Next

De: Michael Crichton

Narrado por: Erik Singer

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 unabridged 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 his best work...

While the overarching topic is quite easy to discern, the multifaceted storyline is taken overboard. While I understand what the author was trying to do; the storylines feel forced together. While I know that some suspension of reality is required with all Mr. Cricton's novels. Having three completely different stories come together is a bit too much for me. The narrator does a fine job, but the added musical line goes on for much too long, distracting from the story. Producer's need to stop with all the sounds; my imagination doesn't need the help.

Hard to follow audio

The actual book is much better because it’s easier to follow the story jumps. There’s like 98 chapters in the book, this has 6…so I can see why so many poor reviews on that aspect. Otherwise- terrific novel! One of my absolute favorite books. Great entertaining way to learn about genetics, think about the ethical dilemmas, and all the legality.

Next

The book was okay. It also wasn't what I expected from the description. It was a little silly, but did give you food for thought. My main issue, as with other books, is the narration. I find that when a man tries to do a woman's voice, they sound ridiculous and usually come of as "snotty" sounding, no matter how the character is described.

Wow...

I like Michael Crichton, but this book is absurd to the point of hilarity. Might be worth a listen just so you can tell your friends how ridiculous it is.