It's a long way to go to find out the question that we already know the answer to (42) but it is well worth the journey. Along the way you will meet Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, God, dolphins, Zaphod Beeblebrox, many aliens, and the Babel Fish. You will also see the Earth destroyed (and rebuilt), characters die (and recover), and discover that the Earth is not just a big hunk of mud, but actually one big computer. Douglas Adams uses his British wit to weave a tale that never goes where you expect it too, but always makes sense. Once you read the first book you will be hooked to read the rest (which is good because you have to read all four in order to find the question to the answer of 42)

I read the book, and now I simply admire Douglas Adams. He is a genius, who adds humor to his ridiculously funny topics. Funny names, and mystery behind it all. What else can you say about a book where the main idea is digital watches???!!!!! Ha! Ha! Ha!

The book says it all, the man(Douglas Adams) is a writing genious. He tells you everything you wanted to know about "Life, the Universe and Everything" Did you ever wonder how life started on the planet earth? Dull name earth, but anyways, read the book and you will know. What is 42 and why do the mice want my brain? I do not know this but you will if you read this spectacular book. This is the best book ever written by mankind. You can easily base a philosophy by this book. Life begins to make so much sense after you rad this book. There is no better!!!

Randy Chumbley's book struck a familiar chord for me. Although I did not suffer through the horrors of a father like his, I have found myself searching for a similar sense of security and protection in the men that I have pursued. I enjoyed reading how Randy came through the stages of his life with growing self awarness and was rewarded to find that he recognizes that life is a constant process of growth. I think that many of the moments in Randy's life will seem familiar for many men in the gay world. I am happy that he wrote these things out so that others will know how familiar their own experiences are for all of us. While I wouldn't say that Randy's book was easy to read at times because of the familiarity to certain instances, it was good to read because it gave me a sense of companionship in my own pursuit for personal happiness. Thank you Randy for sharing a life well lived.

I happened to see Randy on line and traced his book through his Web Page and anxiously waited for it to come from Amazon.com. I found the book to be a very soul searching book about a gay man from early childhood to a matured adult that leads us through high and low times of the Heart that we who are gay have all experienced to a degree but maybe not to the degree that we read about Randy. The underlying story of how AIDS affected his life keeps the story on an even keel and reminds us all of those that we have lost. This book is a real treasure and I highly recommed reading it.

An honest review of the author's life and coming to terms with his relationship with his abusive father, and men in his life that shaped his coming to learn to understand him self. A book that handles facts that many of us face. A book well worth reading and discussion with friends.

Lloyd Kauffman Does it again with his brand new filmaking book Make Your Own Damn Movie. Its a very valuable resource to the up and coming independent movie maker as well as a very funny and very entertaining book to those not interested in making a film. This book delivers with step by step instructions from Lloyds own career from a 30 year span of producing incredible films from little to no budget. I feel Lloyd is an inspiration to me personally and people can come away with that feeling from this book. He is a genius with a lot to say about movies as well as his biting social commentary. Any True Troma fan should be embarassed if they have not picked this up yet. So What are you waiting for? Buy The Damn Book and Make Your Own Damn Movie!

This is the funniest and most informative book I think I have ever read. Kaufman and his fellow Troma empoyees present valuable information on how to make your own movie while making it so funny you never get bored reading it. I couldn't put it down until I read the entire thing. Recommend this to all your friends, and if you are even remotely a troma fan, would like to make your own independent film, or are just looking for a damn funny book to read than this book should definately find it's way into your collection.

In terms of quality, the only book that can even come close to this one is "All I Needed To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger", by The Artist Formerly Known As Samuel Weil, Lloyd Kaufman. The two books by this film director are far different, however; "Make Your Own Damn Movie" is more along the lines of instruction and advice, with some autobiography thrown in, whereas "All I Needed To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger" is more autobiographical, with some bits of instruction and advice.

This book will tell you potentially everything you need to know to make your own damn movie, and I predict that it will change and improve the motion picture industry forever.

The author, Lloyd Kaufman, and the two co-authors, Trent Haaga and Adam Jahnke, know whereof they speak, all three of them having been making entertaining movies for years. In this book, Lloyd reveals how he did it, and how you can do it too.

And he does so with considerable wit and humour. This much is no surprise to anyone who is a fan of his films.

I can't recommend this book enough. This will tell you how to make your own damn movie step-by-step. This is a must have for anyone who is either interested in making their own (damn) movies, or is interested in learning how Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz did it themselves.

