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Douglas Adams

The Salmon of Doubt

Before his untimely death in 2001, Douglas Adams had started writing a new Dirk Gently novel. The Salmon of Doubt contains the first few chapters of this novel.

Most of the book though is a collection of articles which Adams had written, brought together into one place. There are interviews for various publications, Adams telling of his problems with computers, his views on religion and so on. In fact all sorts of stuff, with plenty of that unique Adams style.

The book starts with an editor's note, followed by a prologue, then a foreword. That's a lot to work through before getting to the real stuff - which includes an introduction written by Adams for another book on why he hates writing introductions.

If you are a fan of Douglas Adams then of course you will want to read this book, but you should realise that the main part of it is the articles rather than the story. Adams delights in introducing several seemingly unconnected threads, and here they never have a chance to connect. If you're not a fan of Adams' fiction, you might still give this book a try as his style does result in some very amusing articles.

Amazon.com info

Paperback 336 pages
ISBN: 0345460952
Salesrank: 555426
Weight:0.6 lbs

Published: 2003 Ballantine Books

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Amazon.co.uk info

Paperback 336 pages
ISBN: 0330323121
Salesrank: 29495
Weight:0.39 lbs

Published: 2003 Pan

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Amazon.ca info

Paperback 336 pages
ISBN: 0330323121
Salesrank: 58171
Weight:0.39 lbs

Published: 2003 Pan

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Product Description
On Friday, May 11, 2001, the world mourned the untimely passing of Douglas Adams, beloved creator of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, dead of a heart attack at age forty-nine. Thankfully, in addition to a magnificent literary legacy—which includes seven novels and three co-authored works of nonfiction—Douglas left us something more. The book you are about to enjoy was rescued from his four computers, culled from an archive of chapters from his long-awaited novel-in-progress, as well as his short stories, speeches, articles, interviews, and letters. In a way that none of his previous books could, The Salmon of Doubt provides the full, dazzling, laugh-out-loud experience of a journey through the galaxy as perceived by Douglas Adams. From a boy’s first love letter (to his favorite science fiction magazine) to the distinction of possessing a nose of heroic proportions; from climbing Kilimanjaro in a rhino costume to explaining why Americans can’t make a decent cup of tea; from lyrical tributes to the sublime pleasures found in music by Procol Harum, the Beatles, and Bach to the follies of his hopeless infatuation with technology; from fantastic, fictional forays into the private life of Genghis Khan to extended visits with Dirk Gently and Zaphod Beeblebrox: this is the vista from the elevated perch of one of the tallest, funniest, most brilliant, and most penetrating social critics and thinkers of our time. Welcome to the wonderful mind of Douglas Adams. From the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

On Friday, May 11, 2001, the world mourned the untimely passing of Douglas Adams, beloved creator of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, dead of a heart attack at age forty-nine. Thankfully, in addition to a magnificent literary legacy—which includes seven novels and three co-authored works of nonfiction—Douglas left us something more. The book you are about to enjoy was rescued from his four computers, culled from an archive of chapters from his long-awaited novel-in-progress, as well as his short stories, speeches, articles, interviews, and letters.

In a way that none of his previous books could, The Salmon of Doubt provides the full, dazzling, laugh-out-loud experience of a journey through the galaxy as perceived by Douglas Adams. From a boy’s first love letter (to his favorite science fiction magazine) to the distinction of possessing a nose of heroic proportions; from climbing Kilimanjaro in a rhino costume to explaining why Americans can’t make a decent cup of tea; from lyrical tributes to the sublime pleasures found in music by Procol Harum, the Beatles, and Bach to the follies of his hopeless infatuation with technology; from fantastic, fictional forays into the private life of Genghis Khan to extended visits with Dirk Gently and Zaphod Beeblebrox: this is the vista from the elevated perch of one of the tallest, funniest, most brilliant, and most penetrating social critics and thinkers of our time.

Welcome to the wonderful mind of Douglas Adams.

From the Hardcover edition.

