Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at your dinner table of the same species? Humans and chimpanzees differ in only 400 genes; is that why an adult human being resembles a chimp fetus? And should that worry us? There's a new genetic cure for drug addiction--is it worse than the disease? We live in a time of momentous scientific leaps; a time when it's possible to sell our eggs and sperm online for thousands of dollars or test our spouses for genetic maladies. We live in a time ...
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Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at your dinner table of the same species? Humans and chimpanzees differ in only 400 genes; is that why an adult human being resembles a chimp fetus? And should that worry us? There's a new genetic cure for drug addiction--is it worse than the disease? We live in a time of momentous scientific leaps; a time when it's possible to sell our eggs and sperm online for thousands of dollars or test our spouses for genetic maladies. We live in a time when one fifth of all our genes are owned by someone else, and an unsuspecting person and his family can be pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes . . . Devilishly clever, Next blends fact and fiction into a breathless tale of a new world where nothing is what it seems, and a set of new possibilities can open at every turn. Next challenges our sense of reality and notions of morality. Balancing the comic and bizarre with the genuinely frightening and disturbing, Next shatters our assumptions, and reveals shocking new choices where we least expect. The future is closer than you think. Get used to it. Performed by Dylan Baker
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Mr. Crichton provides us with another "state of the art" and a tremendous insight into what we call "science." You will notice he has evolved into not only our window on time, but, also, our sage of wisdom for "what to do next." His last two novels have provided us with insightful opportunities to seriously re-evaluate our social consciousness and provided a "road-map" for those who are desperately seeking advice on which "path" to follow. If there is one person who has the depth, understanding and wisdom to provide us a truer understanding of where were going, I don't know who it is.
iluvbooks
Jul 20, 2007
I am a fan of Michael Crichton, but this was not my favorite. The plot was fascinating and the characters were very interesting. That said, I think he could have gone a little deeper. The book is made up of several intersecting story lines which all could have made a wonderful novel on their own. When combined not enough attention is paid to any one plot line. I believe that it would have made several great novels or one exceptional epic novel, but as one novel of average length it was just so-so.
ryan
Jun 28, 2007
Interesting subject matter
I think the subject and story are very interesting, but certain aspects were just too far fetched. I had no trouble with Jurassic Park and cloning dinosaurs, but one of the story lines in this book wasn't believable. I don't want to give anything away, so if you don't want to know, don't read the next paragraph.
*SPOILER* The whole talking monkey boy story line was just too much. The monkey didn't need to talk to make it compelling. Monkeys don't have the right organs to speak for one thing, and it was just too much of a reach to suggest that the first and only time this guy tries his experiment he ends up with a talking monkey. Just the fact that scientist would use his own genetic material in primate experimentation would have been enough to shock readers. I think a more intelligent, hairless monkey would have been a better idea.