This tap will make a long journey shorter with little ones in the car. The tunes makes a change from the usual nursery rthyms that we endure in the car. The music is funky. The songs are funny and easy to learn. It is the only tape my husband will have in HIS car. Occasionally I find him tapping his toe to the music. The book helped me learn of the words and when my daughter is older I am sure she will enjoy reading it too. At 2 years she is still a little young to even appreciate the graphics. Our favourite tune is "Tickle Time". When the whole family joins in we usually end up on the floor laughing. This tape will always remind me of my family having a great time together. It does not fail to put a smile on my daughters face.

My 2 1/2 yr old son, already a fan of Boynton's magic, was enthralled by the book and accompanying tape. The songs are witty and easy to learn, and the music doesn't grate on an adult's ear the way some children's songs do. Once again, Sandra Boynton has done a great job of interweaving learning and fun! Particular favorties: Oh, Lonely Peas, Tickle Time, and So Long, Doggies. When I put my son to bed the other night, he said to me "Mommy, I love you more than cheese" This book and tape combination has really made an impression!

(My only 'complaint' - it would be great if there was also a CD version.)

Sandra Boynton's book and cassette not only have the kids singing but my husband and I find ourselves humming the tunes too! We were facing a nine and eight hour car trips with three kids (3, 2 and 3 weeks) and this made the trip go FASTER! The tunes and words are catchy and easy to sing along with. Some of the songs are from Boynton's other books, like"Barnyard Dance". Others became new favorites to us; Oh Lonely Peas and Bad Babies. Unlike other kid cassettes we have, this creation is done perfectly! Kids and their parents can both enjoy the humor, music and cleverness of Boynton and Ford.This became the only tape played in our car whenever we went anywhere, in fact we played the tape so much from August to October we wore it out. I'm buying another set today!

Ansel Adams expressed more with B&W then most can even DREAM of doing with color...

This is my second foray into learning the basics of exposure through the Zone System, and who better then The Master himself to lead. He has taken a fairly technical system and made it a breeze to grasp. No misleading sidebars or relationships here. Just the facts. Much better then my first indoctrination. No matter how deeply you wish to delve into his techniques, even a redimentary understanding of previsualization before exposure will improve ones photo making, even in color. An outstanding reference. The entire series, Book 1: The Camera, Book 2: The Negative, and Book 3: The Print are invaluable additions to a personal photography library.

The book were Ansel Adams explains his well known zone system.

It is the best book of the three books of the series "the camera", "the negative", "the print". The camera book is more interesting to someone using a view camera. The print is more interesting for someone doing a lot of photography printing. But the negative I found it interesting for someone interested in advance photography and that wants to learn how to better control exposure. In that area this book is a classic.

It is not a simple book for a beginner, so if you are picking a camera for the first time and just want to know how to load the film there are better books in the market to fulfill with that purpose.

This is the only book I've ever read that explains a concrete scientific system for controlling film exposure and processing. This book does not cover the artistic process, but instead the chemical/physical process. Ansel Adams explains in great detail the process of visualization of the desired image and a scientific method for achieving that goal through use of the Zone System.

A must read for any aspiring b/w photographer.

The Bachelor Home Companion: A Practical Guide to Keeping House Like A Pig written by P.J. O'Rourke is a very funny, keep you in stiches book.

You'll never keep a house neat and tidy after you read this book. Of Course, that's assuming that you already do. What its like as a bachelor in theory as to actually being one is, according to O'Rourke, a great disparity. If you want to laugh and be entertained at the same time then this little tome is for you to enjoy.

Humor abounds and your life will definately take a turn... for better or worse will depend on you.According to O'Rourke... "How often does a house need to be cleaned, anyway? As a general rule, once every girlfriend. After that she can get to know the real you."

This book is absolutely hilarious! I'm a big fan of PJ's, so how did I miss this little gem until now? Anyway, this book had me literally LOL (Laughing Out Loud) as I read it in my own bachelor apartment. PJ has captured the essence of bachelordom, namely, we are all basically mischievous boys at heart who love chaos and disorder. PJ on cooking - "If you think of it as setting fire to things and making a mess, it's fun". His recipes alone will leave you in stitches. And he provides all sorts of ready excuses for putting off anything related to cleaning or keeping up one's residence. This especially rang true as I surveyed my own humble abode and thought "You know, I kinda LIKE having all that clutter on the floor, it makes the place looked lived in." This book is simply required reading for anyone who's experienced the joys of sharing an off campus apartment with two other complete slobs, where beer cans and empty pizza boxes are the primary forms of interior decoration. Let's just say it's a pleasant trip down memory lane for any healthy, red blooded American male, and should get 6 out of 5 stars if such a thing were possible!

