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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN num: 9780345455291
ISBN number: 0345455290
Label: Del Rey
Manufacturer: Del Rey
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 336
Printing Date: April 26, 2005
Publishing house: Del Rey
Release Date: April 26, 2005
Sale Popularity Level: 38746
Studio: Del Rey
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
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 very 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.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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An interesting little volume filled with Adams' musings about a wide-ranging array of topics. Some of the essays and articles here are quite good, and others are, well, not quite so good. But they are all written with Adams' trademark zany wit, and you certainly won't be bored.
The good:
As usual, his observations about the foibles of life, whether it's his mortification about having to wear short pants to school because they didn't make long trousers his size, or the story about the stranger stealing his cookies, are hilarious. And his passionate enthusiasm for his personal values, whether it's technology or the Beatles, shines through in every line and is therefore quite contagious. He has a way of turning a phrase to bring an abstract point down to earth, especially when it comes to his criticism of theism. And some of his analogies between evolution and computer science are quite illuminating, particularly his observation that computer code is analogous to the genetic code in showing how evolution operates by performing simple operations millions of times over.
The bad:
As an amateur biologist, however, Adams does tend to get carried away with the computer analogies--no, Douglas, your baby is not "rebooting." Combine this tendency with his otherwise virtuous enthusiasm, and, like many computer scientists, he carries it to the point of assuming that we are on the verge of creating "artificial intelligence," i.e., that in the near future there will be conscious computers. This failure to distinguish between the biological and the man-made plays right into the theists' hands--after all, that's the basic fallacy behind the argument from design (the Celestial Watchmaker and all that), Adams has just kind of done it in reverse. And his playing at being a naturalist is at times almost embarrassing--like when he wants to ride a manta ray, which would probably be pretty cool, and then feels all stupid when told he can't, or when he hikes to Mount Kilimanjaro in a ridiculous rhino suit (although he does recognize the pretension of telling developing nations that they preserve the resources that Western nations "exploited" during their own development).
As for "The Salmon of Doubt" itself, I haven't read either of the previous Dirk Gently novels yet, but I thought this one was shaping up to be, with more polishing, an interesting book. Of course, in its rough form, and with no ending, it is a bit unsatisfying. Overall, however, this collection is well worth reading, but unless you're an Adams collector you can probably stick with the mass market version (or visit your local library).
Rated by buyers 
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Likely never intended for publication, but published anyway (as every famous writer's memoirs and journals are), this is a collection of ideas that Douglas had. I was incredibly disappointed, as it was toted to me as his fragmentary final book. BOO!
Spend your money more wisely, buy Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency series by Douglas or his books about endangered animals. You will get way more out of them. Sorry, Douglas, rest in peace.
Rated by buyers 
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I was so glad that there was more Douglas Adams to read, thank god for this book. But now that I have found a book that you will love to read as it is cut from the same laugh riot ilk as any great DA.
It is not science fiction by any means, but if you like Douglas Adams, you are gonna love Pete McCarthy's book "McCarthy's Bar A Journey of Discovery in Ireland".
This is a little known book and I even had to post the photo of this book on Amazon and afterwards came across to post a review of this book for any other Douglas Adams fans as they will be glad that I have shared.
Kind Regards,
Randall
McCarthy's Bar: A Journey of Discovery In Ireland
Rated by buyers -
For even a part time Adams fan, this book is golden. Assembled after his death, this book compiles many years or writings and musings, and throws them in with some unfinished works Adams left when he left this galaxy of ours. The book does take some getting used to, as many of the parts are unpolished, and largely in the state the left his mind from, which can be unorganized. Once you get past this, you really can begin to enjoy this. It reveals a deep and complex thought process, and also gives new depth to your views on Adams. I for one was amazed he could write a rather lengthy excerpt about his feelings on his own nose, to a point where I enjoyed reading it. After learning so much of his thought process, the criminal part of this work is that the man himself is gone, and now that you have insight into his life, he has departed.
If you are an Adams fan, this is a must have, no doubt about it.
Rated by buyers -
A close friend of Douglas Adams once stated that, when one is reading a book by the author, one feels as if what was written was penned especially for him or her. Douglas Adams' mischievous and insightful humour has caused millions of guffaws, billions of knee-slaps, trillions of snorts, and quadrillions of smiles. Any real fan of Mr. Adams' works will find it hard to keep a dry eye throughout this beautifully arranged ode to the memory of the great author.
A collection of memorial speeches, past writings, short stories, interviews, and one incomplete fiction novel await the listener of this collection. At approximately 8 hours, this collection, narrated by Simon Jones, Christopher Cerf, Richard Dawkins, and Stephen Fry, will make you laugh, cry, think, and remember.
The eulogies will unleash your sadness. The short stories will, however briefly, trigger a newfound appreciation for certain simple things. The interviews will inspire your pursuit of clear thinking. The presentations will take your mind on a, hopefully permanent, tour of the wonders of original thinking. The incomplete novel (whether a new "Hitchhiker" or "Dirk Gentley" book, none can tell) will wake up that seldom-used "intelligent-humor" area of the brain. The overall experience will, however temporarily, change your thinking about life in general.
The only criticism I would levy against this production is its relative brevity. The addition of "Young Zaphod Plays it Safe", although an entertaining short story, feels like a cheap way to extend the book somehow. "Young Zaphod" was included in previous collections of the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", and was thus an unusual addition to this book. However, this is a minor complaint, and is of insufficient import to justify not buying this very moving collection.
REGARDING THE UNABRIDGED AUDIO EDITION: Simon Jones' narration is appropriate on all counts. His erudite enunciation and perfect emphasis would surely earn the approval of this collection's muse--if only he were alive to hear it. Douglas Adams' humour is channeled through the talents of this remarkable voice actor: his skills make even more memorable the sad experience of remembering this genius author, comic, technophile, and luminary.
Fans of DNA: listen to on a good day, or just when you're enjoying a fantastic cup of tea.
DNA newbies who love humor, silliness, and wit: pick up the "Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" first; otherwise, you'll miss many references.
DNA newbies who hate humor, silliness, and wit: please leave your genes in the wastebasket by the door on your way out of this life.
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