A Brief Introduction to the Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition *****
The Salmon of Doubt begins with one of the funniest pieces of writing I have ever come across. Preceding The Introduction to the New Edition, The Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition (I2I2NE), written by comedian, actor, author, Monty Python troupe member and long time Adams friend and collaborator Terry Jones, sets the tone for what is to follow: comedy at its best; pages filled with that quintessential Monty Python-esque British wit that so characterizes the writing of Douglas Adams who, afterall, has been referred to as The Monty Python of Science Fiction. And so without further ado, I would like to begin this review with the aforementionedly preceding and said I2I2NE that was previously referred to in the above reference wherin I mentioned it: "This Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition is a highly significant one in the history of Introductions. Its presence on these pages means that this book has achieved the World Record for the Number of Introductions in a Book of This Nature. With the addition of this Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition, The Salmon of Doubt can claim to have no less than three Introductions, one Prologue, and one Editor's Note. That is two Introductions more than Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and one Introduction, One Prologue, and one Editor's Note more than The Cambridge History of Medieval English Literature. Even the Oxford English Dictionary can only boast one Preface, one Historical Introduction, one General Explanations, and a List of Abbreviations - that's two Introductions short of The Salmon of Doubt. You are, without a doubt, holding in your hands one of the best-introduced books in the English language. We hope you enjoy the Introduction to the New Edition that follows this introduction to it and continue to read on even into the book itself." -- Terry Jones, February 2, 2003 Following the world record number of introductions, the book is divided into three parts - Life, The Universe, And Everything, borrowed from the structure of [...], the site that Adams helped to create in 1999 (whose name was based on the third book in the Hitchhiker series, entitled, curiously enough: Life, the Universe and Everything). The first two sections are a compilation of Adams interviews, articles, and essays, with the first section ("Life") focusing on his life: his personal obsessions (Procol Harum, The Beatles, and rhinoceri, to name a few), hangover cures, his favorite author (P.G.Wodehouse), and his nose. The second section ("The Universe") focuses on his technological obsessions (the Macintosh computer, the future, time and space travel, and his religious views (from an interview with American Atheist: "What message would you like to send to your atheist fans?" Adams: "Hello! How are you?"). The third part ("Everything") contains, among other elements, the first eleven chapters of Adams' unfinished Dirk Gently novel, The Salmon of Doubt, as recovered in various forms from his four computers by his friend Chris Ogle following Adams' untimely death in 2001 at the age of 49, and compiled and edited with the help of Peter Guzzardi. The chapters create the great beginnings of a story, brimming with Adams' unique observational wit ("Follow that cab!" exclaimed Dirk, climbing into the back. "I been a cabbie over twenty years now," said the cabbie as he slid back into traffic. "Never had anybody actually say that to me.") We can only imagine where the story would have wound up, but we can say for certain that whatever our best imaginings of the rest of the story could be, they would surely fall short of the ride that Adams' vibrant imagination would have taken us on. The Salmon of Doubt is a must read for any Hitchhiker's Guide/Dirk Gently fans and all others who enjoy great comedy.

A Brief Introduction to the Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition *****

The Salmon of Doubt begins with one of the funniest pieces of writing I have ever come across. Preceding The Introduction to the New Edition, The Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition (I2I2NE), written by comedian, actor, author, Monty Python troupe member and long time Adams friend and collaborator Terry Jones, sets the tone for what is to follow: comedy at its best; pages filled with that quintessential Monty Python-esque British wit that so characterizes the writing of Douglas Adams who, afterall, has been referred to as The Monty Python of Science Fiction. And so without further ado, I would like to begin this review with the aforementionedly preceding and said I2I2NE that was previously referred to in the above reference wherin I mentioned it:

"This Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition is a highly significant one in the history of Introductions. Its presence on these pages means that this book has achieved the World Record for the Number of Introductions in a Book of This Nature. With the addition of this Introduction to the Introduction to the New Edition, The Salmon of Doubt can claim to have no less than three Introductions, one Prologue, and one Editor's Note. That is two Introductions more than Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and one Introduction, One Prologue, and one Editor's Note more than The Cambridge History of Medieval English Literature. Even the Oxford English Dictionary can only boast one Preface, one Historical Introduction, one General Explanations, and a List of Abbreviations - that's two Introductions short of The Salmon of Doubt.

