Next

In his novel, Next, Michael Crichton, M.D., attacks, demonizes and mocks genetic scholars, politicians, judges, religious leaders, science journals, universities, bio tech firms, venture capitalists, physicians, hospital administrators, lawyers, bounty hunters and, of course, the media.

Fans of The Da Vinci Code, which attacks the Catholic Church, mocks its bishops and priests and questions its history and holdings, will love Next.

Like The Da Vinci Code, Crichton's Next is a quick read with very short chapters, mysterious characters and sub plots.

As the author puts it, "This novel is fiction, except for the parts that aren't."

The story is fiction, the science is not.

Indeed, Next seems to emulate and even mock The Da Vinci Code.

But Next is not only sarcastic and naturalistic, it's also funny, a 413-page running joke with discrete sex scenes and violence.

Next is a call to restore intellectual integrity to science, academia, medicine, journalism, the law and interpersonal relationships. In this book, most of the characters betray colleagues, business partners, spouses and lovers.

Along the way, it covers the issues of sperm-donor children, IVF, transgenetic creatures, cloning and the exploitation of genetic research. Like Future Shock, Crichton's Next lays out scenarios for the future that are both scary and optimistic.

It's a fun book that anyone interested in genetic research, medicine and the law will enjoy.

My problems with this book boil down into a few basic categories.

1. The characters are uninteresting and flat.
2. The characterization of biomedical researchers is inaccurate to the point of a drooling, random attack.
3. The naming of bit characters after prominent scientists.
4. The egregious assault on critics in the form of "Mick" Crowley.
5. The "plot" of the book is only loosely connected and coherent, and at times it takes authorial fiat to accomplish even that.
6. Technical inaccuracies that should never have been made.

I will break each of these down into finer points below.

The characters are flat and uninteresting.
There are a number of characters in this book, from bounty hunters to biomedical researchers. None of them are interesting. Except a parrot, named Gerrard, who is obviously based on Alex, Irene Pepperberg's avian research colleague. The others fall into two categories: The greedy (i.e., virtually everyone in the book) and the confused (i.e., anyone who isn't greedy, and some of the people who are). There are no actual characters here. The book consists of a string of lawyers, researchers, and a few parents and children, none of who have any background, any depth, or any definable characteristics. The ONE singular person in this novel (who isn't a bird) who has any character foibles is the bounty hunter's assistant. This is not even remotely literature. It is just awful.

The characterization of biomedical researchers, and their work, is inaccurate.
If Michael Crichton wants to assault scientists, that's his business. I'm fine with that, because I can assume without hesitation that he doesn't help provide the impetus for research anyway. If, on the other hand, he wants to make irresponsible, ludicrous claims about the greed and irresponsibility of a group doing their level best to help society, he should at least have the common decency to do a little research first. There are several ridiculous claims made in this book, and despite my careful searching through his annotated bibliography at the end, I cannot find where he comes up with the following, fanciful, claims:

A) Most biomedical researchers are desperately using the academic system to conduct preliminary research on the path to starting biomedical research companies (This would, in fact, be a complete misrepresentation of the biomedical research community, as well as a greivous misuse of government funding; such a thing could not really happen in this country, particularly as there are oversight committees in charge of determining how this money is spent.

B) Biomedical researchers, including those focusing on gene therapy, have killed hundreds of people in their experiments and have faced no repercussions. I find this claim personally reprehensible, particularly because the explosion of the numbers. The fact is that a FEW individuals, who were suffering from terminal illnesses, have died and perhaps have died more rapidly, as a result of their therapies. This is hardly the same as hundreds. When you make up claims like this, it can do irreparable harm to an industry. Imagine if people were told that artists killed hundreds of people in order to make their art. What would the likely repercussions from the public be, particularly if they were funded by the NEA? Furthermore, there HAVE been repercussions in the vast majority of cases where incidents have occurred, ranging from loss of funding (which is, essentially, a death knell for a researcher's work) to some cases of firing, loss of tenure, etc.

C) The utilization of spurious survey data in a reprehensible attempt to get others to condemn biomedical research. It is a well-known and observed phenomenon that the citation of a survey wtih a majority viewpoint about something will influence the opinions of a person hearing it. The larger the majority, the greater the influence, particularly if the person did not previously have an opinion. As such, making up a survey that finds that, for example, "87 percent of American adults believe that novelists work less than four hours per day", will tend to cause people to believe precisely that. This is called the bandwagon effect. Citing imaginary studies to try to persuade others of your own flawed point of view, should now be called the Crichton effect.

The naming of bit characters after prominent scientists.
This may be considered flattery, or it may be considered laziness. I tend to think the latter, considering how little effort Mssr. Crichton obviously put into this work (see the last point, below). I recall several prominent scientists named in this book, including Stanley Miller, who was the famous experimenter of the Miller-Urey experiments designed to synthesize organic chemicals from an inorganic base in the 1950's. I would consider this cute, except that the author spends so much time lambasting the biomedical research industry that it seems likely that these individuals fall into the same group, and may be the victims of character assaults by proxy.

The egregious assault on critics in the form of "Mick" Crowley.
When an author believes that they are too important, or that their message is too valuable, they begin to believe that they are above criticism. One way that you can tell that an author feels this way is when they start doing presentations about fields that they know nothing about (like aliens, in the case of a trained M.D. Another way that you can tell is that they take up arms against them in the form of caricatures in the books that they write. In this case, Michael Crichton appears to have lampooned Michael Crowley. Not only is he presented in an unfavorable light, which would be unfortunate, but not completely ludicrously irresponsible, but Michael Crichton portrays his critic as a child molester. This is an egregious misuse of authorial freedoms. It may not be quite as bad as what Michael Crichton accuses biomedical researchers of, but it is real close.

The "plot" of the book is only loosely connected and coherent, and at times it takes authorial fiat to accomplish even that.
The plot can be more accurately described as a vehicle for Michael Crichton's egregious assault on the biomedical research field. The people are never really characters, they are more like cardboard cutouts. All of the conflict in the story arises because of the greed (or stupidity) of these scientists. If these characterizations were true, then we would have no medicines, and we would have no computers, no medicines for your pets, we would have no idea how to treat any diseases (except prayer and folklore), etc. On the occasions where the author stretches his god-like arm and twists two separate plot lines into a gnarled mass of confusion and circumstance, the outcomes are clear from the beginning, they are meaningless to the greater story, and they are often clumsy as well.

My particular favorite is the fact that two different children of approximately the same age are both named, mysteriously and stupidly, Jaime. This caused me to spend a significant amount of time thinking that they were actually the same kid. Until the kid in question miraculously had two completely different sets of parents and lived in two different towns. By the time I realized that there were two different kids, it was just soon enough for the bounty hunters in the story to make the same mistake. Because, unsurprisingly, they look the same too. And why not? If you are going to be so ridiculously lazy as to make up one name for two different people, you may as well go a step further and have them look alike. The payoff for this? The bounty hunters grab the wrong kid. They don't kill him, or even detain him for any significant length of time. Just long enough for the child to kick him in the face, allowing the plot to move one more hurking, jerking, inconsequential and stupid step toward its final, awful, pointless conclusion.

Technical inaccuracies that should never have been made.
In addition to the egregious characterization of the biomedical industry, there are a number of glaring errors in this book. I will highlight only one, for brevity. At the beginning of the book a character suffocates. This is a common enough motif in literature of many kinds. The character suffers his oxygen deprivation in an environment rich in nitrogen. This is, at least theoretically, possible, although nitrogen comprises roughly 78 percent of the atmosphere. It is an incredibly inert gas (sometimes used for that very characteristic), so the author at least doesn't make it stupid enough to have the characters lungs burn out or something (although it wouldn't have surprised me). Now, knowing that it takes oxygen concentrations of less than 6% to cause a person to pass out and die in a short enough time frame to be relevant here (and this is generous), that means that he would have had to have enough nitrogen to overwhelm the oxygen already in the enclosed space. For the sake of our calculations, let us assume an enclosed space of 3 meters in height, and two meters per side. This gives us a rough volume of 12 cubic meters. In an airtight space, that translates to approximately 2.52 liters of oxygen, and 9.48 liters of nitrogen. Follow me so far? To drop the concentration of oxygen to less than 6 percent, you would have to introduce 3 liters of additional nitrogen gas. Three liters is approximately 3/4 of a gallon. This person is supposed to have been carrying a small quanitity of liquid nitrogen (although enough that it would not have completely evaporated in three day) and there should have been little enough left that he was, supposedly, worried about the rest evaporating very soon. Assuming that he has 1/3 of his original volume left (so a starting volume of 9 liters, or 2.25 gallons), he would have to have a container that weighs approximately 15 pounds, is approximately 1 foot in diameter, and has a height of about three feet (these numbers are approximations from my personal experience, and can be considered fairly valid). Somehow, he got this container onto an elevator, without it being noticable in the videocameras (he has no sizable bags, perhaps a container the size of a wine bottle, which will hold at maximum 1.75 liters).

Now, if this is not stupid enough, remember that he is on an elevator. As anyone stuck in a crowded elevator knows, they are not airtight. Not even remotely. Assuming that it were, for the sake of argument, the amount of nitrogen that he could conceivably have would be too small to have any effect. If he had the amount that I described, they would have noticed. If he had either amount, it would not evaporate completely in the ten minutes that he spends in the elevator, unless he upended the entire container on the floor, and even then it would likely not be enough. Even assuming that he A) had enough to kill himself and B) he could get it all to evaporate in time, and C) the elevator was airtight, upon the evaporation discussed, the nitrogen would mix evenly into the air, and have a bias toward being higher (nitrogen is less dense than oxygen) in the air. The man, we are told, dies because he passes out and falls into the nitrogen cloud, which is supposedly denser than the air. Even if this ridiculous situation happened ONCE, which it couldn't, it still doesn't excuse the fact that Mr. Crichton suggests that many fatalities happen each year because of this same situation, with person after person rushing into the nitrogen enriched atmosphere, passing out, and needing to be rescued by the one person cognizant to grab an oxygen supply. Which is ridiculous, because pure oxygen would be worse for you than the atmosphere that those people are breathing.

This is just one example.

Based on recent events, it seems most likely to me that this book is an indictment of the biomedical research community by Michael Crichton, likely for their inability to cure his cancer. This is an unfortunate way for an author's career to end, so I am fervently hoping that his final, posthumous novel, paints a better legacy for this once great author. There is no reason for anyone to read this though. This book made me, obviously, quite annoyed. And I think that there is perfect reason for it. Don't read this. If anyone tells me that this is their favorite book, their name goes on the list of people whose recommendations serve only to tell me what to avoid. Desperately.

F-

Harkius

Being in the biomedical research field, I was interested in this read. I had to force myself to finish it, just on principle alone.

The plot was so convoluted and completely disconnected-- coming together (partially) only in the very abrupt ending. None of the characters grew on me. The concept of ownership was indeed an interesting one and the desire to find an end to that particular subplot was the only thing from chucking the book in the trash-- proverbially, that is, I'd never really do that to a book.

I enjoyed the multiple plots and how they interacted. I thought the content was thought provoking. Genetics and ethics, issues we are just starting to realize that impact us now and much more in the future. I do realize that this is not fact, but that is why it is sold as a work of fiction versus non-fiction. Although there is enough real science to make you wonder. I loved the pace. I couldn't read it fast enough. I was very surprised by the less than glowing reviews the book has received.

From a person who has read all that Mr Crichton has written, even when writing as "John Lange", I must stay that this book( and his "State of Fear" ) read very poorly. Clearly a disjointed effort without any coherent story, where the last chapter ties all the loose ends rather unimaginatively. He definately wants to make a statement about medical technology and what it is leading to and I wish that he had simply published essays as opposed to putting his views forward in a novel. Mr Crichton, I hope you find your way back from the wilderness and write a thrilling novel soon or you have lost atleast one fan (me)!

This book shows what happens when very famous and accomplished authors are not edited and questioned sufficiently. While Crichton does manage to point out many problems and issues with genetics, some of the plot lines used to do this are so far from realistic as to be laughable. Half chimp human children attending normal school without being noticed, running around fighting people? Super intelligent parrots getting in misadventures all over the world? Bad enough that these plot lines were ludicrous, but the resolution of the book involves Crichton realising he is near the maximum number of pages acceptable in a book of this genre, and then wrapping everything up (weakly).

State of Fear, regardless of your views on the anthropogenic component of current warming, asks some hard questions and is a fantastic read. This novel is rubbish that a first-time author would have been laughed out of a publishers office for trying to pitch.

I'm what you might call a fan of oldschool Crichton. I started reading his novels around age 12 and have really enjoyed many of them. I believe at this point I've read every book he's written except State of Fear and those medical mystery books he published. The fact of tha matter is he is really a smart guy and his capacity for indepth research is mind boggling. But with this novel the research become a liability.

