As some of you know, I enjoy reading, especially good fiction. One author that I particularly like is Michael Crichton, of “Jurassic Park” fame. I think his book “State of Fear” is the best book I have read on the whole “global warming” – “climate change” controversy.
I am now reading his latest book called “Next” dealing with the whole bio-engineering, genetics and medical research ethics topic. Its fascinating how he weaves actual news and media reports into the plot and storyline. It makes his books even more interesting and educational.
He weaves a number of story-lines together throughout the book, jumping back and forth between them. It is hard to pick them up each time, but after you get used to it, it seems to be okay. The situations that characters get involved in seem very realistic and believable, which is part of Crichton’s point – this stuff is already happening and it isn’t some science fiction in the future. The fact that these issues are believable kinda scares you because you realize the incredible risks and chances we are taking as a society by not carefully facing into these issues as a matter of public policy. This is on top of the human greed and selfishness that complicates things further. Researchers motivated by the dollar, fame, power – just like the “bad “corporations, and “bad” politicians everybody likes to chastise. Well, the medical research community is no different. We’d better wake up!
I’d recommend this book to anyone seriously interested in this important topic.
I enjoyed this book very much. I also find the mixing of real information in fictional stories. I was reading it over Christmas 2004. There is a chapter about a man made Tsunami and at the time it seemed to me unbelievable the destruction described in the book. A day later the Tsunami hit Thailand and I now see he underestimated the possible destruction.
I found the interview clip a fine example of his reasoned response to the discussion. Well balanced, thoughtful and educational for his audience.