You are, without a doubt, holding in your hands one of the best-introduced books in the English language. We hope you enjoy the Introduction to the New Edition that follows this introduction to it and continue to read on even into the book itself."

-- Terry Jones, February 2, 2003

Following the world record number of introductions, the book is divided into three parts - Life, The Universe, And Everything, borrowed from the structure of [...], the site that Adams helped to create in 1999 (whose name was based on the third book in the Hitchhiker series, entitled, curiously enough: Life, the Universe and Everything).

The first two sections are a compilation of Adams interviews, articles, and essays, with the first section ("Life") focusing on his life: his personal obsessions (Procol Harum, The Beatles, and rhinoceri, to name a few), hangover cures, his favorite author (P.G.Wodehouse), and his nose. The second section ("The Universe") focuses on his technological obsessions (the Macintosh computer, the future, time and space travel, and his religious views (from an interview with American Atheist: "What message would you like to send to your atheist fans?" Adams: "Hello! How are you?").

The third part ("Everything") contains, among other elements, the first eleven chapters of Adams' unfinished Dirk Gently novel, The Salmon of Doubt, as recovered in various forms from his four computers by his friend Chris Ogle following Adams' untimely death in 2001 at the age of 49, and compiled and edited with the help of Peter Guzzardi. The chapters create the great beginnings of a story, brimming with Adams' unique observational wit ("Follow that cab!" exclaimed Dirk, climbing into the back. "I been a cabbie over twenty years now," said the cabbie as he slid back into traffic. "Never had anybody actually say that to me.") We can only imagine where the story would have wound up, but we can say for certain that whatever our best imaginings of the rest of the story could be, they would surely fall short of the ride that Adams' vibrant imagination would have taken us on.

The Salmon of Doubt is a must read for any Hitchhiker's Guide/Dirk Gently fans and all others who enjoy great comedy.

Earnest Fans Only Please ***
The Salmon of Doubt gives the impression by its sub title that this may be the 6th hitchhiker book. It is not. This is a collection of essays and speeches that DNA had given, with a few short stories. The short story titled the Salmon of Doubt is a Dirk Gently novel that does not have a firm ending, which is obviously because DNA died before he finished writing it. All in all there were some astute observations and some wonderfully comic moments from DNA. I would only recommend this book to true die hard friends of DNA. For those of you who are thinking of giving Mr. Adams a chance, go read the Guide to the Galaxy first. Thanks T

Earnest Fans Only Please ***

The Salmon of Doubt gives the impression by its sub title that this may be the 6th hitchhiker book. It is not. This is a collection of essays and speeches that DNA had given, with a few short stories. The short story titled the Salmon of Doubt is a Dirk Gently novel that does not have a firm ending, which is obviously because DNA died before he finished writing it. All in all there were some astute observations and some wonderfully comic moments from DNA. I would only recommend this book to true die hard friends of DNA. For those of you who are thinking of giving Mr. Adams a chance, go read the Guide to the Galaxy first.
Thanks
T

If You Love Douglas Adams Avoid this Book *
Douglas Adams is a brilliant writer with books that are well-crafted, wise and thoughtful despite their chaotic humor. This collection of random thoughts found on his hard drive, should have been left where they were found. Mr. Adams would be appalled to see them in print without his careful crafting and without context as a finished work. If you enjoy the works of Douglas Adams you will be sorely disappointed by this collection of errata, unless of course, you also like reading errata sheets.

If You Love Douglas Adams Avoid this Book *

Douglas Adams is a brilliant writer with books that are well-crafted, wise and thoughtful despite their chaotic humor. This collection of random thoughts found on his hard drive, should have been left where they were found. Mr. Adams would be appalled to see them in print without his careful crafting and without context as a finished work. If you enjoy the works of Douglas Adams you will be sorely disappointed by this collection of errata, unless of course, you also like reading errata sheets.