The problem is that Next reads like he studied the current state of the biotech industry and genetics research at length, wrote down every single thought he had about these, admittedly, weighty and important issues, and then went back into the manuscript to pepper the text with character names. The plot lacks any cohesion whatsoever. The differing threads are all over the place with no obvious reason. It's not until the last few pages that Crichton makes a token effort to tie together half a dozen or so threads, many more just evaporate from the narrative without explanation. That wouldn't be so bad if this intersection of story lines had some driving narrative purpose, but Crichton commits the cardinal sin of relying on shear coincidence to bring the characters together at the same place at the same time.

The failure of storytelling, of plotting, of pacing or characterization is tragic, given Crichton's previous success. This is a bad, bad book on a very cool topic. Too bad.

Easy to dislike bad guys, more pseudo science than you can shake a stick at,shady lawyers, adulterer geneticists, crooked coroners, evil investment bankers, kidnapping bounty hunters, a judge that finally issues a decent ruling and a parrot. A complete recipe for success!

Sorry if you can't hang but I truly enjoy stories with multiple plotlines and Michael Crichton delivers a dozen all wrapped up tidy in the end. I know he is a little preachy but when you're MC you're granted a little license.

A Spot On job with Next.

This is a spooky book in two ways:

- It highlights the dangers and potential abuses of genetic engineering.
- It paints humanity in about the worst light possible

Regarding the second point, I think it would have been hard for Mr. Crichton to have been more cynical in his character development. Thieves, back-stabbers, child molesters, adulterers - man, they're all in this book. And the positive characters? I think they are pretty much limited to a half-chimp/half-human boy (!) and a lawyer (!!).

For me, this overly-dark presentation of human nature took away from the message about genetic engineering. At the end of the book, I felt that it really doesn't matter if we do anything about genetic engineering or not - the human race is headed to hell in a handbasket anyway.

The other thing I kept thinking as I was reading was: Geez! Crichton needs to get out of L.A.! :)

While I generally agree with most of Michael Crichton's viewpoints, this novel is an excellent example of how political preaching makes for poor entertainment. Not only were there so many fringe characters that it was difficult to keep them straight, but the coincidental contact between them was extremely distracting to this reader. I normally enjoy Mr. Crichton's novels and he has proven time and again his skill at plotting and building suspense. But the only suspense this one held for me was whether there would be something at the end of the book to make it worth the trip. And, I don't mind spoiling the surpise for you: There wasn't.

I thought this book was great. Very creative and got me wondering how much of this type of thing happens in real life.
Some of the discussions about genes were a little confusing to me but I was still able to follow the story.
I am glad I bought this book and like I said, I was disappointed it was over because it was so much fun reading!!

Overall, the book was not my style but I will admit to taking a once in a while long needed break and reading a novel that doesn't require as much thought process and analysis. Next was just the novel for that. While the story line is very jumpy and underdeveloped, it approached a topic in current media that I desired to be more knowledgeable in and I came away from this book with that knowledge.

That is not to say, of course, that the information put forth in this book is not extremely jaded. It did seem rather preachy at times. The multitude of new characters introduced were hard to follow but almost all were stereotypical "good" or "bad" guys, "right" guys or "left" guys.

Overall, it's an entertaining book and a quick read. Just please, do not let your only knowledge of genetic research come from this book. And please do realize that Primate Research Centers are now trying to get rid of their high security and make what they do more knowledgeable to the public! These research centers are -not- the bad guys.

I am glad I ignored the reviews and listened to this book. I quite enjoyed it. No, it's not an edge-of-your-seat thriller like Jurassic Park or Prey, but I never lost interest, and it wasn't annoyingly preachy like State of Fear. It is many stories intertwined, which seems to bother some readers, but I had no trouble keeping track of the characters and the stories came together in the end.

If you're just looking for thrills, look elsewhere, but if you want a thought-provoking AND thoroughly entertaining science-not-quite-fiction book, then don't be deterred!

I have very mixed feelings about "Next" and I will try to describe them accurately here, although there are hundreds of reviews already and mine will not add much to the discussion probably - but maybe some points will be reinforced by my adding to the subject.

The novel's central theme is genetic manipulations and the ethical issues surrounding them. There are many subplots, all revolving around the famous philanthropist, Jack Watson (is the name a pure coincidence?), who advocates scientific progress and donates money to biotech companies. The plethora of characters includes bounty hunters, lawyers, drug addicts, physicians, teachers, secretaries, security guards, and, of course, scientists of all levels, both from academia and biotech (the difference between the two becoming less and less clear). The animal-human hybrids are made in secret; the genes are patented, the genetic screens are used to the advantage of insurance companies and in numerous trials as a tool to extort money; the scientists are depicted as vicious breed. The only two families who seem honest are the Burnets, who because of Frank Burnet's precious cancer cell line become involved in a massive scheme, and the Kendalls, who decide to adopt Henry Kendalls genetic son Dave, a hybrid between human and chimpanzee.

The novel is fast-paced and the characters flick like in a caleidoscope, some being introduced only for the sake of presenting another problem connected with biotechnology (for example, the whole story of the MD who donated sperm as a resident is very loosely connected to the main plot, only by the implied involvement of Watson).

Initially, I could not stand this book, but after about 200 pages I reflected and realized several things:
1. I am not in the target group, being a scientist in an academic institution and working on cancer. My point of view is not that of a model reader of "Next".
2. The presented issues are important and it probably does not matter so much how they are presented as long as they make an impact on a larger audience.
3. Crichton's technique as a writer is remarkable - although irritated, I kept reading and felt for some characters (mostly for the humanized animals, Dave and Gerard, as, no doubt, was the author's intention). No wonder why he is the best-selling novelist: he is not afraid of weighty issues and he is very good at his craft.
4. At the end, I saw the references and the authors' note and this was very important for me - I could verify some of the facts I did not know (in particular, the art using biotechnology or its remnants) and I realized I agree with the main points Crichton had tried to make (politics and science... Very difficult subject)

Having said all that, I will also say, that the points from the author's note are hardly visible during the course of the novel. The examples are vivid, but the novel reads like a manifesto against science, and will be perceived as such by many readers (and many people do not read the author's note at the end). Also, this is a work of fiction, and, however scientific, this is fiction and should be read as fiction (repetitive, I know, but I want to make my point). Additionally, I appreciate Crichton's knowledge, but there are errors, some because the book is already outdated (there are about 20,500 genes in the human genome, not 32,000) and some perhaps editorial (repeated use of the acronym GPF for green fluorescent protein instead of GFP, which is correct), not counting the ones already pointed out and explained in other review ("gene" instead of "allele" etc.). This should not happen, because it is misleading. Last but not least, an annoying non-scientific mistake is the argument of Bellarmino with his postdoc, when the director forces the poor guy to surrender the first author position in a breakthrough article and put his own first. No group leader would do that, because for professor and team leaders the last author position is far more important than the first author, and anyone who is doing research and publishing it would know that. The last author is always the one who is referred to in the articles about the work ("the study from XYs laboratory...") and this is the position Bellarmino would fight for, if there are several groups or collaborations involved. The first author position would be meaningless for him at his level. I know that it was probably to stress Bellarmino's malice, but it was excessive and erroneous.

Because "Next" evoked all these reflections, I will award it three stars - it is an average between my own contradicting opinions. To be accurate, I should probably write two reviews, one one-star, the other five-star, but sadly, the store does not allow this option.

I'm not much of a MC fan - but this book was just weak. I only finished it because it was the only book I had on a cross country flight.

Problems?
Too many plot threads - none of which really fit together.

Every scientist in this book was either unethical, stupid, or greedy. No nuanced charachters at all ( but what do you really expect from Crichton?)

Worst of all, a talking bird who actually understands human language and can engage in discussions with humans - a stunning genetic breakthrough, no? - but all his owners and handlers are amazed at is that he can do elementary mathematics. WTF?

Clearly this was written as a screenplay for a movie to be shown to scientifically illiterate audiences who would rather hear about stolen body parts, see talking parrots and a humanzee than understand the issues around genetic engineering.

?????????????????
Great story about genomics and the stupid laws regarding patents!
I always feel more informed after reading his books????

I've read (and enjoyed) a few of Crichton's books but this one is a REALLY boring book, unlike a few page-turners he has written.

I realize Crichton's style is to base his books on extensive research but this book is borderline (biased) thesis/non-fiction/research type material. This book has way too many (mostly unrelated) characters in this book which makes it hard to keep track of who is who. Also, the articles/news clips he inserts in between sections/chapters were somewhat annoying since they break the flow of reading. Lastly, Michael's use of profanity in every other paragraph seems forced in, as if that would make this horrible book any better.

The only reason I'm giving this book a 1-star (versus 0, if that was possible) is because he did make me aware of issues that I was unaware of -- this is done throughout the book with explanations in the Author's Notes section.

Next is a decent book, one that keeps the pages turning. However, Crichton is interlacing too many different stories, and there are a couple of goofy bits going on here. Too many characters exist, so you don't really get into any of them. Read it if you're a Crichton fan, pass on it if you're not. I'm simply looking forward to Crichton's next work, hoping it will be better.

Enjoyable read...not the typical thriller that I have come to expect from Crichton, but good nonetheless. My biggest critique of this book was having two characters of the same age and in the same scenes named Jamie.

Michael T. Hanley, CPA is the Managing Partner of the Smithtown, NY CPA Firm, Merl & Hanley, LLP and the author of Effective Tax Planning for the MicroBusiness: 30 Minutes With...A Certified Public Accountant: Effective Tax Planning for the MicroBusiness

I have never written a review, but after spending money on this "novel", I had to express my huge disappointment with this "story". The plot (or loosely tied together short stories) itself could have been expressed in 20 pages, and I could have just read the 5 author's notes at the end of the novel instead of wasting 4 days in Maui reading this fraud of a book. Do yourself a favor, and just read about Bioengineering on the web or an article out of USA Today instead reading his genetic rants.

Once I reached the point where Monkeyboy starts throwing feces, I really felt ripped off. I will never be one of the first people to purchase a Crichton book again - I will wait for some reviews. If you have to read it, wait for the paper back version, but you will still feel ripped off.

This book was another disappointment after "State of Fear" and "Airframe." We are aware that Mr. Crichton goes after certain societal, corporate, environmental issues and carves them into book form.

What I am mostly disappointed about is that the storytelling and character development is so lacking. I was a big fan of Mr. Crichton's Jurassic Park series, and his earlier books such as Sphere and Andromeda Strain. But I would be wary of his next book... I wonder if I will read his upcoming publication, whatever it may be.

As Crichton has moved away from purely recreational scientific thrillers like Congo and Andromeda Strain, his works become more relevant, educating and thought provoking - sometimes as informative as serious non fiction on similar subjects.

No need to rehash the plot here - covered quite well by other reviewers. As to the storyline, Crichton is brilliant as he races through the many (albeit sometime confusing) sub plots and brings them together in a climactic ending. But his tongue-in-cheek approach is what I enjoyed the most. After Frank Burnett's cancer fighting cells that were sold for billions are destroyed by a saboteur, the courts actually issue an arrest warrant for his daughter and grandson because they are carrying stolen property - their own genes! While you can't help but laugh as the corporate attorneys make their legal arguments, you begin to think that the way court rulings are going, and the way the U.S. patent office is treating genetic science , that maybe, --- just maybe, this could actually happen. (Well - maybe not, but it certainly gives you pause)

As with State of Fear, the best part of this book is the afterward. Crichton outlines his positions, his concerns and fears, and his extensive bibliography has you adding more titles to your reading list. Both the afterward of Next and State of Fear should be required reading for anyone who wants or needs to be informed about Global Warming or Genetic Engineering.

This is not Crichton at his best. So many charactrers and so many stories I was forced to take notes on an index card to keep up with the 20 or so subplots. The novel attempts to tie together too many different issues in this important and controversial area, thus failing as fiction and failing as an educational tool.
I would suggest that the reader skip the entire book and simply read the Author's Note and Bibliography at the end. They alone are worth the price of the paperback and are a great guide for additional reading.
I also hope Michael Crichton will consider writing a follow-up to Next that covers the same issues and is non-fiction. Scary stuff is happening in the courts and labs in the world of genetic engineering. It is not necessary to fictionalize it. The truth itself should frighten and mobilize any reasonable person.

I keep hoping that I'll find another writer with the brilliance of Neal Stephenson and/or the creativity of William Gibson, but I've almost given up. In the meantime, I fill my reading with almost anything I can get my hands on in the field of scientifically based fiction. Crichton's writing is at an 8th grade level or worse and I don't know if that is by design or he simply doesn't have the ability to craft lyrical flights of the imagination. This is certainly the worst book of his I've read and I've given up on him at this point. The prose is simplistic and the plot is boring and predictable in the extreme. He uses information about the science of genetics as filler and creates characters who are unremarkable. Either he hasn't grown as a writer, or my expectations for literary excellence are out of line with the mainstream.

