Next

by Michael Crichton | Audiobooks |
ISBN: 9780060873165 Global Overview for this book
Registered by carlissa of Gainesville, Florida USA on 5/22/2009
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
9 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by carlissa from Gainesville, Florida USA on Friday, May 22, 2009
Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble)

Welcome to our genetic world.
Fast, furious, and out of control.
This is not the world of the future-it's the world right now.


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; test our spouses for genetic maladies and even frame someone for a genetic crime.

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.

Annotation

Check out the wild world of Michael Crichton's Next! This video features a Bug DNA Kit, where kids can experiment with the DNA of real live insects, and learn about genetics in a fun and exciting way! (Bugs not included.)


Publishers Weekly

Do you own your body's cells? If a doctor develops a cure for a disease using your cells in the process, are you entitled to a share of the profits? These are some of the questions Crichton explores in his latest science-as-boogeyman polemic. Baker does all he can to give life to the characters, but they are little more than tools to convey the plot, so the author leaves him little to work with. Baker subtly shifts the tone of his voice to distinguish between characters and deftly alters the cadence of his speech to keep the narrative flowing. Despite his best efforts, though, Baker cannot turn the nonfiction interludes between chapters into anything remotely interesting. As if these weren't distracting enough, the multiple subplots make it quite difficult to keep track of what's going on, or how one plot line relates to another. Reading a book that goes in this many directions would be difficult enough, but on audio it's almost impossible to follow. Baker's performance is excellent all around, but listeners hoping Crichton would return to Jurassic Parkform will be left wanting. Simultaneous release with the S&S hardcover (reviewed online). (Jan.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information


Biography

It stands to reason that someone with as many pursuits as Michael Crichton (novelist, nonfiction writer, screenwriter, director, software engineer, M.D.) might achieve only modest success in any of them. But Crichton somehow excelled at them all. His books, suffused with his scientific research and knowledge, never failed to present imaginative, chilling scenarios that jumped from historical capers to futuristic sci-fi. He died on November 4, 2008, after a long battle against cancer.
-----
Unabridged, 11 CDs, read by Dylan Baker


Journal Entry 2 by carlissa from Gainesville, Florida USA on Tuesday, August 4, 2009
I finished listening to this today. On the whole I enjoyed listening to this fascinating story, but there definitely were too many subplots which I had trouble keeping up with and I don't think they were adequately tied together at the end. I did like the story of Gerard the best.

The narrator, Dylan Baker, was not the best, but he was okay.

Journal Entry 3 by carlissa from Gainesville, Florida USA on Monday, August 31, 2009
putting in round 5 of my CD audio bookbox.

Journal Entry 4 by k00kaburra from San Jose, California USA on Monday, September 14, 2009
Crichton is an entertaining writer, so I might be keeping this one. Haven't decided for sure yet.

Journal Entry 5 by k00kaburra at USPS, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (9/22/2009 UTC) at USPS, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Decided not to keep this one after all.
Putting back into carlissa's Audio CD Bookbox!

Journal Entry 6 by affinity4books from Bryan, Texas USA on Thursday, January 7, 2010
from carlissa's audio box- Thanks!

My dad is a big Chrichton fan, so he was excited to see this in the box. I may listen to it when he is through. But it will be hard to beat Jurassic Park or Sphere as my favorite Chrichton novels.

Journal Entry 7 by affinity4books at Bryan, Texas USA on Monday, June 6, 2011

Released 12 yrs ago (6/6/2011 UTC) at Bryan, Texas USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

My dad enjoyed this one!

Going into booklady331's CD only BOX

Journal Entry 8 by k00kaburra at San Jose, California USA on Thursday, September 8, 2011
This book enjoyed a brief visit in San Jose, CA before continuing its travels in booklady331's Audio Book Box!

Journal Entry 9 by BigJohnLefty at Des Moines, Iowa USA on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Pulled this one out of booklady331's CD-only AudioBookBox, which arrived over the weekend.

This is one of two titles by this author in the box, and I plan to listen to it soon.....

