Rating: 
Summary: Great, but not Adam's best
Review: If you're expecting another whole Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, sorry this is a Dirk Gently novel. Oddly enough, this book is only about one tenth actual story. It's mostly past interviews and articles with and about the late Douglas Adams. It's very interesting if you're a true Adams fan; if you're not then I might suggest you become one before buying and reading this.
Rating:
Summary: Oh. Wow. My. God.
Review: When I read that the late and great Douglas Adams had passed away on May 25th, I felt as if a close friend had died. There would be no more adventures of Dirk Gently, trying to solve mysteries in his own, weird way, or of Arthur Dent, venturing through the space, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in hand. I went into a bit of a depressed slump for a while.But then, miraculously, when one day I was walking through Chapters, trying to put up a huge "DNA Memorial" in front of the section of the store that carried his books, I saw 'The Salmon of Doubt'. And I thought "I am dreaming"... so I pinched myself, and realized that I wasn't. HERE IT WAS - DOUGLAS ADAMS' LAST BOOK! I screamed. People stared. I fainted. Enough said about that. I bought the book. I read the book. I laughed. I cried. I remembered. And you should, too. This collection of Douglas Adams' writings, plus the first few chapters of Douglas Adams last unfinished project, 'The Salmon of Doubt' (a new Dirk Gently novel) is an item for anyone who even knew who Douglas Adams was. And even those who don't. 42.
Rating:
Summary: Atheism to Zaphod
Review: Memorials, no matter how well done, are sad affairs. They are necessarily incomplete, usually being but pointers into a richer past. They trigger memories which quickly dominate your awareness, pushing aside the memorial. A writer's monument is best done in a book using his unknown or unpublished material accompanied by the usual accolades. This book follows the standard pattern, with several testimonials bracing Adams' own work. It's a successful application of the formula. Necessarily, it's incomplete. Adams was too gigantic to be portrayed in a limited collection - only a definitive biography will achieve that. In structure, the book follows one of his titles, being sectioned into "Life," The Universe," and "And Everything." "Life" is his - from the irony of born with the initials DNA only months before Watson and Crick explained the structure of the molecule [and both at Cambridge!] through school years in short pants, to marching to Kilamanjaro in a rhino costume. The why of the march has eluded too many readers. In "The Universe" we encounter Adams' expanding world. Unlike some writers, he dotes on computers. The Internet opens doors to exciting new places and to further inspire his writing. His "rabid atheism" is queried, and his forthright responses should be required reading for many people. Although it truly belongs in the "Life" section, the essay "Cookies" demonstrates Adams' humanity as strongly as anything he's written. Then, in "And Everything," some fiction emerges, including a sketch on a young Zaphod Beeblebrox. Zaphod's moral roots are exposed as are some of our own. A potential Dirk Gently novel, under this book's title, is provided as the concluding portion. Dirk Gently was Adams' mechanism for examining life as Hitchhiker's was for looking at science. Adams, like his contemporary Terry Pratchett, defies categorization. He didn't write "sci-fi" although that's where you always find his books. Dirk Gently's stories aren't "fantasy" although some pretty fantastic things occur. Like Pratchett, Adams uses his stories to display his insight into the human condition. Again, like Pratchett, Adams presents these reflections with captivating wit. Dirk Gently novels are never fully snared in one reading, and even this partially finished effort rewards your return. The Foreword advises you not to "bolt this whole" by reading it in one go. Heed that advice. It's all good medicine, but it tastes even better in small doses. Others have rejected the advice and quaffed SoD to their discomfort. But if you sample bits a little at a time, even randomly, you will be properly introduced to one of the great humourists. Whether you are new to Adams or a dedicated fan, there is good fare here. Use as directed for best results.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth a read, but not compared to his earlier novels
Review: I knew very little about Adams beyond reading his Hitchiker "Triology" before picking up this book. It serves as a good way of learning more about him. Not only is much of the writing funny, it is insightful as well. While I'm glad to read his "last novel" it is far from complete. It's very disconcerting to get into this episode of Dirk Gently and suddenly for a few chapters the point of view abrutly shifts to the first person and then goes back to a few more chapters and suddenly stops. The editor does warn you about this and if you are a die hard fan then you will want to pick up this book. It's worth a look by everyone else as well, for the random essays on making a good cup of tea, to why he loved Bach.
Rating: 
Summary: a great discredit to a great author
Review: I previously read the first 5 books in the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy series. (I enjoyed them thoroughly). The Salmon of Doubt was advertised as the 6th. The first 80% of the book is nothing but eugolies, magazine articles and the author's views on being an atheist. I did not pay for that kind of [stuff] I hope the rest of the book actually has something to do with the story that I ordered. I believe that I have been cheated and I certainly have been offended. I paid for one thing and got something completely different. This book should come with a warning that it is simply an attempt by some greedy heirs to cash in on a storyline by an author who died much too soon. The mishmash of repetitive pieces thrown together is a great discredit to a great author.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, not electrifying
Review: I enjoy books written by the late Mr. Adams. This book didn't live up to the "thought-provoking" idea that it's dust jacket projected. It's an okay read, but not one of his best works.
Rating:
Summary: Tidbits of Brilliance
Review: This book was masterfully put together by many of those very close to Douglas Adams. As a true blue fan of his, I can, without a doubt, <<smirk>> say they did a brilliant job. Never have I felt so in touch with an invigorating mind such as Adam's. The tidbits of interviews and writings are just enough to sate and yet teasingly make you crave more. But sadly, because there is no more, we have only our imaginations to run free with his brilliance and I think Adam's would have appreciated that. This book was a tribute and an excellent going away present to seal his memory in us all and then make us want to read his works again and again!!
Rating: 
Summary: Impressive (and incomplete) writings from a brilliant person
Review: I read the Hitchhiker's Guide series in High School and college. Now, years later, I picked up this book in the library and found out that (GASP!) Douglas Adams died (I had to crawl out from under my rock to get to the library :-). I took the book home and read it. I thought the book was fascinating, and despite work deadlines and family commitments, I found myself reading the book very late into the night on several nights. I thought Mr. Adam's writings (albeit incomplete) covered a vast array of information and topics. He struck me as a truly brilliant and inquisitive person who did not take much at face value, but seemed to question the underpinnings of everything. The highest praise that I can give for this book is that, in reading it, I thought that Mr. Adams must have been an interesting friend, and a fascinating conversationalist (all of which I consider high praise, for what better way to spend an evening that with good friends, intelligent and convivial conversation, and good food? :-) We lost a great writer when Mr. Adams died.
Rating:
Summary: Total Dingo's Kidneys
Review: Douglas Adams was a middling talent of midly humorous observations. Like most writers, he spent a good part of his life desperate for any type of success and then once he achieved it (with Hitchhiker's) he spent the remainder of his life lamenting that he wanted nothing to do with what made him successful. The book is a hodge-podge of erratum that would never have seen the light of day if it had been written by an unknown writer, but because Adams was well-known it has not only been published but endowed with a misguided huzzah of which it is most unworthy. In short, the book is a complete waste of paper--trees died for this pap-- and at most it makes a good doorstop.
Rating:
Summary: O' Cruel Fate What Have You Done?
Review: A great collection of the writings of the late great DNA. The third book in the Dirk Gentry series; or was it the sixth in the Hitchiker series sadly the world will never know, was good. The actual I think nine chapeters of the book in the back are not Adams at his best however it is an extreemly premature child and still has hillarious nuggets of DNA's zany wit. So long Doug and thanks for all the fish, by the way two things remember your towel and don't panic.
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