The gene is definetly out of the bottle and poised to change the world we live in BIG TIME. Crichton takes us there and paints a picture that he indeed mocks- needs not be so twisted. It is the patenting of genes, the use of human tissue, gene testing, bans on research, and the despicable Bayh-Dole act that are the engines driving the absurd realities of today's bio-industry into an ever maddening Alice in Wonderland near future- not so perfect.

Just finished David Bollie's "Brand Named Bullies: The Quest To Own Culture & Control It" and "Who Controls The Internet? Illusions Of A Borderles World" by Jack Goldsmith. I had no idea that both would bleed so well into what Crichton perfectly illustrates in his novel.

The best characters drawn in the novel are the trangenic David (Humaneeze) & Alex (Grey African Parrot). Both are worth the price of admission alone. Very well done in enlightening the reader in an entertaining novel way, were both fiction and fact are truly indistinguishable. BRAVO!!!!

This tends not to be to the calibre of Jurasic Park. It is more in line with the way "State of Fear" has been composed. It seems like the author has not quite decided as to whether he wishes to write a non-fiction account of the current state of affairs on genomics (and biotechnology in general) or write a fiction thriller novel with facts and near future possibilities in biotechnology mixed in. It seems like the author yearns to write a non-fiction account of genomics, but doesn't do it for some reason. I feel the same about "The State of Fear". Perhaps the author should take a leap in faith that a non-fiction book by Michael Crichton on very important and highly discussed topics will be very well received by the public.

I must admit - for a Michael Crichton fan, I was a little late in getting around to reading NEXT - and regretted it. A wonderful book, combining fact and fiction yielding a potent story that sets you thinking.

In an age where bio-tech firms are patenting genes, i.e. our genes are now owned by someone else, an unsuspecting person and his family are pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes.

I give it four stars.

A good read overall - if you like Crichton, you'll like this book. It moves at a good brisk pace, with lots of characters to keep track of that going in some different directions It also has some good ethical and legal, as well as ethical VS legal, arguments. Like his other books, it would make a good movie or mini-series!

Reading this book was about as satisfying as sitting with a remote control and cycling through the channels on cable TV.

Although I strongly disagreed with the premise and conclusions of Crichton's previous book, "State of Fear", I can at least say that it was a fairly well-written polemic. It had a plot. What was the plot of "Next"? What was its point? It's hard to tell without reading the author's notes at the end.

One last thought: Crichton is good at criticizing many behaviours of modern society-- both in this book and in previous ones. His general attitude seems to be that the American people are a flock of sheep. Good thing for him, too, otherwise he wouldn't get millions of viewers watching "E.R." every Thursday evening.

I expected more from Crichton in the story. But these are ineteresting and complex issues he's dealing with. At first some of it does seem absurd, but then again, Genetic Engenieering itself once seemed absurd. He does a pretty good job of "normalizing" the processes and issues involved. I have no idea how much of it is true or near-true, or just around the corner. And unless you're a scientist, you probably don't either. But it sounds plausible enough for fiction.

Crichton writes in the grey zone between literature, informative science-based books, and rippingly good pulp. In this novel, he takes
his most literary approach, one reminiscent of Richard Dawkins re-writing "Naked Lunch," in which characters stumble through an uncertain world in several overlapping threads united by a common theme: the confrontation of humankind with genetic manipulation and the unintended consequences of manipulating a code we only partially understand.

As literature, Crichton is a bit sloppy. His language remains consistent, and while functionally descriptive, isn't what one might call intense reading. His characters are often thin in a way that approaches a single dimension. When he gets into heavy drama, he's sometimes awkward. In this book he resolves that tension by writing it as a tour of different lives that only partially follows any one set of characters, although they overlap. It's the Quentin Tarantino-ization of an otherwise clinical style.

Unlike most Crichton books, there are no characters who come to happy endings and no neat summary of the story at the end. It is a buffet of insights and tantalizing ideas, but no conclusions. This seems deliberate, both to promote an air of uncertainty about the book and to allow it to look at a complex issue without dumbing it down into Disney-style cause and effect in trite symbols. In this, Crichton seems ahead of any literature produced since the 1950s in America. Where he deviates from both literary fiction and pulp is what might be called "thematic ultra-realism," or the concept that books should be about ideas impacting the real world.

Too much of American fiction at least is about the drama of characters reacting mutely to a world they do not attempt to understand, and in the name of "realism" that becomes greater drama. Since such characters need to move to a resolution, they start out hopelessly confused and living broken
lives, and then magically bring themselves to a smiling pop-princess press-statement conclusion.

Reality is different. Crichton is a political writer taking on science, or vice versa, and the sense of real impact is what gives this book a hook into our interest. His book shows us reality, not the inward drama of lost people, in both its good and bad. We see the wonders of science, and how they're abused for profit. We see the gentle and compassionate nature of people, and how that becomes their undoing. Most of all, we see warts and all a species that is not ready for its knowledge and cannot control itself, so stumbles from one disaster to another, unaware that cumulative damage increases.

In this, Crichton should be praised as more of an artist than the "artists" who make fancy, smooth-reading, pompously egalitarian books about nothing and everything. What did we learn from a character transcending his own heroin addiction to find religion in the beauty of rain under sunlight? Literature has become a self-help section, which tells us to focus on ourselves and our drama, not the world.

Crichton by contrast is a devil's advocate with a sharp whip who reminds us: we're in control of this world, and we need to start steering it more responsibly.

Still, his prose is rooted in the pulp of both science fiction and popular science writings, so the book flies by and is sometimes unsatisfying. It is a story of ideas, and of the oddly emblematic situations Crichton weaves: turtles with corporate logos, human-chimpanzee hybrids, disease tracking markers and magic potions to change personality.

Even more, it is a story that must be read "outside the story" to see the interactions between these developments producing a world that, it is hinted, we the reader still possessed of a soul might not enjoy.

At this point, I pretty much read Crichton and Grisham out of force of habit than anything else. Both authors make good reading for a flight or an afternoon of vegetating on the couch. I bought the book on impulse to do the latter since I'm taking a few days off from work. I used to think that Crichton was better because he at least introduced a new concept in every book rather than the same legal drama rehashed like Grisham. The quality of writing in this book is making me rethink that.

What's good about this book is the concept of dealing with genetics, particularly genetic patents, ownership of tissue cultures and the general corruption of the scientific community by corporate interests. Crichton has definitely done his research as indicated by the decent Bibliography. Unfortunately, the bibliography and the Author's note at the end are the best parts of the book.

The actual plot is a mish mash involving too many characters, none of them with enough character development. Characters like the rich billionaire who brings the transgenic parrot to the US are completely besides the point and randomly strewn throughout the book. Crichton wants to write a thriller, but can't focus enough for it to actually be gripping. And he can't resist the temptation to drop every reference around the subject into a contrived little vignette or story in the middle of the book. Where's a good editor when you need one?

The other thing that really annoyed me was the length of each chapter and the amount of context switches involved. The 415 pages are split into 95 chapters and a prologue. I'm pretty sure the prologue at 16 pages is the longest chapter in the book (though I didn't have the patience to go back and look through each chapter). Does Crichton think this is avant garde writing at its best? Or does he imagine that in our ADD age, the audience needs to be context switched every 2-4 pages or they won't finish reading the book?

Even at his worst, Crichton is somewhat readable, which is why the book still gets 2 stars. But if you want to read his best work, pick up his non-fiction works, Travels and Five Patients for thoughtful, analytical books by an author who could write entertaining books while still being clear and readable. Sadly, it seems Crichton has forgotten (or has no need for) those skills.

Not what I expected. I was hoping for a good thriller about gene therapy, but instead got a story that seemed bogged down in too many story lines and characters. Too much was going on and it never seemed to come together in the end. It was a slow paced book that never seemed to pick up. It's one of my least favorite Crichton books.

Some solid ideas and concepts in here, backed up by research and notes, as Crichton is known to do. But, the story is far from compelling, the characters are one-dimensional and under-developed, and many of the scenarios were simply far too unbelievable. Not the science or potential future scenarios - those were all too believable - just some of the circumstances in the book were not convincing - even for a novel. Two stars.

I am not the type of person who normally posts a bad review. I discussed this book with a group of bio-ethicists at a national convention 2 days ago. We acknowledged that Crighton made some very excellent points at the end of the novel (the part that most people do not read), but completely missed the mark on almost everything else. There were two worthwhile scenes in the whole novel- one involving a judge's verdict; the other a scientist attempting to explain why single gene theory is invalid. I will not re-iterate what others said about character development, plot, etc. What I will state is that this book is an agenda-driven novel designed to prey upon the absolute worst fears of the marginally scientifically educated, and that scares me. Other authors have written extremely good cautionary tales about corporate greed in medicine (Crighton among them!, or the ethical perils of transgenic research (Dean Koontz's "Watchers" a paramount example). Their plot lines did not contain fallacies and holes big enough to drive a jumbo jet through. It is impossible for anyone who knows anything about science to suspend disbeleif long enough to give this book a chance. It is horribly researched, and, amid the popular anti-science climate, extremely dangerous to real scientists doing life-saving work. Crighton could have made the point much more elegantly and forcefully had he not pandered to the anti-research movement by allowing their contorted views of what happens in research dominate the novel. The book was not just bad; from a bio-ethics point of view, it is immoral. It may as well have been solicited by PETA.

I used to really love Michael Crichton books. They were filled with good technical jargon, fast paced, and interesting.

Well, they are still all of those things. But he seems to be spinning off into the world where a lot of successful people go, filled with philosophical rants and the idea that they know how to solve the world's problems. All of a sudden he knows more than the experts about global warming (his last book), and now he seems to know that all those involved in genetic research are greedy and evil.

Well, guess what. Global warming is real, and most people involved in genetic science are eager to help solve the world's ills. No doubt this rant-lit approach sells a lot of books, but it doesn't make for good reading and it's poorer science. I expected more from an obviously very smart man.

Don't get me wrong: I still couldn't put it down. Perhaps it was just my frame of mind...

The worlds that Crichton writes about are always filled brilliant, cynical, ruthless people and we always get a voyeuristic thrill from peeking in on them and their clever schemes.

But this time, the evil guys seemed just a little too evil, the cynics a little too cynical, as if subversion and subterfuge were held as prime virtues, rather than as exceptional devices brought out by exceptional circumstances.

In comparison with earlier novels, I was left with the feeling that Crichton had perhaps sacrificed a bit of plot and storytelling for the sake of showcasing new and startling social issues raised by genetic engineering.

But, I still read it breathlessly from cover to cover, and I'll still read the next Crichton novel as soon as it comes out.

This book was a big disappointment. Crichton tries to present several interesting concepts regarding genetic engineering, but chooses to deliver them in a convoluted multi-threaded plot that was hard to follow. It was the first time I almost considered not finishing one of his books. I hate to say it, but I recommend passing on this one.

Crighton's writing is at his best in this multi-dimentional book. He offers well developed characters in too real situations. Fans who are not familiar with his work may be put off. This is a novel that also attempt to teach the reader: a book for the intelligent reader.

In our current times we are on the brink of a new age. This is an attempt to let the world know what we are against.

As with the previous reviews, Crighton offers an interesting annotated biography.

Do not get this book if you are only interested in mindless, pulp fiction. Read this book to educate youself.

Like a lot of readers who sent in their reviews, I've read all the author's books, and wait for them anxiously. Coming after State of Fear which was excellent, I was hoping the author would continue down this line of pseudo fact-science fiction, and thankfully he did.

Next like its predecessor, is very well researched, and provocactive, but the story lines were quite thin, at times it felt like the author had a series of facts and theories that he wanted to bring across to the reader (all valuable), and then created a bunch of story lines as a thin veneer/wrapper around the story.

I strongly recommend that you read the "Author's notes" section first before you delve into the book, as it will help explain some of the subplots and references.

Enjoy!

Scary book with controversial ideas, too bad there are so many characters! I couldn't keep up, almost 3/4 of the way i was still being introduced to new ones, it was getting annoying. As was the monkey. I liked the parrot, he was witty. Everyone in this book is after someone's genes, for personal profit, human compassion is out the window, like i said scary.

I'm sad to say this is not what I expected from a Michael Chrichton novel. The plot is incoherent and divided into too many unrelated (only related by the general subject of the book) episodes. The different stories are dished out in very short chunks that make it hard to remember all the shallow characters. I appreciate the food for thought and the motive behind this book, but I was hoping for more.

I'm going to be waiting for Mr. Crichton's NEXT book, but less eagerly than I have in the past. His last works, this one included, have evolved from the suspense of The Andromeda Strain to the preachiness of Crichton's personal agendas. The "footnotes" and fake press releases are especially troubling, since it's an attempt to confuse the reader with what's fact and the author's opinion. This novel tackles genetic engineering on a scale that is hard to digest, though I loved the jungle primate who talks Dutch to startled adventurers. The DNA of this work is too predictable, the escapes too unbelievable, the characters too shallow, and the conspiracies too problematic. Even science fiction needs to be plausible, and this book is about an agenda, not an adventure.

