Next

By: Michael Crichton

Narrated by: Dylan Baker

Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins

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

Not worth the time

Although Crichton has interesting observations about genetic research the plot is silly and tedious.

Next

This book is more about lectures, than a good story. Crichton's work is steadily going downhill. I barely made it through and even then did not quite follow, what little story there is.

Very Stinky

This story has monkeys in it...and I'm fairly sure that one of them helped him write this book. Having more pride than his famous co-author, the monkey must have demanded that his name be left off the credits. I wish my name was off the list of people who bought it.

Pathetic!

Next isn't worth the attempt, money, or time.

What is wrong with the book: horrible reader, no action, pathetic plot development, disjointed writing, obnoxious overuse of the F-word, and a dull read.

started out good but didn't hold up

Left to many plot lines open ended and unanswered very poor ending ! Needed much more story & VERY VERY MUCH LEES INTERVIEW AT THE END 111111

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.

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.

Worse book by him

I normally am first to say that this writer is awesome. But Next is the worse written book I have listened too in my life. Too many themes, many left behind, too many people some who are never explained or seen again. It would be much better without so many theads left hanging. Good theme, but poor writing and organization.

Disappointing

I am a big fan of Crichton's earlier work, but I was very disappointed in this one. The stories were disjointed and often had no real connection with each other, and it all lead to a climax that was very difficult to believe. It wasn't terribly engaging, though some of the subject material was interesting.

Overall, I wish I hadn't listened to this book...

This is the worst book ever

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

No plot. If you have no mind, don't care about a story and enjoy non-existant character arcs then this book is for you.

What was most disappointing about Michael Crichton’s story?

This book is nothing but idle ramblings by Crichton about fraud in science. I'm sure it happens and that it does is bad. There is no main character to this book. What characters that exist have no development. You can't identify with them and the story line wanders all over the globe. The moment you get some continuity he breaks into a 5 page

What aspect of Dylan Baker’s performance would you have changed?

Dylan's performance was ok. He had nothing with which to work from.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Extreme disappointment.

Any additional comments?

Mr. Crichton started down this road with his epistle