misconstruing the science behind the overwhelming support for global warming theory. He unevenly pits strong arguments dispelling global warming against unsupported emotionalism espoused by his "liberal" characters in the novel. Obviously, one benefit of being a fiction author is that you can make a character say whatever you damn well please, making it easy to villify and write off the environmental movement that he tarnishes in this fictional work.

On the whole, I think this book provides a dangerous substantiation of many conservatives' worst exaggerations and prejudices of the left, while glossing over significant research supporting global warming.

Don't read this if you want an unbiased view of the science. Do read it if you want an easy, trashy thriller that's hard to put down.

And Crichton, don't politicize a moral issue.

AWESOME! For those who think global warming is only a theory at best- you'll find it reassuring, for those who think it's fact, it's challenging to your beliefs.

I am concerned that some of these reviews have missed Crichton's main point. To me he was saying that environmental issues are complex, poorly understood, and frequently manipulated for short term political and financial gain. For the thoughtful reader, I think his book will help us to see how we have been "managed" by powerful people who instill a "State of Fear". Perhaps when we become less fearful, we will become more free. Give it a read and give it some thought.

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excellent and revealing book!

not only the story, but the well documented details regarding actual facts about climate and ecology.

Mr. Crichton was a brilliant man who injects a sane perspective into this emotionally charged issue - thus the plot line, which is believable to the point of being scary.

i may hold on to this one for awhile to review the data again.

If you are fed up with the global warming hysteria that has taken hold hold of the politicians and the media, this is the book for you. I just bought nine extra copies of this book so I could pass them around to all my friends and anyone else I can convince to read it. Of all of Michael Crichton's books, this may be the one that has the most lasting impact on his readers. I just regret that I didn't read this until after he had passed away. I would have loved to expressed my gratitude to him for this excellent turbo-thriller with a valuable message.

This is a great book!

The story was great. I liked the characters a lot. This an excellent book.

This is a highly educational novel concering Global Warming.

okay read, would not go out of my way to purchase and read.

This book is set in modern times and manages to bring a masterful look at a very controversial subject. Citing true science sources, yet interweaving a masterful mystery/suspense plot State of Fear is hard to put down until the end.

This was a very good book but it took me a while to get into it. I almost gave up about 1/4 of the way but decided to keep reading. Very involved plot line that took time to develop and get across. Still, a very good read.

Serious Entertainment, Spellbinding, Thrilling, and Compelling. Fast paced and exciting, hard to put down.

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