Michael Crichton used to be my favorite author. I've read all his books religiously, even his early ones under pseudonyms that no one know about (I had to scour Ebay for them.) I used to look forward to his next release and read it immediately. He used to be able to take a complex subject and craft a good, believeble story around it. I think since his books have become screenplays for imminent movie, the quality has declined. This book is awful. His previous few books, State of Fear, Prey, Airframe and Timeline were pretty mediocre, and did little to make the reader believe that the technical premise he turned into a story was plausible, not like he was able to do in, say, Jurassic Park. Here it is just downright bad. At 200 pages in I told my wife I'm not sure what the plot is. At 300 pages I said I don't think there is a plot. I only bothered to finish at that point out of hope that there was some magical ending tying it all together and making me say "wow". No such luck. Give this book a miss.

While this is definitely a page turner, it is dissapointing in many ways. First, he's got so many different storylines going on in short takes that I found it difficult to keep track of all the characters. Actually I think this is an effective device for keeping the reader interested and turning the page but in the end many of the lines are unresolved and others are summarily ended with the death or arrest of a protagonist. Maybe with the publisher breathing down his neck he didn't have the time to satisfactorily tie-up all the loose ends. This book inspired me to do a little googling of my own and I think the picture he presents of biotech and where it is headed is a bit naive. This is fiction afterall but there is some scaremongering and I think the book does more harm than good in misrepresenting the nature and difficulty of genetics research and some of the scenarios are outlandish and hard to take in even for fiction. That said, its still an interesting read and the included bibliography is good for separating fact from fiction.

I like all Critchon books, often greatly so, but not this one.

Unlike global warming, the science is a little more esoteric, though once again Critchon has found a topic needing discussion, i.e., patent law and genetic engineering. Still, this is too much like a lecture masquerading as fiction and the novel attributes seem weak.

Very hard to get into, as multiple mini-plots made it hard to know who to root for, and hence what the message was, until very near the end. Too many characters, none standing out, some disappearing for large parts of the book, all of which leaves the reader confused. One doesn't know how to put all the parts together. It seems like storytelling took a back seat to pontificating in this one.

Well-written, well-paced, but dissipointing climax and conclusion. I'm not sure I'd recommend this unless you're already a Crichton fan. If you haven't read any book of his yet DO NOT START HERE. Start with Jurassic Park or Prey or Timeline.

I'm another one of those readers who looks forward with anticipation to see what subject Michael Crichton takes on in each successive novel. I feel like he, more than anyone else, has his finger on the pulse of the future. I believe he sees what is going on in science, technology, and our culture and draws logical, if disturbing, projections about the pitfalls ahead. In Next, Crichton takes on several different aspects of genetic research, and there is plenty of grist for his mill.

Many readers and reviewers have criticized Next as having too many characters and too many subplots going on. This is actually a strength. The novel is the literary equivalent of films like Crash and Syriana, that take on huge topics by creating a pastiche of interrelated characters on all sides of the issue. In Next, those characters include researchers in many shades of gray on the scale between good and evil. There are many individuals who stand to profit financially from this new science. There are interesting explorations of the legal ramifications of this emerging technology. We are even introduced to some amazing transgenic animals.

When I read Prey, I was amazed by the potential of nanotechnology. I am wowed again by the potential of genetics. But as with everything that involved money and power, there's a very real dark side citizen's need to be aware of. There are gray areas in the ethics of this research. As always after reading a Crichton novel I feel better educated about these issues. I feel I've actually learned something in a thoroughly entertaining way. Because I was entertained. The story being told had me fully engaged and the short chapters kept everything moving at a brisk pace.

Now, I can explore some of the books in Crichton's bibliography of Next to explore the non-fictionalized aspects of these important issues. Even if you don't feel like reading a bunch of science books, it would be well worth your time to read Next.

Another book that reads like a movie on adrenaline - you can imagine the movie that will be made of this. Not so many technical demands as "Jurassic Park" perhaps! But the plot that holds this otherwise genetics textbook together seems no different than something old in a new disguise. Do all of MC's novels use footnotes?

I approached this book after having read State of Fear, and after enjoying many past episodes of ER. I think I've read most, if not all of Crichton's works, and was certainly looking forward to this. I agreed with the premise and the arguments in State of Fear, and I found the exposition of concepts to be similar in this book. Crichton is obviously a gifted polymath, and he introduces many topics in this book, in novel form. However, I found the plot weak and uninteresting, the characters wooden and bland, and the arc of the novel ultimately unsatisfying. Crichton wrote in the same style with State of Fear - a polemical thesis in the style of a novel. In State of Fear, the thesis was clear. In Next, I found the central thesis unsatisfying, and the novel likewise. Faint praise indeed.

The subject matter, genetic research and engineering, is very important and timely, but Crichton's treatment is a bit over the top. Many of the "characters" in the book are far-fetched, but the points he makes are not. There is a lot of hype and downright falsification in this field, and he lampoons "celebrity" researchers effectively. He also makes a srtong case that many of the "inventions" that are seeking or receiving patents are not really inventions at all.

I picked up this book a few years back thinking that the author's other titles got such good response and general acceptance that this one probably would be good as well. The premise on the genetics and the harm that current science and policy can cause was the draw to this book, but I was very disappointed. One other reviewer on the store used the term 'machine gun' style chapters and this is very true -- so many uninteresting characters and such quick jumping back and forth that you will get lost very quickly and not really care who the characters are at all. And perhaps that's the authors intent somewhat, but it makes the message a little less worthy of even being written as a fictional book. Crichton clearly wants to send a message here, but if you just read the last page with the reasons why he wrote it and about his research for the book -- you pretty much get the jist -- one page of notes at the end was a better developed message than the entire rest of the book. Too many unfinished plot lines in my opinion...the talking ape, the talking gray parrot, the ownership of the family cell line by BioGen -- all very good starting points but nothing ever develops and I was left wondering why I wasted my time. Positive reviews for this book are a bit confusing too me as well, do you really think that the thoughts and ideas were developed properly or fully? I could care less about the politics behind the author here, this book was just very poorly conceived by an otherwise respected author.

I enjoyed earlier Crichton books because they combined a great story with fascinating science. To the extent Crichton expressed his opinion through his characters it was incorporated into the story and not distracting. Unfortunately, Next is not that kind of novel. It is really an op ed piece in search of a story. The story is disjointed and not interesting. Each chapter is more an illustration for some problem that Crichton identifies in his author note at the end. Take 10 minutes and read the author's note at the end while you are at the store and skip the book.

I enjoy reading Crichton. In his last book, State of Fear, he made some hasty jumps in logic that were, in part, covered by literary allowances.

In Next, he jumps all over the place. This book was very poorly construed, his biases evident, and the character development weak and trite.

I refused to put it down with the hopes that the novel would spring to life in the last hundred pages, but all those pages did was add more weight to an otherwise dead piece of work. As much as I wanted to give it 1 star, it wasn't 100% dreadful. More like watching a bad Discovery Channel show based on child-like conjecture.

Basically I've got to say I love almost all of Crichton's work. From Sphere, Congo, Prey, on and on. But this has got to be the single biggest piece of crap book I have ever read.
There is almost no plot continuity until the end of the book and even then it's EXTREMELY forced. The story is complete crap. Someone you know addicted to drugs? There's a gene for that! Someone you know not enjoy sex? There's a gene for that! And then there's the Dog the Bounty Hunter rip-off where he's got no qualms about kidnapping a child and performing biopsies in the back of his van.
HOLY CRAP WHERE DID MIKE COME UP WITH THIS GARBAGE?!?

Although Next brings up interesting issues regarding genetics and bodily rights, the book is scattered and the plot is weak. Crichton balances too many different story lines without adding to the overall plot. Despite the fact that he does bring the various characters together in the end, the overall feel is chaotic and inconsistent.

This book is a decent read if you are interested in the morality issues of genetic research, but if you like Crichton for his intriguing, action packed story lines, this book is not for you. He also intersperses a variety of fictional newspaper articles throughout the book which, instead of adding to the readers understanding of the plot, distracts the reader.

As a long-time Crichton fan, I must concur with others who have observed that this is not the compelling page-turner that many of his books are. And yet the various subplots were interesting enough to keep me engaged.

As usual, the scientific themes in the book were developed in a generally sound and intriguing way. However, one aspect of his portrayal of the transgenic animals seemed implausible. Genetic engineering can be reasonably invoked to account for their physical abilities, but it is farfetched to claim it(at least as portrayed) as an explanation for their putative mental capacities.

Thus far this may not sound like a five star rating. But my lack of full enthusiasm for the aspects mentioned is more than counterbalanced by my appreciation for his clarion call of warning about the inadequacy of the laws governing genetic research. I like to think of myself as generally well-read and up to date on the scientific advances in genetics. But I had no idea of the frightening situation with regard to the legal side.

I was amazed to find, for instance, that at least the first part of the Burnet subplot, which seems like such a blatant miscarriage of justice, is, in fact, based on the true story of John Moore and David Golde (see, for instance, Rebecca Skloot's account "Taking the Least of You" in the NY Times Magazine.)

Finally - my main excuse for contributing this review here: I wanted to offer a warning about the video clip presently in the Book Description portion of the the store page. I am concerned that people who watch the clip about the disappearance of blonds without then reading the book's explanation will be infected by and perhaps propagate an internet meme. Crichton himself refers the reader to the Snopes webpage about this urban legend.

Next is not one of Michael Crichton's best. The story is a contrived series of events that occur as a result of gene experimentation and the patenting of human cells by biotech companies and universities. There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek story telling, so the humor was worth waiting for. However, I would not recommend buying this book. If someone gives it to you, go ahead and give it a try.

As a Michael Crichton fan, I have a hard time rating any of his books below a 4. This again was a good book, excellently written, but he may have pushed science fiction a little too far. The beginning starts out great and intriguing, but as it progresses the plot seems to stretch too far from what could be the truth. Crichton always does a great job of making his reader re-think what is currently considered science "fiction," but this one might have been a little too much.

This book was hard to follow, and had too many characters to remember them all. There were so many characters that no one character was developed enough for the reader to emphathize with. It jumped around from chapter to chapter, and was hard to follow. The first half of the book just gave various aspects of the gene controversy, and the last bit half-heartedly gave the plot of the story, such as it was. Perhaps a book with less people, and more character development would have been more rewarding.

This is, at best, loosely termed a novel; in fact, there are multiple story lines which serve to flesh out issues relating to genetic engingeering but without much suspense, plot continuity, or character development. I read it quickly intrigued with the issues raised by the story but as a novel it falls flat. The most affecting characters are the gentically engineered Dave and Gerard, a chimpanzee and parrot, respectively. This is much more like reading a series of ongoing fables. I have enjoyed reading Michael Crichton since 1970 - his ideas here are fresh but his literary talents are not well displayed. Robert K. Sawyer currently writes on the edge of plausible science fiction which has the much greater literary quality in terms of plot and character development than displayed in Crichton's recent work.

The Uplift War (The Uplift Saga, Book 3) is a book in which trans-genetic dolphins, whales and apes fight along side humans.
In a corporate age where law seems to be what the companies want it to be,
to say that they shouldn't be allowed to patent genes is probably not going to go anywhere. In this book people are being hunted for having a specific
cell type that a corporation owns. Kidnapping and slavery are mentioned in the text... So are a trans-genetic turtle, Chimp and a parrot.
Although full of action this books isn't as good as some of Crichton's previous work. Hollywood seem to love his novels so you might see a movie of this book in the future.

I was surprised not to enjoy this book. It skipped around between characters excessively, and there were some fairly glaring errors (at least to me as a bird owner)that I would not have expected from someone who obviously tries to research his works at fully as possible. I hope no parrot owners out there have fed their birds avocado, as was done in the book...this can be lethal. Also...parrots don't have a sense of smell. Now if this was because Gerard was transgenic, I think it should have been elaborated on...could have been mentioned in a single sentence...no problem.

All in all...I'd rather spend my time rereading some of his other work.

It's a jumbled bag of stories that only later start to make sense as they come together. Meanwhile, you're trying to get through the first few chapters wondering...what the? I don't like this kind of splicing unless it's done well and this could have been handled better. There's got to be a better way to educate readers on today's fascinating true scientific breakthroughs/ horrors while entertaining them at the same time. The ending was also ridiculous, but given the amount of characters and angles that he had to juggle all this time, understandably so. You just have to snicker at that point, but give him props for making you smarter than when you first picked up the book.

I love to sit back and gobble up a good Michael Crichton book. Next is not one of those books! Starts out great, as Crichton books so often do. Then it just falls flat. It goes everywhere. It's like Crichton was just shoving all his little bits of research on genetics into the book, not worrying about how or where they might fit in.

The plot bounces all over the place and never really held my interest after the first few chapters. The story just got more and more outrageous and never really came together coherently. Perhaps that was the point Crichton was trying to make - the field (and industry) of genetics has great potential for spinning out of control in ways that we can't yet imagine. Unfortunately, for me, Next just spun out of control and never recovered.

