Michael Crichton's Next

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READING MICHAEL CRICHTON's NEXT I am expressing what i feel about this novel And tried to make u read this. Michael Crichton's "Next" is another screed along the lines of "State of fear", his diatribe against global warming. Be warned: this lengthy novel consists of short chapters in which the author constantly goes back and forth from one subplot to another. You will need a scorecard to keep track of who is doing what to whom and why. There are greedy venture capitalists; researchers who try untested therapies on humans; and hypocritical scientists who say that they care about humanity, when their real goal is to fatten their bank accounts are aggrandize their reputations. The United States government provides billions of dollars in grants to academic institutions for biotech research. The universities, in turn, have developed close ties with wealthy corporations. Among the questionable practices in our brave new world are; patenting genes experimenting with the selling human tissue without the consent of donor, and using genetic testing to deny healt insurance to subscribers who test positive for heart disease, breast cancer, or other life-threatening illnesses. The convoluted story involves a host of bad guys doing their best to make a quick buck at humanity's expense. Jack Watson is a fabulously wealthy individual who pretends to be "a monster, who commits heinous acta to get what he wants. Rich Diehl, the CEO of BioGen Research, is struggling to make a go of his startup. He is at the mercy of Watson, his chief investor, who pulls strungs behind the scenes to oust Diehl and take over BioGen. Another villain is the slick Rob Bellarmino, head of genetics section of the National Institutes of Health. Bellarmino is an evangelical Christian and media suvvy scientist. His nick name is "Robbin' Rob", because of his practice of stealing other people's research and passing it off as his own.A touch of comic relief is provided by three quasi -animals: an orangutan who speaks French and Dutch; an African grey parrot who can imitate any sound, do math, and quote movies; and a "humanzee" (part chimp and part human) named Dave, who wreaks havoc when his human father brings him home to meet his wife and kids. There are a few people to root for in "Next", including Frank Burnet and his daughter, Alison, a thirty-two year old lawyer. Without obtaining permission his doctor sells Burnet's valuable cancer fighting cells for three billion dollars to BioGen. A furious Frank sues UCLA, where the doctor works, claiming that "our bodies are our individual property." Burnet's lowyer argues that medical proctitioners should not be allowed to use anyone's tissues for commercial purposes without first obtaining the patient's written consent.This case makes for an intriguing courtroom battle. Michael Crichton has written a cautionary tale that combines different formats; thriller, scientific treatise, and expository essay. The author demonstrates that although gene therapy has the potential to cure hundreds of diseases, there is a downstates that gene therapy has the potential to cure hundreds of diseases, there is a downside to having this new technology atour disposal. "Next" presents dozens of terrifying scenarios that are the stuff of nightmares, but it falls short as a work of fiction. There are too many dizzying plot elements, the characters are poorly developed, and there is too much heavy-handed editorializing. "Next" would have been more compelling had Crichton toned down his rhetoric, trusting the reader to get the message of his own. Have you started reading this novel now. Please ad comment what you think of this novel in the case if you already read it.