Book Talk: Next

For my first real blog I want to write about a book I just read. It takes what you know about science and goes the extra step about what could happen with the knowledge we have today. There are only a few people who can do something like that successfully and one of them is the late Michael Crichton. I've read some of his previous work and have always enjoyed them. His novel Next, published in 2006, takes a look at what could be the next step in evolution. Talking animals, a possible cure for a disease that really isn't a disease and how it all revolves around a corporation that promotes scientific "research".

The characters in this book aren't really developed but you get a decent feeling of where the person is coming from. The person you get to know the most is Alex and her immediate family and how the company BioGen is invading their personal lives. It shows how corporations are taking over science. Hiring advertising agencies to push their new miracle drug and they don't give the drug a long enough trial to see if there are any side effects from taking this unknown substance. It's all about profits to them and anyway they can get it.

I'm in full support of people succeeding in life, but at what cost? I don't want people to die because a company wants to be the first ones out with a miracle drug and don't take the time to see if there are side effects that could harm individuals. I remember when a friend of mine had a huge black blob grow on his chest because of a suntan lotion. They called the company, gave them the bottle back for them to do "research". In return the company paid the hospital bill to have it removed and gave them a settlement before they could speak to a lawyer. To this day they never found out what was in that bottle that made that happen.

Michael Crichton wrote in his Author's Notes about what he learned from his research. He states that their shouldn't be restrictions on research. Some restraints might be good but without testing how can we move forward in technology and have our knowledge grow. Scientist need to stop looking at the money and instead focus on the science. I'm not saying all of them are like that, but they do exist. For the next step in evolution I don't want scientist to make that step happen, I want it to happen naturally. Let nature take it's course and things will happen on there own. 

He also comments that the Bayh-Dole Act should be revoked. This bill allowed for discoveries to be sold for profits by the university researchers. This lead the way for scientist and corporations to become one, even though the taxpayers were paying the bill for the research. This bill was put into effect under President Jimmy Carter in 1980. It was also named after the two senators that were at the head of the bill Bob Dole and Birch Bayh, one Republican and one Democrat. In theory this would show a bipartisan effort on the cause. 

Michael Crichton was one of the best writers in our lifetime. His vision was incredible about the good and bad of a future that could be. The attention and love he had for medicine, which was seen weekly on ER, can be seen in all of his work. They always say "write what you know" and it was obvious he knew science. If you're looking for a book read Next next.