Listening to the audio CD's has an extra dimension to the book. You do get time to catch your breath. And my CD player is in the car. Somehow I survived. I would say that one great advantage to CD's is the ability to hear how the names are pronounced and you get inflections that intended or not help understand where they are going before they get there. An other advantage is that CD's like acid free paper should outlast the reader.
How many times have you asked a simple question and go the answer as "42." Yep, you are a victim to this book. Many of the clichés and truisms that rival Shakespeare are creeping into our vocabulary. And attitudes - "It has been on file."
If you are the one person that somehow got through life with out reading this series or at least seeing this on TV, then you are in for a treat. Somehow this story is earmarked as sci-fi and I guess it can be in a sense and it has all the elements necessary; it delivers a powerful message to the local Zoning Board.
I will not go though the story, as that is why you are reading the book. You need to sit down for the next sentence.
This book has changed my life.

This omnibus publishing of the Hitchhikers Quartet contains the first four books of the Hitchhikers Trilogy, considered the only true Trilogy by many purists. The series starts with the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, then continues with The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe and Everything and rounds out with So Long and Thanks For All the Fish. This is considered me many the core of the Guide's story, and that "Mostly harmless" takes the story in an unwanted direction and prematurely ends the series with the elimination of 3 of the main characters. Most hardcore Adams purists prefer to leave the story hanging with the possibility of the infinite possibilities possible in an infinite universe.

If you've read Douglas Adams before, you'll know what I mean. I love his writing and his original thoughts and the complex plots he comes up with. It's nice to see that it is being translated. If you're trying to read this, it helps if you've read the other books in the series first. otherwise, you might not understand some things. Anyway, the story goes that -- wait. You know the game of cricket, right? Well, apparently cricket started from the war that the people of Krikket (who hated the space above them) had against the rest of the universe. The people of Krikket hate everything else so much that they want to annihilate it. However, they were stopped a long time ago. Now, there planet is locked up in itself and will only be unlocked after the end of the Universe when they will be free and be alone in the Universe (which is what they want). However, some of their killer whit robots have somehow started gaining the Wooden Pillar, the Plastic Pillar, the Steel Pillar, the Golden Bail, and a purple award from a party, which are the keys to unlock Krikket. But how are Arthur Dent, Slartibarfast, Trillian, Zaphod, and Ford Prefect going to stop these killer robots?

This is a very complete (it didn't mention the Swedish radio series, but that's no big loss ;-) and informative guide to all incarnations of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (as well as the other works by Douglas Adams). It is a must for every fan of this master.

I found this book to be very entertaining. Douglas Adams did a brilliant job carrying the reader along with this absurd sci-fi novel. In fact, at times the book gets so absurd that it's hard to follow. But I still recommend it as a great read.

Basically the book is about two friends that live on earth. Arthur Dent and Ford Perfect. Ford Perfect(who is actually an alien) reveals to Arthur that the world is about to end.Not long after their conversation, a Vogon spaceship appears and announces that earth will be destroyed shortly because it is in the way of a new intergalactic highway bypass that is being built through our galaxy. Ford and Arthur manage to board the ship before the earth is demolished, and they are quickly discovered.

The Vogon ship ejects them into space and they get picked up by another ship called the "Heart of Gold" which houses the Infinite Improbability Drive-makes the improbable happen. They travel to the planet Magrathea to figure out what to do about their non-existent planet earth. Then discover that earth was really a giant organic computer that was working on finding the meaning of life. But 5 minutes before the program was done the planet was desroyed. Ah, the irony!

This book was all over the place, in a way that reminded me of Slaughterhouse five. The characters would go off on weird tangents that didn't really have much to do with the plot of the story. But I enjoyed its off the wall style and bazaar storyline. Its definitely unlike any other book I've read, and I admire its originality.

I first read Hitchiker when I was ten, and in the ten years (and hundreds of re-readings) since it has been a source of infinite pleasure and enlightenment. I now have all the books (2 copies each), the radio broadcasts, the original radio scripts, the videos of the TV series and Neil Gaiman's Guide to the Guide (as well as absolutely everything else that the exquisite Mr Adams has ever written). I am currently studying at Oxford University and I take offence at those misguided souls who think that HHGTTG is childish, has no lasting worth or will only be enjoyed by undiscriminating readers. Hitchiker is not only a supremely funny and inventive book - it's also extremely intelligent and full of subtle insights. It works on so many levels that it is accessible to everyone (if they keep an open mind).Vogon poetry, the Babel fish and the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster are surely all the evidence you need of Adams' sublime genius (and there are 4 more books of it).Oh, and Douglas Adams has been hinting that Hitchiker 6 might be on its way (pleeeeaaaase! pleeeeeaase!)

