Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: What was Crichton thinking?

I know, I know... I've just finished "State of Fear" in the abridged edition. My concerns and complaints are a result of bad editing, not inferior writing. If I want the whole picture, then I need to read the unabridged edition. Except... there is no way that poor editing can be used as the sole excuse for this book. The story line is thin, the characters totally unbelievable, and the science distorted (and worse, the distortion is one-sided). Whether you believe in global climate change or not, this conspiracy theory that Crichton dreamed up is over-blown, dogma-ridden, and painful to "read." I expected much, much better. Is he trying to get a date with Dr. Laura?