A wonderful parting gift from a one of a kind voice. *****
A collection of essays, interviews, and other assorted ephemera (including several chapters of a new novel) pulled from Adams's hard drive after his death, A Salmon of Doubt is nowhere near as morbid and depressing a project as it sounds. Instead, for the first time, we get a window into the man behind Hitchhiker's Guide and Dirk Gently. Writing on topics ranging from atheism to personal computing, from sand to schoolboy shorts, Adams comes across as intelligent, funny, and thoughtful, none of which are surprising to anyone who's read his work. But for those of us who have, the chance to delve into the man himself is a can't miss opportunity. And if that's not enough for you, there's the assorted fiction pieces, from a strange look at Genghis Khan to an early episode from the life of Zaphod, all the way up to a frustratingly unfinished but enjoyably surreal unfinished novel which started as a Dirk Gently tale but may have ended as a Hitchhiker's work. If you're not already an Adams fan, this may not be for you, but for the legions of people who find his work so funny and joyous, this is a wonderful parting gift and an excellent remembrance of such a unique man.

A wonderful parting gift from a one of a kind voice. *****

A collection of essays, interviews, and other assorted ephemera (including several chapters of a new novel) pulled from Adams's hard drive after his death, A Salmon of Doubt is nowhere near as morbid and depressing a project as it sounds. Instead, for the first time, we get a window into the man behind Hitchhiker's Guide and Dirk Gently. Writing on topics ranging from atheism to personal computing, from sand to schoolboy shorts, Adams comes across as intelligent, funny, and thoughtful, none of which are surprising to anyone who's read his work. But for those of us who have, the chance to delve into the man himself is a can't miss opportunity. And if that's not enough for you, there's the assorted fiction pieces, from a strange look at Genghis Khan to an early episode from the life of Zaphod, all the way up to a frustratingly unfinished but enjoyably surreal unfinished novel which started as a Dirk Gently tale but may have ended as a Hitchhiker's work. If you're not already an Adams fan, this may not be for you, but for the legions of people who find his work so funny and joyous, this is a wonderful parting gift and an excellent remembrance of such a unique man.

The Original is still better than any book. ****
As a fellow fan of HHGG, allow me to share with you my copy of ALL 12 of the Original BBC series broadcasts from 1980 in an MP3 format. The original audio is even better than the book. (Zephod's heads are in stereo.) I have posted the 30 minute episodes on my Hotmail Skydrive space at: [...] Enjoy!

The Original is still better than any book. ****

As a fellow fan of HHGG, allow me to share with you my copy of ALL 12 of the Original BBC series broadcasts from 1980 in an MP3 format. The original audio is even better than the book. (Zephod's heads are in stereo.) I have posted the 30 minute episodes on my Hotmail Skydrive space at:

[...]

Enjoy!

The story of an intelligent man with many dreams that alas will never be accomplished *****
When i purchased this book I really did it for the beginning of the final Dirk Gently novel (of which I believe the first chapter was from the version which Adams planned to scratch - but none the less I'll continue). I was surprised how much I enjoyed the entire book, each and every article, interview and musing from Adams were funny, intelligent and also heart touching as you read the different plans of a man taken too early and who never perceived his death so soon. At times this causes it to slide into a lesson of life and death as you read Douglas's hope of seeing the Hitchiker film and even a Dirk Gently film. But Douglas's humour and intelligence keeps a step above this - and you find yourself inthralled within each and every article he writes. To summarise all this how just have to read the first article he ever wrote - at the age of 12 - describing his love for the magazine he subscribed to, that he was a genius to be and lived up to this with the rest of his life. And from what I read of the Dirk Gently novel - it was on the way to being the best one yet, and it is a sad fact that it will (and should never now) be finished.

The story of an intelligent man with many dreams that alas will never be accomplished *****

When i purchased this book I really did it for the beginning of the final Dirk Gently novel (of which I believe the first chapter was from the version which Adams planned to scratch - but none the less I'll continue).
I was surprised how much I enjoyed the entire book, each and every article, interview and musing from Adams were funny, intelligent and also heart touching as you read the different plans of a man taken too early and who never perceived his death so soon.