Anyway, my heart belongs to Ford Prefect forever. And remember, Hitchiker isn't just a book, it's a way of life.

The first book in the inaccurately named Hitchhiker's Trilogy is a wonderful introduction to Douglas Adams, his writing style, and extrememly unorthodox sense of humor. Douglas Adams is an exceptionally talented writer. Throughout the book, he approaches details far from the main flow of information and in the last sentence of the chapter makes it all fit together. It is extremely hard to describe his style except that of what some would call slapstick comedy. This type of comedy is completely zany and just throws around plot elements, introducing new items very liberally and taking others away rapidly.
The plot and content are excellent. The charcters are very developed and interesting. Because most of the book does not take place on the Earth, Adams pokes a lot of fun at the Earth and its not-so-brilliant residents, humans. The book is constantly refering to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (an actual book in the story) giving the reader more information and continuing to reveal the plot in Adams's unique style.
I really enjoyed this book. I was often laughing out loud and recieving interesting looks from the other kids in study hall. This book is unequivocally humorous with a very extensive plot and developed characters. Even if someone is not a science fiction fan, I believe everyone can enjoy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

The Audio version of this book was definitely a treat for me. Listening to the story read by the author, hearing it the way Douglas Adams intended it to sound was great. I really enjoyed listening to his wonderful accent as he told this story. The story has all of Adams' amazing British humor, but also is liberally dosed with astounding intelligence. It is mostly a mystery story, with a bit of sci-fi thrown in for good measure. Dirk Gently is a detective that believes in the total interconnectedness of all things. It starts out with several seemingly unrelated story lines. These story lines are all intricately interwoven and the book ends with a satisfying... well... interconnectedness. Those of you that did not like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series because it was "too silly" should give this book a try. It's anything but silly. Adams' logic can be astounding. Also, the bit with the couch being stuck in the stairway is intriguing. Adams challenges the reader to figure out how this couch is mysteriously stuck, defying all rules of physics.

I have read this book so many times I've lost count. Lets see now: The character portrayal is brilliant, Adams' humour is the kind that makes you laugh out aloud - in fact the humour achieved in this novel is unparalleled, the plot is delightfully complex and fascinating, the story is well-paced and makes you want to read read read, Dirk is utterly hilarious, and Adams' style of writing and mastery of wordplay has never been more evident.
Sometimes I'll read a passage over and over, not because I dont understand it but because it's so well written that I just about cant believe it. This book truly is a mental stimulation that you wont forget in a hurry, an absolute treat, and if I ever had to choose one book to be stranded on an island with, this would be it. Of course I would stash a few nudie books down the back of my pants as well, the authorities wouldn't notice.

5 STARS IS NOT ENOUGH for this book!!!!

Richard leads a quiet life until the day his employer is unexpectedly killed (so few victims expect their death) while talking to an answering machine. Is it coincidence that the very same day, he runs into a slightly odd professor performing unbelivable conjuring tricks and suddenly notices that he forgot to pick up his friend for dinner?
But he is lucky to know Dirk Gently, to date best known for saving poor cats from having Schrodinger's experiment performed on them. Together, they unravel a plot as old as time, eat a lot of pizza, and prove the interconnectedness of all things while saving the world at no extra charge.

This is Douglas Adams at his best. Describing the book as a spoof on the detective profession and the computer industry would be an understatement. The story takes unbelievable and unexpected twists, and is so funnily written that you have to laugh out loud.

At the same time, it is very intelligently written. The first reading left me quite confused. I have read the book about six times so far, finding more details and cross-references at each reading, and then each of the presumably unrelated subplots falls in place, and finally you start believing in the interconnectedness of all things yourself.

This book is not just material for fans, it's for everyone with a sense of humour who does not insist on a straight plot line.

First, the good news: this contains the complete Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy novel, one of the greatest books ever written. Problem is, the photos and art that accompany this particular version only serve to distract the reader and snap him/her out of the fictional dream. Die-hard Adams fans are the only people who will really want this, and then purely as a conversation piece. If you are new to the world of the Guide, you would be better served by getting The Ultimate Hitch-Hiker's Guide, which has the text of this book plus the other four in the series and a short story, and no pictures.

The story :
It's a thursday when the earth get's destroyed to make space
for a new hyperspace highway. The human Arthur Dent and
his friend, Ford Prefect from the Planet Beteigeuze, are
flagged up to the Vogon spaceship. From now on begins a
crazy travel through the Universe (and beyond) ...

Specials about this book:
If you are a real Douglas Adams fan, you MUST own this book.
The whole story is described with funny looking pictures,
and even Adams itself has a guest-role.

