Rating: 
Summary: Douglas, you simply cannot be dead!...
Review: 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!
Rating: 
Summary: A truly fond farewell, with dignity for all involved
Review: I'm always skeptical when I hear that works from any artist are being released posthumously. I always have dark visions of greedy widows or desperate editors who have to do something, anything, to make a buck, even if it means scraping through someone's hard drive to reassemble bits that were never supposed to go together in the first place. I was very relieved that Salmon of Doubt is NOT a grave robbery, nor is it a treacly memorial service--it's just a collection of good DNA writings that his fans might have otherwise missed, and a true example of the phrase "fond farewell."The bulk of this book is previously collected material--interviews, public speeches, magazine articles, short stories--and knowing Adams had intended it all for public consumption allayed my fears. Topics include music, technology, side adventures of Hitchhiker characters, and Adams' own interactions with the animal kingdom, both unusual and mundane. His remarks on the existence of a artificial God are, like so many things that came out of this guy's brain, quite funny yet thought-provoking. It's all well-chosen stuff to paint a more complete picture of Douglas Adams as someone beyond "that 42 guy." The unfinished chapters of his last novel--which stars Dirk Gently in this draft, but Adams suggested in an included interview that some of the concepts may have found their way into a sixth Hitchhiker book--are rather short and maddeningly refreshing. There is enough to get the reader hooked (and it moves at a much tighter, brisker pace than the other Gently novels--this really is an excellent start), but sadly, we'll never know how the story ends, other than abruptly. The Salmon of Doubt pays true respect but does not wallow in the author's passing--fans will come away uplifted and entertained more than weeping at the loss of a the true genius. However, the book's wide range and intimate access amply illustrate just why he's already so desperately missed.
Rating:
Summary: So long, and thanks for all the fish, DNA ...
Review: When Douglas Adams died, I had a chilling realization: My last hero was now dead. It was an appalling realization for someone who, in middle school and high school, had been nigh-on obsessed with his work, having devoured all of it (including Neil Gaiman's companion book, years before he'd become famous in his own right), and even directed one of his radio scripts as a high school drama project. I found myself desperately wanting to listen to my old and long lost cassette tape of his radio shows (which are maddeningly not available at this time on CD), and to have one of my friends call me and say "no, ha ha, it's not true, just a silly prank, he'll be around for decades more, don't worry." But no. Instead, we get this posthumous collection of writings, of varying quality -- the much ballyhooed Procul Harum speech gives us scant information as to why Procul Harum is great and why Adams thought so -- but much of it an excellent insight into the mind of Douglas Adams. The Macintosh related works, in particular, are quite good, and I say this as I write on a Windows machine. For Hitchhiker's fans, the book is a mixed bag. "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe" is republished with an ending that clarifies the somewhat subtle (and dated) joke. "The Private Life of Genghis Khan" turns out to be a bit of Hitchhiker's ephemera as well (although its punchline only works if you've read the Hitchhiker's series) and then there's the work for which the book is named, "The Salmon of Doubt." It started off life as a Dirk Gently novel, and in a reprinted interview, Adams said it was likely to get reworked as a Hitchhiker's one instead. It's short, and while all the fragmentary versions have been combined together quite mercilessly -- the destination of a plane ticket changes repeatedly between versions on a sentence by sentence basis -- it doesn't add up to much. There is an interesting first chapter, some vaguely annoying Dirk Gently chapters after that, not much happens, and then, well, it's over. It looks as though Adams was going to riff on Los Angeles in this novel -- which, despite claims to the contrary in the story itself, he ended up knowing rather better than he might have liked -- but we'll never know. It certainly doesn't look like a Hitchhiker's book, beyond the DaveLand stuff in the first chapter. But it's what we're left with, and it reaffirms what we already knew: Douglas Adams was quirky, funny, interested in technology, thought the self-importance of our species was deeply funny, was concerned with evolution and ecology and, ultimately, he was a really, really slow writer. I will miss him deeply. This is a book for confirmed Adams fans, but of no particular interest to more casual (or non-)readers.
Rating:
Summary: Don't expect a storyline, BUT
Review: it is an absolutely wonderful jaunt through the colorful, optimistic, and, of course, hilarious brain of Douglas Adams. Just by reading the Hitchhiker's Guide, it's great, don't get me wrong, but you never really get to KNOW the guy. The actual author is at least as interesting as all the Hitchhiker characters put together, and it breaks my heart that he is no longer here. In this book there are several articles, notes, and other pretty random writings. Although it is disjointed, every single part of it is a completely enjoyable reading experience and holds a part of the man Douglas was. I didn't know he was so SMART!! If you want to get to know the wonderful man behind the awesome Hitchhiker books, this is the book to read. Only watch out for the wave of sadness at it's closure. The world lost a truly wonderful human being and I will forever kick myself for not noticing him more before his death.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor book - Adams would not have permitted its release
Review: I love all of Douglas Adams' books - but this should not be considered one of them. The (very short) section at the back that was to be chapters of his new book is the best part, but even with that section you can see why Adams had decided NOT to continue on with the story (he had quit writing that story long before he died, and even mentions in one of the other articles in the book he had decided the ideas did not work as a Dirk Gently story, which it is here). And be warned - the chapters of the "new" story are clearly just the introduction of a story, with most of the plot yet to come. The rest (80%) is a collection of random stuff - 10 year old letters to the editor, short interviews with magazines, and even things published elsewhere (like Young Zaphod Plays it Safe, a very short bit put in many Hitchhiker's collections that is nothing more than an extremely dated insult to then-President Reagan). This filler is often redundant and more often boring and dated (a review of how well a "new" handheld computer worked - back in 1988ish, for example). If you are a HUGE fan ... you still will likely be disapointed - I am selling my copy used, and I have never done that with a DNA book before.