At times this causes it to slide into a lesson of life and death as you read Douglas's hope of seeing the Hitchiker film and even a Dirk Gently film.
But Douglas's humour and intelligence keeps a step above this - and you find yourself inthralled within each and every article he writes.

To summarise all this how just have to read the first article he ever wrote - at the age of 12 - describing his love for the magazine he subscribed to, that he was a genius to be and lived up to this with the rest of his life.

And from what I read of the Dirk Gently novel - it was on the way to being the best one yet, and it is a sad fact that it will (and should never now) be finished.

Doesn't exactly leap to the top of Adams' body of work ****
There's not much to add that previous reviewers haven't covered regarding this posthumous Douglas Adams collection. As a huge fan of Adams' work and in particular his Dirk Gently novels, I am bound to rate this highly but I agree that it's largely a unsatisfying read and probably for completists only.

Doesn't exactly leap to the top of Adams' body of work ****

There's not much to add that previous reviewers haven't covered regarding this posthumous Douglas Adams collection. As a huge fan of Adams' work and in particular his Dirk Gently novels, I am bound to rate this highly but I agree that it's largely a unsatisfying read and probably for completists only.

The Benefit of Doubt. ****
`The Salmon of Doubt' is a posthumously published collection of words put into a fantastic collection of arrays by Douglas Adams whom had previously been assembling words in a very pleasing manner in the various incarnations of `The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy' and the `Dirk Gently' novels. The book contains tributes from comic actor and writer Stephen Fry, Nicholas Wroe, scientist and writer Richard Dawkins and the editor of this collection, Peter Guzzardi. All of which give some insight into Douglas but nothing like the insight Douglas gives of himself in the collection of articles, drafts of speeches and letters which have been prised from the hard drive of Douglas' beloved Apple Mac. The pieces have been assembled into three sections, Life, The Universe and Everything but the themes don't really add anything to the writing of a man whom could have paraphrased the phone book in a manner that would leave us weeping with laughter. The best part of the book is the quarter given over to `The Salmon of Doubt' an abandoned rather than incomplete Dirk Gently novel. Adams had apparently decided that the ideas he was exploring did not suit Dirk Gently and was considering rewriting the piece as a Hitch Hikers novel. Although it would have possibly being a great novel as Adams then saw it I have to say that I enjoyed reading what he had actually written and am only disappointed that I will never get to marvel at the clever conclusion that not only tied up all the loose ends I'd noticed but ten or twelve others I wouldn't have noticed until rereading the book for the nth time. The beauty of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently books was that every time you reread them you found something new which you hadn't noticed before.

The Benefit of Doubt. ****

`The Salmon of Doubt' is a posthumously published collection of words put into a fantastic collection of arrays by Douglas Adams whom had previously been assembling words in a very pleasing manner in the various incarnations of `The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy' and the `Dirk Gently' novels.

The book contains tributes from comic actor and writer Stephen Fry, Nicholas Wroe, scientist and writer Richard Dawkins and the editor of this collection, Peter Guzzardi. All of which give some insight into Douglas but nothing like the insight Douglas gives of himself in the collection of articles, drafts of speeches and letters which have been prised from the hard drive of Douglas' beloved Apple Mac.

The pieces have been assembled into three sections, Life, The Universe and Everything but the themes don't really add anything to the writing of a man whom could have paraphrased the phone book in a manner that would leave us weeping with laughter.
The best part of the book is the quarter given over to `The Salmon of Doubt' an abandoned rather than incomplete Dirk Gently novel. Adams had apparently decided that the ideas he was exploring did not suit Dirk Gently and was considering rewriting the piece as a Hitch Hikers novel.

Although it would have possibly being a great novel as Adams then saw it I have to say that I enjoyed reading what he had actually written and am only disappointed that I will never get to marvel at the clever conclusion that not only tied up all the loose ends I'd noticed but ten or twelve others I wouldn't have noticed until rereading the book for the nth time. The beauty of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently books was that every time you reread them you found something new which you hadn't noticed before.