I've been on a tear of P.J. O'Rourke's books lately, starting with Republican Party Reptile and so forth. This is by far one of P.J.'s best. I'm on the other side of the coin politically (fairly liberal) myself, but P.J. usually spares no one, and I admire that (Rush and his wacko friends could learn a thing or two).

This book is just about how to get by if you're a bachelor. It's incredibly funny for the most part (the cooking sections should not be read if you've just ate!). This is a fantastic little book, very helpful if you plan to live like a slob or like a typical college freshman.

Along with the usual Adams view on mini-cubes, clueless bosses, evil HR, and consultants, the reader gets new insights into the latest corporate fads such as "open-book management". It seemed to me to have a greater emphasis on Wally than in the past strips. Wally's personality and sarcasm is beginning to evolve into something more textured than before. At any rate, he's getting better punch lines. I think Wally is maturing. If you liked Dilbert before, you'll love this installment too. Be prepared to laugh out loud. .

Dilbert rules!! This is my first Dilbert book and I really enjoyed it. The situations and jokes are very funny and easy to relate to. Kudos to Scoot Adams spokesperson for the common man.

This book has some of Scott Adams' best work in it. Just pour on the sarcasm and take shots at corporate America!

In addition, there are punch out Dilbert finger puppets with a punch-out cubical so you can "Micro Manage" your own group of peons (as close as most of us will get :-)

Okay, so I grew up in LA, near cousin Hal! I can still honestly tell you that I enjoyed this book only slightly more because we are related. This effort is at once a culmination of years of ruminations and collecting; but at the same time, it is only the tip of the iceberg of this man's depth of knowledge of the field. Hal Lifson is systematically becoming a guru of 60's pop culture; his enthusiasm for the topic is semingly boundless. Hal is infused with the joys of cereal boxes and off-beat comic book characters; he displays knowledge about the musicians, action heroes and other zany characters who starred on their own TV shows. From toys to candies, sodas to girlie magazines, from foods to movies to sports icons, Mr. Lifson takes us on a happy journey down memory lane. I am hoping and betting that Hal's "1966" is destined to be one of his many cool collections to come! [Hopefully, he will "argue" and analyze more in the next one.] Though you are bound to come up with things that were left out, you won't be disappointed. You can't help but enjoy this easy read.

Thank you, Hal Lifson, for putting together a truly fabulous book about one of the best years ever, 1966. I have to admit that 1965 and 1967 were pretty cool, but '66 may actually have been the best--in my lifetime, anyway. Hal's book truly captures the flavor of popular culture of that very special time--the music, the TV shows, the movies, the ads, the toys, you name it. For me, '66 was James Bond ("Thunderball"), "T.H.E. Cat," "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," "I Spy," "Get Smart," "Wild Wild West," "Mission: Impossible," Agent Zero M, the Beatles. It was simply the coolest time to be alive. Hal, who clearly was alive during those 12 months, does a marvelous job of taking us down memory lane in this terrific little book. It's filled with great photos and a quaintly personal account of all the great things that went on 37 years ago. For anyone who was there, I highly recommend you order this book as a means of flashing back to that fabulous time. You'll be glad you did!

Reading this book I am struck by how much things have changed in 37 years - and yet, how much things have stayed the same.

I was ten in 1966, and I remember it well. I agree with Hal's opinion that 1966 was the signature year of the Sixties decade. Nearly everything that made the decade what it was was in place by the end of 1966.

Also, we now know that simply because short-sighted television executives canceled shows like "Star Trek" and "The Green Hornet," doesn't mean they weren't cool. They were, and Lifson is an effective advocate for them.

Hal has captured this important year in pop culture in words and pictures in a riot of colors. This is a book to store along with your high school yearbooks and other remembrances of the past.

Well recommended!