Despite the brilliant viewpoints on genetics, and the future of genetics, that Crichton outlines in 'Next', I believe that he could have combined his research and facts with much better fiction -- as he has done in all his other books. This is the first Crichton book I've read which I just can't see turning into a movie. There are numerous, somewhat boring subplots that do tie together somewhat in the end, but with little suspense or action. The antogonists are lame, and you don't get to know the protagonists well enough to feel for them. I thought that 'State of Fear' was one of his best novels, as Crichton combined a vast amount of research with an outrageous fictional plot. 'Next' would have been better off being an essay as I only obtained a greater understanding of current issues and policies surrounding genetics. It just was not an fun-filled read.

Michael Crichton can be brilliant, in this book he was not. There were graphic and numerous descriptions of sexual encounters which simply were unnecessary. How about a faithful spouse once in a while, or at least drop the pedophile who's lusting after young girls "raised in a milk bottle, healthy and pink-skinned,...(deleted for decency)...and sweet faces." And of course, the hypocritical powerful scientist must also be an evangelical Christian, expertly manipulating those around him. Finally, the f-word is used liberally throughout the book. Why is so hard to come up with quality dialogue? There were many potentially great elements of the book that could've been crafted together with class and style, but unfortunately it's far from classy. Sorry Mr. Crichton, but badly done.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Crichton's latest book Next, I must say that I'm a bit surprised at some of the negative comments about this book and Crichton's work in general.

Some people (mostly other not-quite-so-bestselling authors) complain that Crichton is a technophobe. That his message is always the same: take some new technology, make it go berserk, and describe the negative consequences. Maybe so, but I've found all his books hugely entertaining and the man definitely can write!!

Others complained that you need a scorecard to keep track of all the characters and storylines in this book. Apart from making the obvious remark about short attention-spans, I would like to point out that in this book there is no protagonist. Or rather, the underlying theme of genetic engineering IS the protagonist of the story. All characters and storylines just serve to drive home the underlying message. And in that sense, it is like looking through a kaleidoscope to one particular technology and its disturbing effects. If anything, Crichton wraps up several storylines rather too nicely at the end. (Although anyone that works in academia will recognize the type of professor portrayed by Bellarmino and appreciate what happens to him eventually!)

Especially interesting are the various newspaper clippings sprinkled throughout the book. They lend a touch of verisimilitude that is quite scary at times...

And then there is the uproar about Crichton satirizing a journalist by mentioning a child rapist with nearly the same name and background as the journalist. I thought that was just hilarious and if you cannot take a jibe like that you shouldn't write nasty columns in the first place...

All in all, I really enjoyed Next as another thought-provoking book that will stay with me. Not because of memorable characters (although Gerard the parrot was a lot of fun) or exciting action, but because of its central message about the potential consequences of a technology that's out there. Being a marketing academic, I found the discussion of using virginal nature as a new advertising medium extremely frightening!!!

Like a lot of Crichton's recent work, this is a book with a message... this time it's about the perils and pitfalls of genetic science. Unlike in "State of Fear," he does *not* pound you over the head with a narrow point of view. And unlike in "State of Fear" or other recent books like "Prey" or "Timeline" he does *not* reuse the same bland, preachy characters who are experts in everything and who have unfortunately become typical of his books. No, this time Crichton has gone the way of movies like "Babel" or "Traffic" with multiple storylines and characters only loosely connected. This results in some of his best characterizations in years, the most engaging stories, the most compelling plotlines (and, yes it *is* hard to keep track of them all-- this book is not for lazy readers), and the best pacing I have seen since "Congo."

Let me first say that the ideas in this book, as they were in State of Fear are intriguing. How is it possible that someone can patent a piece of your body? Further, the nexus of universities and private industry is troubling. We mostly hear of colleges in terms of their left-wing anticapitalism, now we learn that they are the new capitalists.

I thought the climax of this story AS A STORY was so unrealistic and contrived that I wonder if he has an editor. SPOILER ALERT. A bio-tech CEO and his insufferable lawyer file suit against a mother and her 8 year old son, that, if they win, will mean that the mother or son will have to give up tissue from several organs. Meanwhile, they fake her signature on a notice of service of the suit and send a bounty hunter after her to forcibly collect the samples, before the court rules. Naturally, when she learns of the suit (by accident) she flees, hotly pursued by the bounty hunter. Meanwhile, the judge, who appears to be clueless of the actual events -- remember we have an 8-year old in serious, obvious jeopardy -- postpones his ruling for a day, giving the chase scene time to unfold (the boy is ultimately kidnapped). Then, he gives the driest possible ruling (obviously reflecting Crichton's views, and incidentally, my own) which completely ignores the fact that the plaintiffs have engaged in unethical, immoral, and highly illegal conduct while he was writing his opinion. This occurs in Southern California, which is, apparently, devoid of any kind of media. In real life, of course, the kidnapping (and, to a lesser degree, the lawsuit itself -- where is Court TV?)would be the top story of the day, with Amber Alerts, helicopters, wall-to-wall coverage and a gazillion cops desparately trying to find this 8-year old kid (and rightly so). Finally, at a minimum, the plaintiff, his lawyer and the bounty hunter would be charged with kidnapping, child endangerment, forgery, and probably mopery or something. In the book what happens? Nada, zilch, nichts. Just this high-falutin' opinion and from a county judge, no less, not the Supreme Court. Wouldn't happen. I just groaned at this and wanted to toss the book across the room.

Further, I fear that Crichton has gone all 19th Century on us in terms of plotting. Coincidences, after all, were the main methods of plot development for Dickens and Victor Hugo. As jingoistic as Tom Clancy is, at least his story threads logically come together. MC's do not.

Congratulations, Mr. Crichton. You managed to publish a 400+ page book that has no main (or even likeable) characters, an absurd plot, an extremely high "roll your eyes" factor, and an unabashedly contrived ending. Any new author trying to publish this tripe would be permanently blacklisted.

And I have to mention that the book's treatment of law and the legal system would be laugable (I already used the word "absurd" but it fits in nicely here too) if it weren't so disappointing that such a well-known author cares so little for accuracy or at least believability.

I've already wrote more than this book deserves, so I'll leave you with this: ridiculous. Please skip it, and stop buying this stuff so the publishing companies have to actually put a decent product on the shelves.

I couldn't wait to read this book. I love and devour every Crichton book that comes out. However, I was really disappointed in this book. It wasn't really bad, but there was really no plot. It was like some short stories were cut up and scattered throughout the book. Some of the stories came together at the end, but they were forced and unrealistic. Crichton probably should have written a book of short stories on the subject. That would have been more compelling. Although this was not his worst book, I would reserve that for Timeline or Airframe, this is a very disappointing read. Although I totally disagreed with the science in State of Fear, I loved the book. I just wish Crichton gets back to his old self and starts writing like he did with his great novels of The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Sphere, and Jurassic Park. If you are huge Crichton fan I would suggest you read this book, but maybe wait until it comes out in paperback. However, if you haven't read Crichton, don't start with this book you might not pick up another.

If this is Crichton's last book, he certainly goes out with a bang! -
The question is: Is biotechnology out of control, and where is it taking us? (When is some name-recognition seeking researcher going to come up with "green babies," that don't need to be fed, because chlorophyll has been inserted in their genome...?) - A *very* fast-paced thriller! - Highly recommended!

The genetic engineering debate at the heart of this novel is framed within a ludicrous storyline involving a "humanzee" (half chimp/half human) who lives with a human family and goes to school with their son. Also filling the pages is an incredibly annoying multi lingual parrot named Gerard. Crichton went a bit too far into fantasyland with this one.

Let me start by saying I loved Time Line, Jurassic Park, and Terminal Man. Indeed, they may be among the best books I have ever read.

This one is TERRRRRRRIBLE. Don't waste one cent. I'm on page 240 right now and only plan to finish it because I received this book as a gift and I'd feel guilty if I didn't. It really is that bad.

There does not appear to be a main character. Worse is that there appears to be no plot. None! Every chapter seems like it was written by a different author who each tried to develop his own plot and set of characters, leading me to believe that maybe Crichton had several ghost writers writing this thing (at least I hope so. Otherwise, Crichton may want to go see one of his Harvard doctor friends to check on a potential brain tumor).

I encourage and challenge Crichton to do better "next" time or he will lose a lot of his loyal readers. Write a plot, not a topic. And a hero would be nice.

Too bad I couldn't give this zero stars. When I read "State of Fear," I was sure it was Crichton's worst novel to date. He set a new low with "Next." This book is pointless. It is completely unenjoyable. I was sick of it less than a third of the way through. There is no coherent story and no characters worth caring about. Crichton skips from one "subplot" to the next schizophrenically, making it extremely difficult to focus. I put "subplot" in scare quotes because there is no real "plot," only a bunch of small stories jumbled together like a Mississippi mud pie and loosely connected by a theme. Crichton thinks he's being cute by interspersing news accounts to steep his novel in reality. But that sensation is completely destroyed when 40-something and 50-something year-old characters open their mouths and post-pubescent drivel pours out. "Next" has one thing going for it: it's better than the best avante-garde/post-modern garbage out there. Though that's not saying much.

25 characters introduced in the first 75 pages, 12+ stories flying around to confuse the reader. I'm embarrassed for the author that he's taking people's money for this. I've read all his work and this is below the bottom of his list. He inserts silly "articles" throughout to give snapshots of others' perspectives on gene exploration. There are enough characters and sub-plots here to fill a trilogy, which might have been a better idea to pull off this book.

My recommendation? Go to libraries and bookstores and push this book behind everything on the shelves.

Probably one of the most interesting novels I have ever read. Unlike his prior "State of Fear" (also reviewed on the store), Crichton is not really writing a polemic (although he does take a potshot or two at enviromentalists). Rather, he is using this story to educate the reader as to a variety of interesting concepts that are currently the subject of much public policy debate: genetically modified organisms; DNA technology; recombinant DNA; gene therapy; patents on genes; cloning, genetic testing; and human tissue research. To accomplish this, the story (or rather stories) includes transgenic chimps and parrots, intense legal battles over genetic patents, and people just generally being overwhelmed as technology outpaces their understanding. So,in parts, the reader has to digest some science, but Crichton continues to excell in explaining scientific concepts and medical terms in understandable language for the layperson. One problem with the novel is that there are so many sub-plots that it requires real effort to keep all the characters straight. And, of course, a number of the plot devices are pretty transparent--but that is half the fun. Crichton has included an interesting "Author's Note" which is a call to action on dealing with this new genetic technology, as well as a bibliography on genetics. At 415 pages, the book is long but moves along well even with the scientific jargon. While the novel is exciting to read, Crichton also has a serious purpose: we should all be thinking about what limits should be imposed upon genetic research and this new amazing technology before the decision is made for us as a society by the speed of technical development.

The modern day master of science-based fiction has struck again. The man who introduced the world to the possibilities of genetic engineering through Jurassic Park has turned his sights now on human genetics, and the result is as thought-provoking as his dinosaur thriller. As the world edges closer to human genetic engineering a new collection of dilemmas will arise, and these are brought to light in a series of individual story lines in Next.

One such case involves a man whose body naturally produces large amounts of precious proteins that aid in the fight against cancer. When this is discovered, a bio-gen company takes interest and obtains his cells through rather questionable means. The courts get involved and rule for the researchers, claiming that imminent domain applies. This is soon taken a step further when the company's lawyers make the claim that the patient's cells are now company property, and when the patient suddenly vanishes they decide to collect their "property" via the man's family.

Meanwhile, a scientist discovers that an old genetic experiment - crossing human and chimp DNA - had succeeded. The result, a human-chimp hybrid offspring capable of abstract thought and speech. The obvious implication involves human rights and whether or not this "creation" is entitled to the same rights as others.

A lab technician discovers that the "maturity spray" he's been testing on mice was accidentally inhaled by his deadbeat brother. He is shocked to learn that just a few weeks afterward, his once-loser sibling is now employed, off drugs and leading a stable life. However, it soon becomes obvious that the safety of the experimental drug is not definite and his brother begins to develop symptoms of someone decades older.

What happens when genetics allows us to create animals that act as advertisements? Corporate sponsorship branches into nature and we may soon know of the Black Rhino brought to you by Land Rover, or the Exxon-Mobil Bengal Tiger.

The multiple story lines provide for many characters that may be difficult to follow, especially if the book is read over a long period of time. But, in Crichton's defense, it's nearly impossible to accurately illustrate the wide-spectrum of possibilities that come along with such science without telling the story through numerous characters and stand alone plots. Crichton didn't try to connect all the different plots together and there clearly was no need. Doing so may have taken focus from the subject matter. It was an obvious challenge for him, but he pulled it off masterfully. I suggest devoting a slow weekend to reading the entire book.

Overall, this has to be one of Crichton's darkest books, pointing out that science may be moving faster than the law which could leave us in some very difficult positions in the future. It's a fascinating topic covered by an excellent writer and comes highly recommended from this reader.

