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 a chimp fetus resembles a human being? 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 and to 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 the 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.

What's coming Next? Get a hint of what Michael Crichton sees on the horizon in this short video clip: high bandwidth or low bandwidth

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 and to 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 the 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.

Customer Reviews Average rating - 3.0

Rating - 5 Date: 2008-12-30
Content: Abstract: Read this book if you want to learn a lot about the ethical/moral/practical issues related to genetic engineering in a short time. Do not read it if you expect a smooth, "idle brain" leisure-time novel.
Full review: There is a thin layer of society (scientists and few lawyers) that are aware of the deep impact of the genetic engineering on our daily life. Then there is a vast majority of people who know nothing about it or nearly nothing (i.e. obtained their knowledge from the mass media). I believe that Michael Crichton dedicated this book and last years of his life to resolve this discrepancy. If you accept this premise, you will immediately realize geniality of Crichton's approach. No scientist is able to serve you this amount of information in a way that you can consume it in a week or so (and forget about an ordinary belletrist to try to address the field of genetic engineering). Here comes Michael Crichton with his ability to study the topic into its depth (he might have it a bit easier as he has M.D. from Harvard) and make an exciting thriller out of it. He managed to address a broad field of genetic engineering in a readable form: there are a few (half dozen or so) main story lines and many other (dozen or so) marginal ones that run in parallel. Many of them intersect, some of them are unconnected to the rest, some of them come quickly and die... The book is a fiction but the issues solved in the book are as real as your daily life. The book is also packed by facts about genetics, laws related to genetics, their history etc. These facts are either embedded in the stories or presented as citations from the journals or newspapers. There is so much of material in the book that the author could have made many independent tales (or novels) of it. But that would not serve its purpose as efficiently as this book does. Believe me, this book is a treasure.
You may find many critical reviews of the book here around. That is apparently by the readers who failed to realize what is a purpose of the book and who expected the book for an easy reading (with no much thinking). True is that, with so many characters/plots in this book, time to time you have to stop reading and go some chapters back to recall the facts. That surely is disturbing for a leisure time book. However, it is just natural for a book packed with knowledge. You will be glad to do that for a great value this book brings you. This book is an eye opener.
Summary: Ultimate review

Rating - 5 Date: 2008-12-28
Content: This was excellent reading. It took some thinking to remember who was who. There were a lot of characters. But if you pay attention, it all came together. What I really got from this book was an awareness of what is going on in the world of genetics and licensing. If you want an entertaining way to learn about corporations patenting your genes, etc... read this book. It was a real eye opener. He has a bibliography at the end along with a thoughtful author's note on the topic.
Summary: Excellent reading

Rating - 3 Date: 2008-12-16
Content: Usually when I write a review, I list the main characters and the basic plot, then I write what I thought of the book. Its a lot more tricky to do that with Next. Although I liked this book, there were so many characters that I had trouble keeping them straight. I honestly couldnt tell you who the main characters are because there really dont seem to be any. There are several different stories going on at once. I did like the characters Alex, Jamie, Jamie and Dave. Oh and to save a lot of confusion for anyone who is planning on reading this....there are two boys named Jamie. I had to go back and check on whether or not they were the same kid, but there is a reason for them both having the same name. Michael Crichton wrote some amazing books...Timeline, Congo, Jurassic Park...and I was hoping another masterpiece was going to come out. Unfortunately Next wasnt in the same league with these books.
Summary: Liked it, but he has had some much better books

Rating - 2 Date: 2008-12-11
Content: I understand what the late Michael Crichton intended with this book. He exagerated the issues to make a point about the potential for abuse and calamity if genetic cloning and other experimentation went too far. In the process, Crichton does bring up some very interesting food for thought. For example, what happens in a world where an individual's own genetic components are for sale to the highest bidder? And just how far would the rights to those genes extend? Future generations? The problem with this writing, and it is a huge one, is that the style is so disjointed and disconnected that it is just very difficult to get through. The reader, for the most part, has no idea where things are headed or how one incident relates to anything else going on at the same time. This style extends to such a point that the reader is given very little reason to turn the page to find out where it's all headed. Works of fiction draw their audience in by providing compelling characters and intriguing plotlines which make us want to find out what happens next. In "Next," we don't really care all that much. The characters are ill-defined and empty and there is no real plot to follow. Much of the book reads in a detached manner, like a mediocre newspaper article. In fact, the book includes several "newspaper clippings" as part of its arsenal of information. "State of Fear" is a fact-based novel which grabs the reader from the beginning and provides constant motivation to turn the page. In comparison, "Next" is a collosal disappointment and should be avoided by all but hardcore Crichton fans or those who just have a strong interest in the general subject matter.
Summary: Pass This One By Unless You're Hardcore Crichton Lover

Rating - 5 Date: 2008-12-09
Content: If this is Crichton's last book, he certainly goes out with a bang! -
The question is: Is biotechnology out of control, and where is it taking us? (When is some name-recognition seeking researcher going to come up with "green babies," that don't need to be fed, because chlorophyll has been inserted in their genome...?) - A *very* fast-paced thriller! - Highly recommended!
Summary: One of Crichton's best!