Scott Adams is widely known for creating one of the most unconventional and hilarious comic strips ever: Dilbert. In "Seven Years of Highly Defective People," the tenth in a series of book featuring his entire comic strip, Adams pays tribute to his office working character by placing the best strips into categories, relating how certain characters came to be, and what their inspirations were. Even the strips themselves have small cliffnotes attached to them, interesting tidbits of information as we laugh at the many experiences Dilbert goes through, from his pointy-haired boss's many machinations to the many dates with many kinds of women, to his little dog Dogbert, who wants to rule the world one day. This is the definitive Dilbert book for anyone who's been a longtime fan of the comic strip, or even for those wanting to jump on the bandwagon and see what the laughter is all about.

A single cartoon that I have laughed the hardest at, the longest at, as to be a Dilbert. Scott Adams has jokes that may step over the line in a businessman's perspective, but if you're a comics fan, its like gold.

In this book, we have the best of the beginning, the outrageous of the origin, the super of the Seven. In this book, you will get no new comics, but something that I think every popular comic strip compilation should have. Comments from the author. Somehow, they enrich your reading by providing insights such as: if Adams thought it was dumb, what parts of this outrageousness actualy IS true. Or presenting a phrase that kills him (with laughter!) every time (can you chant?). I'm glad he took the time.

In this book, Adams has a few paragraphs/a page or two about every character, as small as its role may be.

The characters include:
-Dilbert
..& Dogbert
...& Technology
..in the Business world
...& women
...& his ego
...Dies
...Travels
...Attempts to join the Consumer Society
-Dogbert

..the Early, Vulnerable days
...Reveals his Sarcasm
..& the many occupations
..Schemes to Conquer the World
...Saves Dilbert
-Ratbert ("Timmy" is the best EVER!!!!)
-Garbageman
-Liz
-Dilmom & Dildad
-Bob & the dinosaurs
-Catbert
-Phil
-Asok (he's cool!)
-Tina the Tech Writer
-Elbonians (crack-ups!)
-The Boss
-Alice
-Wally (my fav character)
-Carol
-Critters
-Dogbert in Hats
-Ted the Generic Guy
-Slapstick (the phrase, that isn't a person!)
He missed janitor.

Ah, well. This-esp. with the insight comments from Adams-belongs on the shelve of anyone who likes comics (or anything) in the 90's. Or if you like Dilbert, or laughing 'till you strain something.....

SEVEN YEARS OF HIGHLY DEFECTIVE PEOPLE is a must buy for anyone who likes Dilbert. Reading it is a hilarious review of Dilbert comics from 1989 to 1995-- all of them conveniently grouped by theme or person.

Scott Adams also includes his own notes after many of the strips, and they are both funny and revealing. Through his frequent discussions of the histories of the characters, one gains a greater apprecation for the many changes Dilbert has gone through.

I would highly recommend this book to any Dilbert lover.

This book was great! It tells of a twelve year old boys struggles in Turkey during the Armenian Holucast. This is the best story I have ever read. It is a true story and the book isn't at all what I thought it would be. I thought it would be a story that would show a brave boy thriumphing at the end with his head held high always. But you feel as if you are there with him on his journey to freedom. His feeling are realistic and his story is tragic, but through his many obstacles he learns about life. As for me I never knew that there was an Armenian culture. Mr. Bagdasarian brings back the forgotten for all of uss to remember. Now we all remember. This is a great bookk, and I recommend it to everyone.

Imagine being 12 years old, the youngest child in a wealthy family, with no concerns beyond plotting mischief. One day, soldiers arrive at your door, ending your carefree existence. Within a week, you are transformed from a lighthearted child into a homeless, starving orphan in constant fear of execution. This is the story of Vahan Kenderian. Author Adam Bagdasarian's novel, based on his great uncle, is a well written look at the horrors of the often forgotten Armenian Genocide. Written in first person, Bagdasarian does a wonderful job of making it seem as though he is the one that went through this terrible tragedy, rather than his great uncle. It is easy reading, with short chapters, and text geared toward the young adult. Don't hesitate to pick this book up just because of the easy reading, anyone would enjoy it. Forgotten Fire is a great book that you won't be able to put down.

This was a very touching book about the Armenian Genocide. It is a story told through the eyes of a little boy; son of a wealthy prominent Armenian Lawyer that loses everything. It's a very easy to read book that was very fascinating to me (I couldn't put the book down); I was able to read cover to cover in about a week. The author does an excellent job of portraying the horrors of the Genocide, the cruelty of man, the courage of a young boy as he struggles to survive...this book should be made to a movie. I would not recommend this book to younger readers as there are strong references to rape, molestation and cruelty. However, I would strongly recommend and encourage reading this book to high school students.