A look into an awesome mind *****
If you have read every Douglas Adams book but still don't feel close enough to the great man himself, this is the book for you. You can see how the master thinks, how his everyday musings were written with the same wit and wisdom as his greatest works of fiction and read a wonderfull work in progress. As he says of 'Sunset at Blandings' (unfinished due to the author's death) by PG Wodehouse, you can see in DNA's first Chapters of his new Dirk Gently novel, the craftsman at work, the sentences are unpolished, the work has not even been through its first proof-read and it is all the more wonderful because of this. This book is fact, fiction and autobiography all rolled into one. Read it. It will blow your mind.

A look into an awesome mind *****

If you have read every Douglas Adams book but still don't feel close enough to the great man himself, this is the book for you. You can see how the master thinks, how his everyday musings were written with the same wit and wisdom as his greatest works of fiction and read a wonderfull work in progress. As he says of 'Sunset at Blandings' (unfinished due to the author's death) by PG Wodehouse, you can see in DNA's first Chapters of his new Dirk Gently novel, the craftsman at work, the sentences are unpolished, the work has not even been through its first proof-read and it is all the more wonderful because of this. This book is fact, fiction and autobiography all rolled into one. Read it. It will blow your mind.

Be aware of what you're getting ****
For those who know Douglas Adams' work, chances are you are aware that The Salmon of Doubt is the last of Adams' work before his untimely death and is incomplete. Thus for those with an interest in Adams' work this is your last insight into what would have been the third book in his Dirk Gently series. Or perhaps the sixth book in the Hitchhikers series? Who knows what this may have ended up as. This book will give you your last Adams' fix but be aware. Although the book is listed as 336 pages, the actual in-progress novel The Salmon of Doubt is tucked away at the very end of the book and constitutes only a small portion of the entire book. The majority of the content is a compendium of Adams' work ranging from speeches to columns to random notes. It's a chance to see a little more of Douglas Adams for those who are fans, but for those who just bought it for the novel you may feel a bit ripped off.

Be aware of what you're getting ****

For those who know Douglas Adams' work, chances are you are aware that The Salmon of Doubt is the last of Adams' work before his untimely death and is incomplete. Thus for those with an interest in Adams' work this is your last insight into what would have been the third book in his Dirk Gently series. Or perhaps the sixth book in the Hitchhikers series? Who knows what this may have ended up as.

This book will give you your last Adams' fix but be aware. Although the book is listed as 336 pages, the actual in-progress novel The Salmon of Doubt is tucked away at the very end of the book and constitutes only a small portion of the entire book. The majority of the content is a compendium of Adams' work ranging from speeches to columns to random notes. It's a chance to see a little more of Douglas Adams for those who are fans, but for those who just bought it for the novel you may feel a bit ripped off.

Doubtlessly entertaining... *****
It's fitting that this audio edition contains guests and narrators like Stephen Fry, Richard Dawkins, Terry Gilliam, et. al. In addition to helping bring this wonderful collection of Adam's work to life, they bring an additional sense of connection to the man behind (within?) the words. Some fans of Adams fiction may not like the extensive nonfiction pieces included, but those people will miss out on some of the best gems of Adams' wit and wisdom. Most others, though, will realize that there is a vast archive of columns and articles, letters and speeches, (many published outside the U.S.) that we have missed. In all of the pieces, nonfiction and fiction, Adams' crisp humor and prodding logic will make you giggle, laugh, and most of all, wonder at this gloriously silly thing we call life. Listen to this many times... and don't forget your towel.

Doubtlessly entertaining... *****

It's fitting that this audio edition contains guests and narrators like Stephen Fry, Richard Dawkins, Terry Gilliam, et. al. In addition to helping bring this wonderful collection of Adam's work to life, they bring an additional sense of connection to the man behind (within?) the words.

Some fans of Adams fiction may not like the extensive nonfiction pieces included, but those people will miss out on some of the best gems of Adams' wit and wisdom. Most others, though, will realize that there is a vast archive of columns and articles, letters and speeches, (many published outside the U.S.) that we have missed.

In all of the pieces, nonfiction and fiction, Adams' crisp humor and prodding logic will make you giggle, laugh, and most of all, wonder at this gloriously silly thing we call life.