The book sets out with 5-6 different stories that seem unrelated. We all know they will come together at one point, which they do, only a bit late in the game. The story lines mix in the last 70 pages which leaves you with the feeling that this is a short story book.
The Crichton writing style is there for those of you who like it. The stories flow and are an easy read. The materials the book writes about are interesting and the author takes us to some scary scenarios in gene research, so if it is interesting to you, go ahead and get yourself a copy. In general, MC has written better.

I agree with all the reviewers who said they needed a scorecard to keep track of the characters. The prologue was a big tip-off that this book was going to be terrible, a chase scene, contrived tension, then no payoff.

8 hours of my life wasted. I'm sorely tempted to toss this into my woodstove, but the fire would probably go out due to boredom

I hope this Grisham book I'm reading 'The Innocent Man' is better, but I'm 80 pages in and there's about 20 characters I'm juggling. I should stick to nonfiction......

Michael Crichton's latest novel is a thinly veiled cautionary tale about the dangers of genetic engineering, and allowing various companies legal rights to genetic material. The story is told through a series of short stories with multiple POV and various different characters (most of who are rather obnoxious). I listened to the unabridged audio edition of this book, and while I found it entertaining, I was very irritated by the POV switching, the excessively whiny teens (and adults), and the one-sided perspective of genetic engineering. In most cases the author chooses to spotlight what could go wrong... Seldom are the genetic engineers credited with anything positive.

I also found most of the characters obnoxious. I hated the parrot Gerard, disliked the woman attorney and her annoying dad (who benefited from the treatment he received), and even Dave who was cute at first, began to wear thin.

Minor Spoilers:

Please do not read if you haven't completed the book:

I think the ending really jumped the shark. How they all ended up in one household was very sappy. I liked the bounty hunter and felt really bad for him when Dave bit off his ear. At least the bounty hunter did not stand around whining like 90% of the characters in this book. No resolution to the bullies/dave situation which escalated to the point where the bully was arrested... So what happened next? I dunno, but towards the end with all the cutsie animals I felt I was reading a Koontz book. All that was missing was the talking dog. Meh.

3 Stars.

What happened to good story-telling? Dramatic scene description? Character development? Crichton's latest lacks all of these, prioritizing a general outlining of a polemic over a dramatic and developed unleashing of a story that could have told itself. The chapters aren't chapters, they are unfinished segments. The story isn't a story, it is a series of dis-jointed occurrences, as complicated as they are unexplained. And the ending? Where is it? This is the second in a row from Crichton that was an idea without a story--and coming from a writer who in the past has demonstrated an uncanny ability to breath excitement into normal (and not-so-normal) science, it is a profound disappointment to suffer through another flop.

What a dissapointment. The premise is interesting but I found much of the action, and the character's reactions to the action, to be laughable but not humorous. There are too many sub-plots wandering off to the far corners of the story, getting lost, and not brought back together in a coherent (or entertaining) manner. Crichton at his best (Andromeda Strain) is (was) gripping, intense, beleivable, and very scary. This is (literally) a yawner. I CAN wait for what's next.

This was the first book of his I've read and while I thought the subject matter was very interesting I think he did a poor job of tying it all together. Eventually in the end I was able to untangle how all the characters related to one another but there were some chapters in there with characters who added nothing to the flow of the plot, if there was one. It was like reading a bunch of short stories where the pages were mixed in with one another, with the occassional articles thrown in for supportive background I guess. Other than that I liked the book. I'm a biologist so I've worked in some of the scenarios described in the book before so it definitely hit home for me where we could be heading NEXT if we allow our ability to manipulate genetic material and information get out of control.

This is one of the best books I've read. It took a while for the story to kick in for me but once I got into it it was hard to put down. Not only was it a good read it was extremely thought provoking.

Crichton used to be my favorite author, but I have not liked one of his books since the 1990's. Yet I keep reading them, hoping that he regains his earlier form. As in State of Fear, Crichton continues his preaching only this time his topic of choice is genetics. While the writing is fluid and entertaining, the plot is just silly. The story contains a talking chimp and parrot that make me want to throw the book out the window. And the human characters are not much better. Ambitious financiers, amoral scientists, headstrong lawyers, cut throat bounty hunters-every known cliche and they are all just cardboard cutouts. I may still be reading Crichton, but at least I've stopped buying his books and now get them from the library. I suggest not even bothering with that and skipping this waste of time.

I Normally enjoy Crichton's novels and was excited to see him tackle the genetics issue again. Unlike Jurassic Park (one of my all time favorites) Crichton has failed to deliver a page turner that makes a point without the reader knowing it. After reading it I am disappointed. Too many confusing characters and subplots, no real coherent story. Crichton has chosen to preach about the evils of genetic manipulation in a heavy handed way. This prevents readers from pondering the issue while being caught up in this book. We all know greed is bad and there are unscrupulous villains in every field. Crichton has turned out some incredible medical/scientific thrillers but Next is not one. I'll keep waiting for him to do a repeat of Jurassic Park, Congo or Acceptable Risk. Those were page turners. I'm glad I got this from the library and did not pay for it. I would have returned it!!!!

Contrary to some other reviewers, I was greatly entertained by this book and couldn't put it down. If you prefer character development that delves into minute details, this book isn't for you, but if you want a real page turner with far reaching implications, you won't be disappointed. Transgenic tinkering is a pandora's box that is currently being governed by universities and corporations based solely upon profit motives. The federal government has essentially abandoned the field and we will all pay for this soon. The idea of being allowed to patent a naturally occurring gene borders on the absurd and this novel does an excellent job of detailing the potential outcome of such a short-sighted view. I also appreciated Mr. Chricton's insights at the end of the book where he discussed rational steps that could be taken to avoid problems in the future. I learned a great deal about the legal and ethical ramifications of genetic engineering and plan to read other works from the resources cited by the author.

I picked this book up for an eight hour flight. This was an awful collection of 15 - 20 subplots that were lamely attempted to be woveen together into one big convoluted mess.

Smattered amongst the plot lines were ridiculous tangents that were not cohesive at all. It was like reading a collection of press clippings in hopes to finding a plot.

I was very surprised how bad this book was. Crichton is known for his research, but he obviously didn't understand any of it this time. Maybe his genetics are fine but his legal premises were laughable. And the transgenic parrot that can do math... eesh. No one bats an eye when the parrot can hold a complete conversation in english or french but when it does simple subtraction people are agape. There were several disjointed stories, some even with plausible story lines, but instead of wrapping them all up at the end, Crichton decided to just throw a big blue tarp over the whole steaming pile.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very thought provoking and funny in parts. the humour was necessary as if you really think about the topic (genetic modification and gene patenting), it is ultimately very scary.

There really isn't a point to this book. There's like seven plots, and I only read the whole thing hoping that they would all tie togeter- but they really never do! Crichton's pro evoloution stance is really getting old, and while some things in this book are interesting, there is really just no consistant plot. He's better than this. I hated it. But maybe I'm too young.

Yet another rant by the brilliant Michael Crichton. But a rant with interesting and compelling story threads woven in to hold your attention. Too much opinion showing through - not enough plot. Come back to us with the wonderful stories that amaze and thrill. Put that awesome mind to entertaining the reader as well as educating us.

I always like Michael Crichton's stories, they are smart, inventive and force you to think. I also, usually find his writing hard to follow. jumps all over the place.....this was no different....not a bad book.

I really like Michael Crichton but I'm having a hard time with this one. I'll admit, I haven't finished it but it really is dragging on. Someone please tell me it get's better. I have since started reading other books instead. If I finally do read the rest of this one and find it better, I'll change my review but this one just didn't do it for me. Is it because he is dead and this one was finished by someone else? I believe some others were as well and I haven't been found of those either.

I don't know why there are so many negative reviews here...I for one had trouble putting the book down. An excellent combination of fiction and nonfiction--it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Crichton does a great job of raising issues we'll all be dealing with in the coming years in regard to genetic engineering. It's a fast read and a scary one, and one of the best Crichton novels I've read since Jurassic Park.

I've been a fan of Michael Crichton for while and thought this book would be of the same caliber as his previous work. It's not. I almost put the book away half way through, I only kept reading because I paid for it. The story doesn't seem to go anywhere, just a bunch of small stories that all have to do with genetics. He introduces so many characters in the beginning of the book that when they appear again later on, it's hard to figure out who's who, or even care for that matter. This book could of been a lot better, very disappointing.

First of all, let me disclose that Michael Crichton is one of my favorite authors. I greatly admire his willingness to tackle controversial subjects such as the politicization of global warming ("State of Fear") as well as his awesome ability to master both the science and politics of these subjects. And Crichton usually serves up a compelling storyline and plot.

Not this time. This novel (if that is what it was) is a myriad of subplots that apparently have very little to do with one another. To be fair, each of them has a lot to do with Crichton's theme, which is that biotechnology and genetic engineering are here to stay, and will continue to present society with ethical choices that will not be clear cut, and which may have unexpected consequences.

As usual, the legal profession comes in for the worst treatment. (Disclosure: I am a civil attorney myself.) Crichton's dislike of lawyers, their sometimes frivolous arguments, and their gamesmanship, is a major part of this novel. Well, some of this is deserved. Frankly, however, Crichton did not appear to me to have researched the legal issues in this novel as well as he did the scientific ones. Some of the arguments the attorneys in the novel make are directly contradictory to well-settled law. You would never know it from this piece.

In this novel, Crichton is seen to have an ax to grind, and he spends too much time grinding it, and too little time concerning himself with telling the reader a compelling story, or developing the characters. I finished this piece because Crichton's speculations about genetic engineering really are interesting. (Although some of them are pretty silly, such as his obsession with blondes, or the unscientific notion that Neanderthals were supermen.)

This one just does not work, although it does succeed in making the reader think. I hope that next time Mr. Crichton will focus more on entertaining the reader, and less on ax-grinding.

I'm a big fan of Crichton, but i have to say that this is one of his worst books. The only reason it gets any stars is because the look at genetic engineering and the moral, ethical and legal mess it creates is pretty interesting. The story and characters (both human and animals) totally sucks though.

I think his older stuff is better and really love his memoir, Travels.

I've really enjoyed all of Crichton's books in the past, but this one I almost gave up on midway through. I agree with everyone else's comments there are too many characters and not developed enough to remember who they were when they briefly appear several chapters later. To make things worst, I listened to it on tape and couldn't go back and look up the characters to see if I should know them yet or not

I really enjoyed Next. It's somewhat of a departure for Crichton in that there's a lot of satire and humor mixed in with a serious warning about the dangers of current medical copyright laws. I can see where some readers who wanted a thriller might be dissapointed but I found it enjoyable.

This will probably be the last Crichton book I read. All of the stuff about the dangers of genetic engineering may be true...but what a BORING book. I kept forcing myself to pick it up day after day because I kept waiting for a plot...or even waiting for something slightly interesting to happen, but it never did. After the last page, I said "THAT'S IT"???

I used to be a huge Crichton fan, but won't waste my money again. The ONLY reason I read fiction is to be entertained...and this book failed miserably in that department.

This was an engaging read, but at the end I realized there's not much substance to it at all. In fact, I destroyed this book after reading it so it wouldn't end up in another bookstore somewhere else for some unsuspecting Chrichton fan to buy. Read any of his other books - you won't be disappointed. Just stay away from this one.

Even if most of the events are fictional, the possibilities opened are scary. Is interesting the way the author describes different situations, without any link between them to build up an argument about power, individuality and irresponsible acts against society. But I think there is a lack of "endings". The last part is great, because the author gives his political, ethical and scientific point of view. Is urgent to open a dialogue about all the issues that are involve in the genetic research.

"Next" is the latest in a series of Crichton works which are structured on the same premise: Take a current scientific/medical topic, explore it, explain it and then illustrate the dangers presented if the science is not properly regulated and/or controlled. This has been a constantly recurring theme with Crichton since his first novel, Andromeda Strain and its subject of killer viruses.

What "Jurassic Park" did for cloning and "Prey" did for nanotechnology, "Next" does for genetic testing and research on the human genome. The novel takes current technology in the realm of genetic research and patent law, and presents scenarios that range from likely to the utterly ridiculous. Though some of the story threads border on absurd, they are nonetheless captivating and very well written.

Regardless of your feelings about Crichton (and he has certainly made some enemies as a result of his global warming novel "State of Fear"), the man is a medical doctor and obviously a fastidious researcher. He knows his subject and he is an outstanding writer. If you read his novels, you will be educated on the subject matter.

Though the novel is printed on 425 pages, the lines are widely spaced and seperated into almost 100 chapters. The book can easily be read in two sittings. I don't know why publishers feel the need to disguise the length of their products through cheap printing tricks. It's a 300 page novel at best.

Crichton has a very limited understanding of the biology involved genetic manipulations, its potential and limits. However he decided to write a book about it. Not only it's uninformed and preachy, but the story is incoherent and the multiple subplots (one for every aspects he wants to criticizes) are unconnected and sometimes left unresolved.

