Saturday, August 20, 2011

Michael Crichton on Goals and Intentions


At the Academy of Achievement’s 1992 Summit in Las Vegas, Michael Crichton gave a brief talk on goals and intentions. The talk, length [11:10], is available as a free download through iTunes.

Crichton illustrated the roles of the conscious and unconscious minds by comparing them to a small mouse on top of an enormous elephant. The mouse represents the conscious mind; the elephant – the unconscious mind. He said, “And if you want to knock down walls, the notion of which animal, which mind you want to enlist, is I think, very clear.”


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

NEXT E-book - Enhanced Edition


On July 26, 2011, HarperCollins released a new digital edition of Michael Crichton’s novel Next. The Enhanced Edition, which is available through Barnes & Noble and iTunes, contains six videos, along with an interactive map of the human body with gene patent information. It also contains an audio interview with Michael Crichton, along with the transcript. This interview has appeared on the audio edition of Next, and the transcript was included in the previous ebook edition released on October 13, 2009.

I have not gotten the Enhanced Edition of Next yet, as it can only be viewed on NookColor, iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad (with either the NookColor or iBooks applications). Sadly I don’t have any of those devices at the present time, so I am currently determining the appropriate bribe for one of my more fortunate friends. If anyone has the Enhanced Edition, I would love to hear your review.

The Crichton website page contains a screenshot from iPad of the table of contents of the extra features.

Featured Enhancements

• Video: Michael Crichton’s Conclusions

• Video: Stop Patenting Genes—Lori Andrews

• Video: Clear Guidelines—Kathy Giusti

• Video: Ensure Data is Made Public—Harry Ostrer, MD 4

• Video: The Bayh-Dole Act—Stuart Neuman, MD 5

• Video: Michael Crichton’s Legacy

• Who Owns Your Body


Two of these names were mentioned in Crichton’s introduction to his bibliography of Next:

“I relied particularly on the work of law professor Lori Andrews, authors Matt Ridley and Ronald Bailey, and scientists John Avise, Stuart Newman, and Louis-Marie Houdebine.”

“Who Owns Your Body” is most likely the interactive map of the human body with gene patent information. But “Who Owns Your Body?” is also the title of a conference held May 21, 2007 in Chicago.

Who Owns Your Body?
Legal and Social Issues in Michael Crichton's NEXT

Chicago-Kent College of Law

Lori Andrews, who convened the conference, presented some of the highlights on her website. There is also a short video featuring her introduction of Michael Crichton, and some of his remarks.

Crichton also gave the speech What I Have Learned From Reactions to My Books.

More information about the conference is available from the Chicago-Kent Law Review, and a blog post by Hunter Hogan.


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Michael Crichton News - 8/9/11


Spielberg Confirms Jurassic Park IV Film

It’s been reported that on July 22 at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, Steven Spielberg confirmed that a fourth Jurassic Park film will be made. Spielberg said, "We have a story, we have a writer who is writing the treatment and hopefully we are going to make 'Jurassic Park 4' in all of our foreseeable futures.”

Spielberg was responding to a question during a panel discussion. His remarks can be seen on this video – the question and Spielberg’s answer begin at [5:45].


New Book - Conversations with Michael Crichton



Conversations with Michael Crichton, a collection of 19 interviews with the author, was published in June by the University Press of Mississippi as part of their Literary Conversations Series. The interviews, which are from various sources, range in date from 1969 to 2005. An in-depth review of the book will be posted soon.





Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Science Channel Project - The World of Michael Crichton



The Science Channel is planning a special— “The World of Michael Crichton"—that will air in 2012.

From the article in Variety:

"Before he was an entertainment icon, Michael Crichton was a man of science," said Science Channel g.m.-exec VP Debbie Adler Myers. "This will be an illuminating look at the remarkable life of a man who is synonymous with enthralling scientific drama but who also managed to maintain a very private personal life."



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