May 13 2008
Next
The best time for me to read books is when I’m traveling. In my last trip to US, I finally finished reading Next, by Michael Crichton
One thing good about MC’s book is that, you tend to learn a lot about science and its effect (or potential effect) on us. It provokes a lot of good thinking, especially on ethical issues. All his works are with good and valid references. Although they are fictions, they are based on true facts and incidences, with a little bit of imaginations of course.
It is very scary to learn how unethical medical providers and scientists can be. You trust them to treat you, give your life to them, and what in return is such a scary nighmare. The worst of it is, I have been always imagining this all the time, now reading it from another person’s work adds more to my horror. That’s also the reason why I never want to sign up organ donation – I have been imagining that unethical hospitals terminating my life prematurely, because they want my organs!
Okay, enough promoting of this book. I actually didn’t really enjoy reading this one. This novel reads like many short unrelated stories, and at one point they are connected. A different approach by MC, but I don’t like it, to be honest. I never liked reading short stories. Whether or not they are related to each other, I just don’t like them. It is just my personal preference. Because of this, I am rating it lower.
My Rating: ***1/2 (3.5 stars)
I love the short stories by Jeffrey Archer, they are so good that I even “revised” them, haha…
Thanks for the book information. I like to read book, I think it will be a interesting book.
Someone I knew used to work at quite a high level in a well known hospital. Apart from the ethical issues, the kind of incompetency, mismanagement and ignorance that you don’t expect and can’t imagine happens all the time.
Yiwen: aiyoh, i can never enjoy short stories – always feel no shiok reading them. Not even with the Chinese authors like 张曼娟 or even 刘庸. I just don’t like short ones.
Kredite: Actually it is an interesting book, hope you like it.
EMYYL: Ya, it is very scary isn’t it? That’s how doctors operated and removed the wrong body parts – this kind of news are common nowadays. Very scary…
I’m big fan of MC since ‘Congo’. I collect his books either e-book or paper back ones. For me, he’s so imaginative and informative and futuristic. Next, also gave me nightmares. I kept saying that nothing will turn out right if human not stop playing god etc… haha my DH said I’m siau siau/ or crazy liau ….
Have you read James Patterson? Not bad ….
LW: Wow, you really a big fan of him huh! I read Patterson’s one book only – 4th July. Perhaps it wasn’t his best novel, coz I didn’t find it thrilling at all, almost to the extent of ‘boring’! But then, I’ve got a few other books of his. Will read eventually. By then, can give a fairer comment.