This was excellent reading. It took some thinking to remember who was who. There were a lot of characters. But if you pay attention, it all came together. What I really got from this book was an awareness of what is going on in the world of genetics and licensing. If you want an entertaining way to learn about corporations patenting your genes, etc... read this book. It was a real eye opener. He has a bibliography at the end along with a thoughtful author's note on the topic.

From Prey to State of Fear to Next, Crichton is slowly slipping off my "must read" list. I truly enjoyed his earlier creations, but these last three have me scratching my head.

"Next", while delivering an interesting message, appears to have been thrown together without any rhyme or reason. The story jumps around so much it is very difficult to keep track of all the players, and the ending is clearly contrived so we can get on to better things.

Michael, please, your research is impeccable, but get back to the good storytelling that we have come to know and love.

The characters have the depth of cardboard, most are unpleasant and untrustworthy, the plot is contrived and preachy. Some plot points are gratuitously sensationalistic. The humor brought by the transgenic parrot is its only saving grace. Had it not been chosen for our book group I wouldn't have bothered and I suggest you don't either.

I'm not sure why there are so many reviews slamming this book... Yes, there are several plot lines that the reader follows, which in my opinion is a nice change from the usual cookie-cutter novel. As usual, Crichton's research and knowledge of the subject area (in this case genetic research and the inevitable ethical issues involved) is impeccable. I feel this is one of his best.

I'm suprised at the range of reviews. I found the book entertaining, which is exactly why I read it. It was interesting held my attention and, maybe it's me, but I didn't think it was as deep as some of these reviews. Wow!

After reading Mr. Crichton's latest work, I feel like I need to take a brain shower. Too many disjointed characters; little character development and a confluence of gratuitous sex. This is one book I won't pass on to my friends - most likely it's straight to the trash can! And to think this was my lone highly-awaited Christmas gift. Pee-ewwww!

My favorite Crichton novel is Jurassic Park, not only because I was at an impressionable age when the film came out, but because he blends scientific jargon--plausible jargon--with thrilling action. (Also, hey! Dinosaurs!) Next strives to be another Jurassic Park--so much that I was waiting for John Hammond and InGen to be referenced--but falls quite short of being even half as compelling. I did enjoy the frenetic pace of the narrative, and his ideas about what people might try next in gene manipulation were both fascinating and terrifying, but I think I still prefer the old Crichton to the new. All in all, a good escape, but this was no Jurassic Park.

This is my first Crichton book, and I very much enjoyed it. Ya, as people have said, he continually switches between quasi-developed characters, but anybody paying attention will undoubtedly have little trouble following the intricate plot. Crichton takes you through a whirl wind of science, legal and action adventure. The book is fresh in each clipped chapter and very readable...I highly recommend.

Many good authors experience their share of failures. This is the second consecutive one for Dr. Crichton. "Prey" was his last good novel. "Next" is all over the place with too many characters for a novel of this length. Many loose ends are never tied up. Like in "State of Fear", it seems he is too busy working on an agenda than the actual story. The ending is a huge letdown. Crichton needs to return to his blueprint for success: more suspense, and less technobabble. The reader knows it's science fiction but Crichton tries too hard to prove the science part. His masterpiece remains "Sphere." Here's to hoping that Crichton is not washed up...

Ive never written a review on the store before because I felt it was a waste of my time, but I had to for this book to help prevent people from buying this world class terd.

We have multiple stories that make no sense what so ever and go nowhere. One about a kid who is half monkey/half man and throws his poop at a bully. One about a talking bird that flies away from a herd of wolves or coyotes. One about a drug addict who inhales some kind of rat medicine and turns into the crpyt keeper weeks later, and others stories that I can't remember cause they were so pointless.

Bottomline you're reading all these stories, all of a sudden the book just ends....none of these stories had an end...the book just stopped.

Avoid this book...awful

I have always been a huge Crichton fan. When Next came out I couldn't wait to read his next thought provoking "what if" medical thriller. Huge disappointment. Too many characters and side stories that just didn't seem to meet up neatly, or otherwise in the end.

NEXT is well written but the subject matter is disturbing and the unnecassary and excessive amount of profanity makes this book one of Michael Chrighton's worst. I would not recommend it. Michael Chrichton will be missed however and he has written some fine books like Jurasic Park, Sphere, and State of Fear.

I just finished the latest Crichton novel. It's interesting at first, though impossible to follow. There are about 20 subplots and many of them come together towards the end, but some of them are never revisited. The ending seemed a bit hasty and contrived.

I really enjoyed Eaters of the Dead, Jur. Park books, and most other Crichton books, and have read most of them.

This one is slow, meandering, and doesn't have near the plot line of his earlier works. Save your time and re-read Timeline if you need a fix until his next book.

All I can say is wow this is a bad book. Bought it to read on a plane and barely finished simply because it was so awful. I came on here to see what other people were saying about it and decided to make an account just so I could give it a bad review. It was that bad. It was as if you could see Crichton getting caught up writing a crappy story, realizing it, and continuing it because he had publishing deadlines so he just threw it all together. Really terrible from an author who has some pretty good and entertaining earlier work.

I get the impression that Michael Crichton has late onset ADHD. This book introduces so many characters that I had to maintain a scorecard to keep them straight. If you put it down for a couple of days, you will lose the intricate plot(s).

I really enjoyed this book. I am not sure why everyone said they had a hard time following all of the characters, they tied into the story nicely and all came together in the end. Another great Crichton book that I hightly recommend. A real page turner!

I have been a fan of Michael Crichton and have enjoyed most of his books, although the best seem to have been his earliest, with Next being by far the poorest. It seemed to start OK, but then introduced far too many unintersting characters, only a few of which seemed to eventually come together. The epilogue, made up of Crichton's recommendations related to genetics research, also didn't seem to flow from the books plot(s) or lack thereof.

I agree with other reviewers who felt the story lines were disjointed and the characters were poorly-developed. This was low-brow science and far-fetched fiction. I think Robin Cook's "Mutation" was much more cutting-edge, and it was written seventeen years ago!

Crichton should have started tying the disparate story lines together about halfway through the book, but instead he continues to introduce new characters while the plot limps along. I am rarely this disappointed with any novel. By the end, I was skimming through so I could just be done with the whole thing.

In a line of increasingly terrible books that Mr. Crichton is writing, I truely hope this is the last one! At least the last few had coherent writing, if unexciting stories; but not this one! To match a singularly inspid plot, Mr. Crichton has added the attention span of a chipmunk to make a thoroughly unenjoyable book.

Save your money, don't buy this book.

The book has a lot of interesting information about genetics, things like Chimera that I had never heard of, and all the ways genetic engineering can be used and abused.

But there are too many characters and story lines in one book. And some stories like the introduction did not seem to have anything to do with the rest of the book. Hard to keep track of the characters. And when you finish the book you feel like there were a lot of loose ends left open.

I have been a Crichton fan for a long time, but this book was disappointing. At the end of the book he gives five conclusions that he has reached regarding bio-tech research. This book reads like he wrote a short story for each of these, and then tried to tie them together.

I like Crichton's courage at tackling tough and controversial issues, but it is only effective if the story is interesting.

In my opinion, spend your money on Congo or Timeline, but leave NEXT on the shelf.

Not your typical Crichton. I have loved most of his stuff but this one is lousy. Good topic but not even close to being a well developed story. I really hope that he doesn't become the newest James Patterson. Patterson has written some great stuff (e.g., Kiss The Girls), but has fallen off sharply since those earlier works.

I hope the NEXT Crichton is better than this.

This novel has several sub-stories happening at the same time. Small chapters document the happenings of several characters across the globe while the biogenentics field explodes with talking apes, stolen bones, and "cross-polinated" DNA. The book references several actual biogen companies and events occuring in the biogenetics field in a variety of chapters...so there is some truth to fiction!

I loved the sub plots occuring - as all the characters are linked in some way.... if your short-term memory isn't great, I would suggest this novel as the sub-stories shift often. However, I could not put this book down -I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves to read Crichton.

Next is a much more complex novel than Crichton's previous work. It is less intensely exciting and more realistic. The large cast of characters ring true, resembling many researchers I have met in biotechnology (though they are a bit over the top and over sexed). Their stories a very good job of addressing many of the issues surrounding biotechnological research, though sometimes Crichton brings in a few too many small disconnected underdeveloped stories in order to address some obscure ethical issue. The crazy hippie, the rebelling teenager and the ruthless advertiser are all stock characters overpopulating the novel and proving points that Crichton clearly wanted to make.

The tone is much less heavy handed than his constant preaching in State of Fear. The complexities of the ethics is complemented by the complexity of the cast. Each character has their own flaws, unlike the Mary Sue of other popular fiction writers. They show the bio industry as it really is: no selfless heroes, many decent people. No one has a perfect vision of biotechnology's future. The best one can expect is to escape death by poetic justice.

With all due respect to many other fine authors, Michael Crichton is in a class all to himself and nobody comes even remotely close to writing compelling fictionalized scientific thrillers warped in the current issues society faces the way Crichton does.

'Next' by Crichton is simply genuis. This said, most readers will do themselves a great deal of justice in taking the time to absorb the rather complex genomic issues easily presented and identified by the author . . . and think . . . because the fact is the implications that genetic science has on our present lives is about to explode.

As an author who has written about the cloning debate and addressed the spiritual issues evolving around genetic science for medicinal use in 'Cloning Christ', I must tip my hat to Michael Crichton in his masterful, thoughtful, and compelling presentation of the spiritual, the legal, and the economic in this wonderfully complex, multi-facted page turner that entertains and educates at the same time.

My advice: walk to your local bookstore or library and grab this one. Then find a place you love . . . and begin reading!

I have read fantastic books by this author. However, "Next", supposedly a number one best seller, reads like a telephone book. A telephone book, because I am currently at page 110, and have encountered some 36 new names of people and very little action. I am wondering whether to throw the book into the garbage can or to read on in the hope of the sort of exciting content that I know this writer is capable of producing.

I admit they tried to make the subject interesting but too many story lines to follow any one story. And I primarily read the book in two sittings on an overseas flight and back. If I had read the book over a longer period, I would never have been able to follow it.

As with most Crichton books, you will find it intellectually stimulating but it seems to go at lengths to describe things that most of us will never understand.

Hey, some of us like layers and complexity. And Crichton delivers in Next. Yes there are lots of characters to keep track of. So make some notes on the blank pages as you go and enjoy an entertaining introduction to some of the ethical issues we face in the field of biotechnology.

'Next' jumps back and forth from story to story and leaves the reader confused. I thought the writing was subpar for Crichton. Although the talking bird started to grow on me, the genetically altered animals were just too far fetched. A talking bird? A chimp boy? Come on, Michael. Usually Crichton novels are more rooted in reality and science.

Crichton disappointed me with his book NEXT. Stories are mildly boring at most. There are several plots which are hard to follow. Some chapters contain too much information about genetic research which is not relevant to any of the plots. This book is not a novel. It is a recollection of unfinished essays about genetic research. (The supposedly "scientific" information on this book is quite inaccurate). Skip this book and read something worth your valuable time.

I normally love all of Crichton's books and I buy them as soon as they come out. I won't be doing that with his next release. This one really stinks. There is very little story or plot at all and the science is very weak. Its seems to me he has some issues with genentic engineering and biotechnology and he is using this book to express those. Unfortunately he did not do too much homework because a lot of the science suggested here is way off.

Too many parallel episodes to keep track off, which could be OK if he weaved the different parallel stories into a very clever plot . But we dont see it for e.g the way he had to connect the talking parrot into the humanzee story was pretty lame. In many of his novels, there was a suspense till the end either in the plot or in the characters. here the story is pretty predictable with some hollywood style chasing scenes in the end. The sprinking of news bits and factoids keep you interested, and issues that he rises do set you thinking but we expect a much more gripping story from Crichton.

As a Chrichton fan, Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park and Terminal Man being my favourites, i was looking forward to this book, because the premise of it is a very intriguing one. But then, creating a good premise has never been Chrichton's problem.

Its fine to have loads of information about a subject in a novel, but my main problem is, that his characters have become extremely one-dimensional. Not only are characters either 'just good' or 'just bad' but the characters don't talk from their own conviction, but their dialogue just reflects the authors opinion of them.

i was very very disappointed with this book, and i hope its not just downhill from here.

A quick read, but I had to keep notes on all the characters and story lines. it comes together loosely in the end.

More of an insight to the complications of genetic engineering than a cohesive story. I loved Dave and Gerald.

Anyone who is interested in the issues surrounding biotechnology should read this book. Contains some Sci-Fi science,as in his previous novel "Jurassic Park". However,the book makes some interesting points regarding the relationship of politics and science for profit.

Michael Crichton knew few equals in his prime. For me this was not one of his ten best novels, but it reads fast and energetically. Most avid readers could take it down in a week. Worth the effort.

