|
| The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time | 
| Author: Douglas Adams
Publisher: Del Rey
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy New: $3.99
You Save: $4.00 (50%)
New (32) from $3.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  106 reviews
Sales Rank: 47840
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 3.8 x 0.9
ISBN: 0345455290
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780345455291
ASIN: 0345455290
Publication Date: April 26, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: GREAT BUY!Brand New From US Distributor! WE ARE A 5 STAR SELLER with OVER 3,500,000 BOOKS SOLD!!! OVER ~ 600,000 FEEDBACKS ~ POSTED!!!
|
| Customer Reviews:
 A mixed bag of goodies December 22, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
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).
 Sorry, Douglas, I was disappointed... December 11, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
 If you loved this Douglas Adams you are gonna love this ! August 18, 2007
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
A look into life in his galaxy August 2, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
A river of tears awaits any real Douglas Adams fan March 27, 2007
1 out of 7 found this review helpful
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 humor 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' humor 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.
|
|
|
Wildlife, nature and the Environment
Sponsored Links
Learn how to get your own Amazon Book shop | |