When I was in elementary school, this was a common series read by the male nerds and geeks in my school. After reading it, I can now see how much it shaped their speech patterns and writing styles. I found myself smiling as clouds of nostalgia unexpectedly overtook me while reading the series. I was also surprised to find phrases original to this series that have worked their way into the American culture. For example, in order to understand people who speak other languages, the characters in this series simply put a "Babelfish" in their ear. In real life, Babel Fish is a language translation program available on the internet. Since the book it appears in was published in 1979, there's no question of which came first.

In THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, we found out that the earth was actually created as an organic supercomputer with the sole purpose of determining the answer to life, the universe and everything. Arthur Dent finds himself whisked away from the earth only moments before the earth is destroyed to make way for a intergalactic bypass highway. Unfortunately, this is right before the earth was to have computed the answer to the question. He and Ford (an alien that has been marooned on earth) hitch a ride on the unsuspecting spacecraft that has just caused the destruction of the earth. They continue their hitchhiking journey throughout the galaxy to a ship called the Heart of Gold (which is actually a stolen vehicle). There, they meet with a series of unlikely coincidences thanks to the ship's Infinite Improbability Drive.

THE RESTAURANT AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE
The HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY ends as the Heart of Gold heads for a bite to eat at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Evidently this restaurant must be reached by traveling forward in time to the actual end of the universe. Every night, a big show is made of the big bang that ends the universe. Luckily, the restaurant is protected from the effects and can make a show of it night after night. The only disappointing thing is that Author Dent and his friends miss the show as they attempt to stow away and hitchhike yet another ride in entirely the wrong vehicle. To make a long story short, Arthur and Ford end up marooned on prehistoric earth with a bunch of cave men and some amazingly stupid people who have been exiled from their own planet. Could these idiotic hairdressers and phone sanitizers be our true ancestors? In this book, we also meet the man in charge of the universe. Strangely enough, he is a forgetful old hermit who spends most of his time in his shack talking to his cat and his table or pondering the use of a pencil.

This series is bizarre comic sarcasm at its best. A smile automatically paints itself on your face as you begin to read. The series reads like a highly improbable dream sequence. I sort of wonder if the author had any conclusion in mind when he wrote it or if he just let the story write itself (not unlike a dream). This, the second book in the "trilogy" isn't quite as fast-paced in the beginning, but things do pick up toward the end.

Synopsis: The second book in the Hitchhiker series. More zany antics as Arthur, Ford, Zaphod and Trillian dine at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Zaphod sets off to complete his mission to find the man who rules the Universe. Arthur and Ford hitch a ride on another ship. The ending has a nice twist. Maybe I didn't get the joke, but 6 by 9 is not 42.

Writing: 3 stars. The writing has improved since the first book. Sometimes he tries a little too hard to be funny or absurd and it's just stupid. But for the most part it was pretty funny. The way he writes dialog though is hard to follow at times.

Characters: 5 stars. Characters are well developed and interesting. Each character has their own personality and funny quirks.

Plot: 4 stars. The plot is a lot better than the first book. It doesn't seem to jump around as much and makes a lot more sense. Not as many loose ends as the first book, which ended quite abruptly.

Dialogue: 5 stars. Dialog is funny and witty. I would say it's the strength of this book and the series in general.

Setting: 4 stars. The settings are nicely developed and sometimes hysterical. I had no problems visualizing the surroundings although sometimes they are silly.

Overall: Add 'em up, you get 4.2... What's the probability of that happening? Round down to 4 because it wasn't good enough for a 5.

After the destruction of Earth, and beginning their search for the answer to "Everything", Arthur Dent and Co. decide to take a little break from their quest and stop by at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe where the food is as odd as it can get.

"The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" is the second book to the trilogy "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. Book one, first of all, should be read first since most of the background information is in there. This sequel is again also a must read for anyone who enjoys humor and science fiction. The best part of this book I think is that the author has the most craziet ideas impanted into the storyline. Also as a definite positive in this book is that the characters and storyline are very well built. Even though character attributes are not given direct and clear, their actions and speech can give you the idea of unique characters who can be easily distinguished from each other. The storyline, after reading the book, you will be able to tell that it has everything needed for a well built story, especially the exploation of the author's own special world.

Even though thay are from the same trilogy, I think that the first and second book has different purpose to it. Both books are extremely funny, but book one was to explain the basic points and create the scene for the story to flow in, while "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" is more packed with adventure and discovery. Anyways, before this sounds like a analization, I would recommend this book not for just people who like humor and science fiction like I said above, but to everyone. This book isn't very long, so it'a very readable. There are almost no slow parts in the story so it's not monotone. So if you got a few minutes each day, find this book and start reading!

