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Next  By  cover art

Next

By: Michael Crichton
Narrated by: Dylan Baker
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Publisher's summary

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.

What's next:

  • The abridged version of Next,
  • the free interview with Michael Crichton, and
  • an exclusive sneak preview of Next.

    Take your pick.

  • ©2006 Michael Crichton (P)2006 HarperCollins Publishers

    What listeners say about Next

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    • Overall
      2 out of 5 stars

    interesting topic - dull, boring, confusing book

    I normally like Michael Crichton's work. But this is not really a novel. It's a series of interspersed short stories on the topic of the science of gene therapy and research. Not one of the individual stories was interesting, but what's worse, the sheer number of them and the frequency of alternating among them, left me constantly wondering for several minutes which storyline we were back to.

    Again, the subject matter was interesting. But the execution was dull and often struck me as if it were written for a much younger audience, like readers 10 – 14 years old.

    This isn’t helped by the reader. Usually, the readers I don't like sound like they are half asleep. This reader is the only one I've come across that is actually overly animated, to the point of being distracting, annoying, and again, as if aimed at young teenagers. Many of his voices just sound winy.

    This is just not worth the money. But it’s an even bigger waste of time. I regret finishing it.

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    78 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      2 out of 5 stars

    Boring

    Boring, preachy. I think there was a plot in there somewhere.

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    60 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      2 out of 5 stars

    No Action

    If you like thrilling, fast paced action ‘Next’ might not suit your tastes. It is very slow to introduce the characters (half of the book!) and then, they never did anything – and I mean nothing! It was a struggle for me to focus and pay attention because it seemed there was little to pay attention to. I have to confess that about half way through I just stopped listening to ‘Next” and went to another book in my library. Perhaps the second half of the book was exciting and attention grabbing. Perhaps I’ve cheated myself out of a very satisfying listen by stopping too soon. I have never been one to ‘give up’ on a book, but in all honesty, it was a relief to stop this one.

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    56 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      4 out of 5 stars

    The plot isn't the point

    What others reviewers of this audiobook failed to recognize is that the plot is not the point of this book. If you read it to the end, including the author's comments and the interview with him, you would find out that the point of the book is to raise awareness of the frightening state of affairs in this country regarding genetic research and engineering. The individual stories presented are mere examples of the atrocities occuring all over the country, and the rights individuals are being denied when it comes to their own bodies.

    If only 1% of the people who read this book encourage their legislators to do something about these issues, I think the book can be considered a huge success.

    In addition to the message, however, the book is witty and interesting, even without having much of a plot. Some of the stories come together at the end and I was quite wrapped up in several of the characters.

    The biggest downside in my opinion was the reader. As others have commented, many of his characters' voices were whiney and obnoxious. I almost stopped listening about half way through part one because of this, but persevered and enjoyed the book despite the reader.

    I'm very glad I read "Next" and intend to press my congressional representatives to do something to help alleviate the current problems brought out by Crichton's research.

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    24 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      4 out of 5 stars

    Ignore the reviews!

    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!

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    23 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      1 out of 5 stars

    Great Premise, But....

    I expected more from this title based on the premise. I usually wait until more feedback comes in on a book before I buy, but the premise seemed pretty intriging. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. I dont think I listened to it past the 2nd chapter. The characters were one-dimensional, the plot seemed to be missing (maybe it materialized later?) and the story line was boring. Top it all off with bland dialogue and you have a monumental waste of a book credit.

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    22 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      3 out of 5 stars

    Next

    Next is a books about the world of genetics, and what a world it is. Michael Crighton is as meticulous as always in his research of the subject matter, maybe too much so. The book has so many story lines, from a man sueing over the question if his genes still belong to him after a doctor uses cutting edge research to cure him of cancer to splicing human genes with certain animals. How the narrator was able to keep up with all the different characters in this book is still amazing. He did an incredible job considering. Still, knowing this is a Michel Crighton book, a little truth mixed in with fiction, "Next" is entertaining and somewhat eye opening.

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    17 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      2 out of 5 stars

    Genetics, no Plot

    Everything you want to know about Genetics & the history of. Very thin plot.

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    12 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      1 out of 5 stars

    wow.......not really

    This book was awful. I agree with every single negative thing everyone else wrote about this book. I love the authors other works, but would rather have my finger nails pulled out then have to listen to this one again.

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    10 people found this helpful

    • Overall
      1 out of 5 stars

    boring and tedious

    I'm a huge fan of Crichton, but this was unbearable. The total lack of any plot development until half way through the book is compounded by the annoying voice of the reader.

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    9 people found this helpful