I've read most of Crichton and I have really enjoyed most of them, especially Prey. I found his previous book, State of Fear a very interesting read even though it was a bully pulpit against global warming (!). Next crosses the line, it is so preachy. There is even a Greek chorus technique he uses to simply quote facts and statistics about genetics. It is SO bad, how can he sink so low? I used to buy his new books without knowing anything about them, no longer, I really got burned on Next.

This is not a fast paced adventure book as others have been. It is a thought provoking look at the current state of genetic research and a peek into the future of what could be. You will not be on the edge of your seat during the read but you will certainly have plenty to talk about with your more intellectual coworkers around the water cooler.

If you love Michael Crichton, brace yourself. He is in fact one of my favorite authors, and I'm having a difficult time thinking that he actually wrote this. It's almost like he jotted some interesting ideas and storylines down on a cocktail napkin, and sent it in to print without any editing at all. The entire book was disjointed and seemed to go nowhere with way too many characters and storylines than any one book would ever need. I've grown to expect his easy-to-read style, and page-turning stories of the past, and just didn't experience that with Next at all. I feel robbed of valuable time that I could have been spending reading a good book.

Anyone who is interested in the issues surrounding biotechnology should read this book. Contains some Sci-Fi science,as in his previous novel "Jurassic Park". However,the book makes some interesting points regarding the relationship of politics and science for profit.

Michael Crichton knew few equals in his prime. For me this was not one of his ten best novels, but it reads fast and energetically. Most avid readers could take it down in a week. Worth the effort.

I've read most of Crichton and I have really enjoyed most of them, especially Prey. I found his previous book, State of Fear a very interesting read even though it was a bully pulpit against global warming (!). Next crosses the line, it is so preachy. There is even a Greek chorus technique he uses to simply quote facts and statistics about genetics. It is SO bad, how can he sink so low? I used to buy his new books without knowing anything about them, no longer, I really got burned on Next.

This is not a fast paced adventure book as others have been. It is a thought provoking look at the current state of genetic research and a peek into the future of what could be. You will not be on the edge of your seat during the read but you will certainly have plenty to talk about with your more intellectual coworkers around the water cooler.

If you love Michael Crichton, brace yourself. He is in fact one of my favorite authors, and I'm having a difficult time thinking that he actually wrote this. It's almost like he jotted some interesting ideas and storylines down on a cocktail napkin, and sent it in to print without any editing at all. The entire book was disjointed and seemed to go nowhere with way too many characters and storylines than any one book would ever need. I've grown to expect his easy-to-read style, and page-turning stories of the past, and just didn't experience that with Next at all. I feel robbed of valuable time that I could have been spending reading a good book.

I kept waiting for something interesting to pick up this book - never happened! Slow,boring and extremely disapointing. I'll save my money when the next book of Crighton's comes out. I want to be entertained not bored.

Prey was his last good book. Makes me wonder whether or not he actually wrote this book. The book brings together a lot of genetic topics, but poorly. If you want to read about genetics, get a different book. Maybe this was a failed attempt at a movie script made into a book?

I like Crichton's stuff usually, but this one just set afoot about 20 different plot lines and never brought them together in a way that was even remotely plausible.

As a side comment (I'm no prude but...) each sub-story also seemed to have a more perverted sexual theme than the last as well, making me wonder if Crichton is OK or not.

The plot starts weak and gets worse as the book goes along.

Crichton chose an important and highly relevant topic and completely wasted it in a book that is miserably written. Too bad - because there are glimmers of good thinking in there. If you want some good arguments on the legal aspects of gene patenting, go ahead and read it. If you want a good story - forget it.

Crichton writes about an interesting subject with some interesting ideas and somehow makes it uninteresting!

There is no main character for the reader to latch onto until you get near the end. He adds to confusion by having 2 characters with the same exact name so you're not sure who he's talking about several times (and the only reason he does this is for a stupid little plot device later on). He starts several plot lines that look promising and then seems to forget about them.

The whole book seemed more like a first draft than a finished novel. Crichton is much better than this and could have done a much better job.

I wanted to read this, then I read the reviews others had written and was turned off. But I went out and bought it despite what other wrote. I am not a avid reader, i would say i read one to two books a year, if that. I have a short attention span, but this book actually has kept me turning the pages. Short chapters are good for some people. I have read it every night since getting it and I can wait to read more tonight. yes, it takes some time to plot the characters and how they merge with each other, but I don't feel that I am spending that much time on the same character do the same thing, so I am definately not bored.

Despite the theme of gene patenting and genetics, etc and sometimes it can get a bit technically, it is an easy read for someone who is not a "reader".

I like it...

I've been a big fan of Michael Crichton. I have read all his books, and own them in all in hardcover (this one included). This is by far the worst one I've read. It's very slow, very boring, very disjointed. While I normally go through his books in days (usually staying up way too late in the night) I actually had to force myself to finish this one.

I won't give anything away. If you like Crichton you'll enjoy yet another side a quick read of this ever-evolving author. Thoughtfully written as a parent I could relate. Dr. Crichton's novels flow off the page in a way that draws you in. You read the novels in an all-dayer or a weekend in bed. Highly recommend.

This is less a coherent novel than a series of haphazard vignettes cobbled together primarily to illustrate issues that apparently interest Mr. Crichton (as evidenced by his author's note at the conclusion). One of the more disappointing efforts by the author.

O.K., I am officially DONE with Crichton!! I could NOT finish this one!
He is a rambling mess and so full of himself that he just keeps
going on and on and on until I could NOT go on. NO MORE for me!!

This is one of the stupidest books I have tried to read. Very disjointed and hard to follow. A jumble of somewhat well written snippets that fail to come together, at least in the first 2/3 of the book. Don't know if it ever reached climax or not. I threw it in the trash.

I am really confounded by the negative reviews. Was this book enjoyable to read? Yes. Was the book well written? Yes. Was the book on par with the authors other work? Yes. Would I recommend the book? Yes!!!!

This book requires that you have a little interest in modern science. It's not the easiest of reads for those looking for a quick thrill. Crichton certainly does his homework when it comes down to it. I was thoroughly entertained! - Alan Safani

This book touches on somewhat contraversial subjects, so read ahead if your interested and have a stong stomach (not that gross, just a little bit). Some parts are very serious and some are funny. Well worth reading!

I have always been a fan of Crichton, but this book sucks. There were so many unanswer and unclear conclusions to many of his subplots that it leave you hanging and frustrated. Avoid this book if you don't want to get a headache. Wish I did. Can't believe I actually finished it...only to leave me frustrated.

This book is sheer crap. I have read and enjoyed many of Crichton's books, but the last decent book he wrote was Timeline. What's with his blatant objectification of women as sex kittens and his debauchery, perversity and lewdness? Bleck...no thanks.

I am a huge Crichton fan and I have loved everything that he has previously written. State of Fear was a well researched masterpiece. This was not what I expected from the great Crichton writing mind following such a good book as was State of Fear.

First, the ending was horrible. I was waiting for some kind of closure to bring everything together (typical Crichton), but this one just kind of stopped and left you wondering "so what happens to all of the charachters?".

Second, the first chapter got me really interested in the book (typical Crichton), but then he never came back to that story at all. You never find out what led up to or became of the events in the beginning.

Finally, there was a wealth of scientific information in the book (typical Crichton) and it was very interesting and I actually enjoyed the read. But based on the first two problems that I wrote about, this books just was not very good.

I will continue to read any future works from the author, but I hope that this is not the start of a downward trend.

Sorry Mr. Crichton. I am a huge fan of Michael Cricton, I have read and enjoyed every book of his since Andromeda Strain. I have liked some more than others, but I have never put one of his books down. The subject matter was interesting, but I expect better from this author. Even if I don't agree with his views on the subject, such as his book State of Fear, where I felt like he was trying to debunk the global warming threat, I still adored the book. The action, thrills and great characters I have come to expect from him were just not here.

There was no character I could connect with, all the different stories in each chapter, all the different people....maybe it all came together in the end, who knows, I just know I didn't care enough to stick around to the end to see. Very, very disappointed.

Let me start by disclosing that I am a fan of Crichton. I have read every one of his books and always eagerly await his next one. This is not vintage MC at all. This is not the same writer who wrote Disclosure. This an incoherent story springled with unnecessary references to sexual acts that add nothing to the story - not even eroticism. The seamingly parallel inter-related story lines are not developed. The reader is not allowed to identify with any of the characters - human or transgenics. The concept is one that fits Crichton perfectly; but I most say that dropped the proverbial ball. The story is not engaging. The plot doesn't exist. The science is misued. I really do hope he concentrates his magnificent talents for his 'Next' book and comes up with a cohesive story line springled with imaginative science as he's done in his previous work.

I generally like Crichton's works, and this book had a great story-line with lots of promise. But it read like a loosely knit collection of subplots and was very disjointed. Characters were hard to follow, and some had similar names (are we running out of unique IDs?).

Anyway, I was disappointed in both the style and continuity of the story

I never read other books by this author, and this one will probably turn me away for them. Some of the issues described are very interesting and even somewhat educational. But the story is broken up into tiny pieces just like a sitcom.

Michael Crichton is my favorite author, and I've been eagerly awaiting this book for months. Wow, was I ever disappointed. The author jumps back and forth between eight or nine parallel stories (all tied to genetic engineering). The result is a confusing mess. There are too many characters to keep track of - I felt like I needed a program to tell one player from another. And a number of subplots never reached a resolution, leaving me to wonder why Michael even bothered to include them in the first place.

NEXT does pose some interesting moral and ethical dilemmas about genetic engineering; unfortunately the impact of this message gets diluted by multiple convoluted subplots. I'd come to expect so much more from the author of such masterpieces as "The Andromeda Strain," "Jurassic Park," and "Eaters of the Dead."

As always Crichton's newest effort was thorough and very well written. The characters lacked some depth this time around and cover-to-cover seemed to have a subliminal moral/ethical/spiritual message. The book read easily and I was compelled to finish it, however I was not clawing from page to page. There was no insatiable drive to get to the next chapter. The snippets of news articles were witty and amusing however tempting to ignore towards the end.

I bought this book with high expectations, since practically all of Crichton's books are simply amazing. This book, however, was terrible -- a huge disappointment. Don't waste your time and money on this piece of junk.

If this had been the first book I'd read by Michael Crichton, I'd never have read another of his books. The book is so political, and so stupid, it's actually funny rather than thrilling.

There are probably some good points in there, but he goes so far over the top with his monkey people and genius parrots that it goes headlong into the realm of the ridiculous. I'm beginning to think he didn't have an editor for this book, or that the publishing company thinks he's so hot he doesn't need an editor, but when he makes so many obvious legal and scientific mistakes, it's a sure thing that the publishing company should rethink that decision.

He has a bunch of people who have amazing success splicing human genes into parrots and apes and chimps, but at the same time, he has people who are apparently incapable of doing anything but killing humans with their gene splicing. He has people suing sperm donors (you know, REAL sperm donors who donated for artificial insemination) because of genetic problems that were not detectable at the time of the sperm donation. He has people chasing down and trying to capture and kidnap the children and grandchildren of a person whose cell line they have "patented" so they can get cells from these people without their permission. And we're supposed to believe this (and maybe some people do, but I found myself giggling at the goofiness).

He intersperses little "news" articles that reflect his obvious anti-science point of view, and shows someone manufacturing websites with fake scientific content to bolster their point of view.

He has people working in labs who get a phone call while they're dosing animals with something and who just stop right in the middle and carry out to their car the stuff they're dosing the animals with. Like, yes, that's going to happen. I'm so sure.

He has a human/chimp that someone steals from a lab and drives several days back home and apparently not only does no one chase him, they apparently don't even notice the chimp is gone - or maybe we're supposed to believe that they don't even care.

I haven't finished the book yet but am 3/4 of the way through, and I'm pretty sure the rest of the book will be just as hysterically funny.

If you want a satire of a thriller, this is the one to buy. But if you want a real thriller, spend your money on something else.

I am confounded by reviewers who call this a "well written" book. An excerpt from page 247: "It had been raining all day in southern Sumatra. The jungle floor was wet. The leaves were wet. Everything was wet". Need I say more?

No plot, no action, not even good science. If the situations he described were within the realm of possibility, the book might have held my interest, but it was so over the top that it just became a joke. I've read most of Crighton's books, but I won't be rushing to pick up the next one.

O.k. Michael we get it, you know about genes. Now, how about a plot to go around this superiority complex.

Crappy storyline, if you're lucky enough to be able to find it. It's as bad as State of Fear.

Audio book:

Every male character sounded effeminate.

When I walked into Barnes and Noble and saw a brand new Crichton book on the shelf I was absolutly gitty. I purchased it and dove in. It starts well and lays out many good plots. There are also many good twisting plot turns that made me not want to put the book down. The biggest gripe I have is that in most books you follow various people from a logical start point to a logical end point. This book picks up a few seemingly unconnected people and then in the last few chapters ties them all together really quickly and then kind of abrutly ends. While it is still worth buying I wouldn't get your hopes up.