Listen to this many times... and don't forget your towel.

Audio CD not worth the money. *
This has got to be the poorest mastering job I have ever found for an Audio Book. The actual contents are fine; the recording is good, the reading is good, and the material is moderately intriguing. However, it is without excuse that the 7 CD set contains only 1 track per disc. Do the producers really think that people want to listen to a book of letters, memoirs, interviews, and miscellany in a single (or 7 1-hour 10-minute) sitting(s)? It is unbelievable that the various chapters of the book have not been given individual track numbers. For my own use, before I could bear to listen to this audio book, I had to rip the entire 7-disc set and segment it so I could handle it in reasonable chunks. That took me 5 hours. Oh, and there is not even a Table of Contents. I had to find one on somebody's website, so I'd have some sort of clue what I'd find in this book. This is inexcusable and irritating, especially for an audio book that retails for $45. If this is how all of New Millennium's titles are, I'll never buy one again.

Audio CD not worth the money. *

This has got to be the poorest mastering job I have ever found for an Audio Book. The actual contents are fine; the recording is good, the reading is good, and the material is moderately intriguing. However, it is without excuse that the 7 CD set contains only 1 track per disc.

Do the producers really think that people want to listen to a book of letters, memoirs, interviews, and miscellany in a single (or 7 1-hour 10-minute) sitting(s)? It is unbelievable that the various chapters of the book have not been given individual track numbers.

For my own use, before I could bear to listen to this audio book, I had to rip the entire 7-disc set and segment it so I could handle it in reasonable chunks. That took me 5 hours. Oh, and there is not even a Table of Contents. I had to find one on somebody's website, so I'd have some sort of clue what I'd find in this book.

This is inexcusable and irritating, especially for an audio book that retails for $45.

If this is how all of New Millennium's titles are, I'll never buy one again.

Douglas cannot be dead ****
Everybody should read 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'! That is both definite and demanded! This looked as though it had the promise to be better than the other two Dirk Gently books(truth be told, I wasn't a big DG fan). But this one looked as though it had real promise! It's a shame that we will never get to read the completed text. True, I discovered DA later than some, but I have been a rather zealous for about fourteen years. This is a real kick in the pants for fiction, first Uncle Shelby, then Doug... (or was it the other way around)

Douglas cannot be dead ****

Everybody should read 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'!
That is both definite and demanded!

This looked as though it had the promise to be better than the other two Dirk Gently books(truth be told, I wasn't a big DG fan).

But this one looked as though it had real promise!
It's a shame that we will never get to read the completed text.

True, I discovered DA later than some, but I have been a rather zealous for about fourteen years.

This is a real kick in the pants for fiction, first Uncle Shelby, then Doug...
(or was it the other way around)

Douglas, you simply cannot be dead!... *****
A man who really knew where his towel was. When the world lost Douglas Adams in a gym in Santa Barbara, it lost one of its most incisive wits and piercingly brilliant "life" commentators. This collection of eulogies, articles, introductions, interviews and stories gives a glimpse of Douglas Adams at work and play. Though other friends of Douglas lend their voices to this book, Simon Jones takes the lions share of the work. Simon, for those who don't know, is the original Arthur Dent from the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy radio series and movie. I never met Douglas, but Zarquon's Knees!, I miss him. Buy the CD's, The Salmon of doubt is... ...well, it's better than Vogon poetry!

Douglas, you simply cannot be dead!... *****

A man who really knew where his towel was. When the world lost Douglas Adams in a gym in Santa Barbara, it lost one of its most incisive wits and piercingly brilliant "life" commentators. This collection of eulogies, articles, introductions, interviews and stories gives a glimpse of Douglas Adams at work and play. Though other friends of Douglas lend their voices to this book, Simon Jones takes the lions share of the work. Simon, for those who don't know, is the original Arthur Dent from the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy radio series and movie. I never met Douglas, but Zarquon's Knees!, I miss him. Buy the CD's, The Salmon of doubt is... ...well, it's better than Vogon poetry!