The story opens with an explosion at Heathrow Airport. This introduces the female main character Kate Schechter trying to find the Norwegian man she met there just before the explosion. At the same time, Dirk Gently gets involved in that case. He, as a private detective, firstly wants to find out what has happened to his ex-secretary Janice Smith. Soon, while the plot is unfolding, the Norse gods become the main theme because their power has decreased in modern society. So, one of the gods makes a contract with two human beings in order to be able to enjoy human comfort although he loses his immortal soul. As Dirk Gently believes in the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things", it all makes sense in the end. Douglas Adams does not hand you the answer on a silver platter, though, so that some parts have to be reread. The single events of the storyline are unpredictable, which makes the book so exciting, and the reader is guided by Kate and Dirk. With great skill the author changes the levels of language where necessary and uses his English sense of humour. In the end, Dirk and Kate have improved their knowledge about the workings of the universe. What I liked best while reading were the various lines of action.

I came away from this book with the feeling that it was a bit of a comedown after the first Dirk Gently book. It didn't quite deliver the same laugh-out-loud hilarity and intelligent, complex plot as the first one.

Having said that, though, you still can't go very wrong by buying this book. I love all of Douglas Adams' works (yes, even the oft-maligned "Mostly Harmless"), so for me a four-star review just means that it wasn't quite as enjoyable as many of his other books. But it's still a good read, no question about it.

This is the first book by Douglas Adams that I've read and it won't be the last. The book starts out with a big explosion, which brings us to the main characters Kate, Dirk, Thor, and Odin. Kate was brought into the story by the explosion because almost seconds before she was trying to help Thor buy a ticket to Oslo. Thor is the son of Odin who acts like a child. Dirk is a private detective working on a case that deals with the gods. The book was hilariously funny, the deranged eagle, the street light thing, and Thor being glued to the floor were some of the more amusing things. Adams is a great author, who has a great vocabulary and an imaginative mind, but he writes kind of confusing so you have to read it more than once to get every detail.

Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine take on an extraordinary adventure, along with Chris, a producer from the BBC radio station. They are on their way to find animals that are merely becoming extinct. They go out looking for the Komodo Dragon of Indonesia, the kakapo of New Zealand, blind dolphin of China, white rhinos of Zaire, and the rare birds of Mauritius Island. They take the reader on an ongoing adventure.
With the laughs that Adams provides the interest continues to see what smart thing he will say next. Adams takes a twist on writing this non-fictional book because he is a fictional writer. He does a good job on providing detailed information and a broad understanding of what goes on with animal life. Overall the book is interesting because it talks about issues that are hardly taken into consideration. This book is perfectly fitted for environmentalist and animal lovers.

I picked up this book because like so many others, I'm a huge fan of all of Douglas Adams' work. I didn't know what I was about to read, but this book definitely surpassed all of my expectations. Adams and Carwardine tell the true story of their various journeys to exotic locations around the world to track down endangered species for a BBC radio program. Using Adams' trademark sarcasm and humor, the seriousness of the subject is eased into readers' perception while still providing plenty of material for those who are already champions of endangered species. Seeing the humorous style used by Adams in his fiction works applied to a nonfiction topic is refreshing and enjoyable.

This is a truly excellent read for anyone who is a fan of Douglas Adams or environmentalism, and I guarantee you won't be able to put it down for long. :)

Last Chance to See Ballantine, 1990, 222 pp., $...
Douglas Adams ISBN 0-345-37198-4
Last Chance to See, by Douglas Adams, is a powerful and insightful look at the alarming number of endangered animals and the attempts being made to preserve them. Written by Douglas Adams, the hit writer of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, Last Chance To See is a non-fiction book that appeals to the entire range of senses. Adams manages to intertwine humor into a glum topic, which sets this book apart from others, such as Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
In the book Adams travels around the world with a zoologist, Mark Carwardine, and relays the humorous and sad details of everything he sees. In one part he receives a letter from a government official in the Zairian airport. The letter, which is supposedly written to the citizens of the country asking them to help the visitors, is not even written in the most common language. Adams does a great job with his imagery and draws the reader into the beautiful areas that he sees these magnificent animals in.
Even though chapters of this book were written between 1985 and 1989, Adams is able to tie them together beautifully to create a story that never stops. Most people should enjoy this book because it has many faces. It is a comedy yet it still speaks about the animals and their habitat. The book is accompanied with interesting color photographs of the animals Adams treks around the world to see. I really enjoyed this book. As fan of the comedy series I believe that it follows in it foot steps. So whether you are a fan of comedy, non-fiction, or just interested in animals Last Chance To See if a must read.