Journal Entry 10 by BigJohnLefty at Des Moines, Iowa USA on Thursday, December 8, 2011
Wow! this one really made me think, while creeping me out in quite a few places too.... The whole world of biomedics technology and genetic crosspollination opens up a myriad can of worms regarding ethics and legalities, and the way this novel is based on a lot of truth makes it all the more interesting.
It seems to blend elements of many of Crichton's previous works, from The Andromeda Strain up through Jurassic Park, Congo and Prey; there is an eerie sci-fi quality about this one, too.
As a parting shot, in my ususal way of going off on tangents, a song kept going through my head while listening to this one - some 30 years ago, an obscure British New Wave band called X-Ray Spex did a song called "Genetic Engineering" - there was a refrain in it that went something like "but there ain't no cure for society"......

will put this into the next BookBox coming my way.....

Released 12 yrs ago (1/15/2012 UTC) at BigJohnLefty's Another AudiobookBox, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Am putting this into my "Another CD-Only AudioBookBox" for round two! Hope this finds a good home!

Journal Entry 12 by rebekkila at Lansing, Michigan USA on Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Pulled this from BigJohnLefty's audio book box.

Journal Entry 13 by rebekkila at Lansing, Michigan USA on Sunday, April 8, 2012
NextNext by Michael Crichton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Another book about inserting human genes into animals and the legal and ethical problems that arise from this. The best story line for me was the patenting of genes and cells which I think is a huge mistake.

Another storyline dealt with animals that have characteristics that are specific to humans. Why would anyone want pets that talk and think like they do, I don't think anyone would ever want a pet that mouthed off to them.



View all my reviews

Journal Entry 14 by rebekkila at San Jose, California USA on Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (5/16/2012 UTC) at San Jose, California USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I am going to mail this to K00kaburra tomorrow in Bigjohnlefty's audio book box.

Journal Entry 15 by k00kaburra at San Jose, California USA on Thursday, June 14, 2012
This book stopped in San Jose, CA before continuing its journey as part of BigJohnLefty's "First CD-Only AudioBookBox Journal".

Journal Entry 16 by BigJohnLefty at Des Moines, Iowa USA on Monday, October 22, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (10/22/2012 UTC) at Des Moines, Iowa USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Am putting this into my "Another CD-Only AudioBookBox" for round two! Hope this finds a good home!

Journal Entry 17 by wingbooklady331wing at Cape Coral, Florida USA on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Arrived in BigJohnLefty's CD Only Bookbox making a short stay in my home. I have already read this book so it will continue in the box.

Journal Entry 18 by k00kaburra at San Jose, California USA on Thursday, March 14, 2013
This book enjoyed a brief visit in San Jose, CA before continuing its journey in BigJohnLefty's "CD Only Bookbox!"

Journal Entry 19 by dabercro at Clinton, Utah USA on Sunday, August 4, 2013
Arrived in the mail Friday. Thanks BigJohnLefty for the RABCK!

Journal Entry 20 by dabercro at Clinton, Utah USA on Wednesday, September 25, 2013
I listened to this book over a few weeks on my way to and from work. The field of genetic testing/engineering, gene therapy, etc. is exciting and scary. Unscrupulous and greedy doctors, scientists, and lawyers who are in it for their own gain make it very scary. This book, even though it is fiction, raises many important thoughts and questions.

Released 10 yrs ago (10/2/2013 UTC) at ~~~ ♥ ~~~ A Friend ~~~ ♥ ~~~, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Added to a box of books I sent to Aberpeter in WA.

Journal Entry 22 by Aberpeter at Kirkland, Washington USA on Monday, October 7, 2013
thank you dabercro

Journal Entry 23 by Aberpeter at Kirkland, Washington USA on Monday, January 27, 2014
Creepy... okay, not creepy in the sense of being scary but there were definitely points in the book where I could feel my skin crawl with all the genetic engineering (or the results of genetic engineering). This novel really made me think about genetic research, genetic engineering, gene therapy, etc. I think there is an extent to which there is valuable information that can be obtained from research, etc but there is a point that is too much. A chimpanzee that talks, thinks, and looks human, a bird who thinks and carries on conversations... I think that is taking research too far.

Journal Entry 24 by Aberpeter at Kirkland, Washington USA on Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Released 10 yrs ago (2/19/2014 UTC) at Kirkland, Washington USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

adding to BigJohnLefty's bookbox

Journal Entry 25 by wingKateKintailwing at Burke, Virginia USA on Sunday, March 30, 2014
Taking this from BigJohnLefty's First CD-Only AudioBookBox.

I've read almost all of Michael Cricton's novels, except for this and Airframe (and things written in his penname), I believe. So I'm snagging this to give myself a reason to read this one.

Thank you!

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.