Rating: 
Summary: Incomplete DNA String
Review: As much as I think Douglas Adams to be an amazingly gifted author, and as well written as many of the items (since it's realy a hodge podge of storys, articles, ideas, and randomness)are, I reluctantly can't bring myself to give this book a higher rating. No dissrespect to Mr. Adams, it's after all not his fault that the book isn't better, but I had a hard time reading this. I blame the editors. It's unusual for a writers unpublished notes to be published right after death. But that's exactly what they've done. While it's meant to be a tribute, it failed. You have to drill through some realy boring, although informative, interviews with Douglas as well as some other misc. articles and naratives. You don't get to the actual "Salmon of Doubt" part of the book untill the very end. While it was the best part of the book, and possibly one of the best stories that he's written, it's also heartwrenching that it's incomplete. Not that it's his fault since up and dying wasn't actualy part of his plans. But I feel a great void in the absence of the end of the story, much the same as the world feels a void in the absence of Douglas Noel Adams.
Rating: 
Summary: Abysmally Poor CD Quality
Review: The voices are wonderful, sound is excellent. The CD format could be greatly superior to a regular book, especially for those who listen and drive, if only:
1. You could play each CD thru to the end. My machine, which is new and quality, cannot track the last x number of minutes. I really don't know why, but I'm 0 for 2 of the 8 CD's. And the stuff that's cut off is the stuff that other reviewers have been raving about.
2. Each CD is recorded as a single track. That means you can't go forward or back or continue listening on a different machine, or play a simple excerpt. Given the length of each CD, this is really annoying. Until the manufacturer gets his act together, I would avoid the CD.
Rating:
Summary: Hitchhiking one last time?
Review: I believe in gut feelings. I just finished reading this book minutes ago and logged in to write (my first ever) review. Douglas Adams' books had huge influence on the way I see the world, and of the way every single person I know sees it. I love the way he takes apart the simplest of things and re-builds it in a manner no one ever seen it before. He also had some brilliant notions of the internet, saying we are the forth generation of sand (read the book), e-commerce is about to come crashing down (read the book) and anticipating that computers will eventually get so tiny they will be incorporated into everything making the world around us a much more interactive place than it is now (well... this is a review telling you to *get* the book, you know...), he even wrote a note or two about this very website ( :-) ). One word of warning: the book contains (among other great stuff) an assembled (from 3 different drafts) version of the first 11 chapters of what would have eventually may or may not have become "the salmon of doubt" - it does not end nor it gives any clue of what the ending would have been, so if you are not into unfinished works, skip that part or read it knowing it just doesn't have any ending. I'll miss Douglas' work (and I sure hope he read an email I sent him a couple of years ago). Bottom line is, get the book, it is full of great stuff.
Rating:
Summary: We miss you, Douglas!
Review: I love all of Douglas Adams's works and my life would never be complete without reading The Salmon of Doubt. Admittedly a couple of parts are less than scintillating---which is to be expected when this book was put together with unfinished, unpolished material. However, it is worth reading for the incomplete Dirk Gently novel alone. What a wonderfully upbeat piece that promised to be. (Is it too much to hope that any of Douglas's friends or colleagues could attempt to finish it for us?) And, my real point in writing this review: Did anyone else get the feeling that the ginger-haired actor Dirk was randomly trailing might be Ford Prefect?
Rating:
Summary: Not a novel, best for true fans of Douglas Adams
Review: I purchased the "Salmon of Doubt" thinking it would be an incomplete novel in line with the other "hitchikers" books. The book is not an incomplete novel, although there are some pieces of novels within it. Rather, the majority of the book is a collection of articles, speeches and other musings from Adams. While these are interesting they are not consistent with the "advertising" If you are a big Douglas Adams fan and are really interested in his ideas, thoughts and views, then buy the book and you will enjoy it. If you are a casual fan, or a fan of the HHGTG or Dirk Gently, then skip this work or wait for it on paperback. As you probably know, Douglas Adams died suddenly and certainly too early for someone of his character. This book is more of a memorial than an unfinished novel that will only appeal to people who are deeply interested in getting to know him better.
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