Next is not a typical Crichton novel. It's full of the high tech, cutting edge science of genes and how their misuse in medical procedure will affect the world we live in. The central theme is very sound and will keep you captivated. This is just as well, since there is no strong plot line to keep you reading. There are too many characters, very vaguely (and improbably) connected, all with connections to the gene modification industry or affected by it in some way. Next is not a book that can be picked up and put down since it's difficult to keep up with the plethora of story-lines, and because only the animal based strands stand out, it is difficult to remember where the other threads are going - in fact, there are quite a few dead ends. Crichton is shoehorning in stories to emphasize his viewpoint on the wayward use of gene experimentation, it's interesting reading, but there is none of the compulsive reading that he has created previously.