The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy concerns Arthur Dent, an Englishman who is dragged along on a galactic adventure by his friend Ford, an alien, when the Earth is suddenly blown up. As Arthur is unwillingly flung through space and time, meeting talking mice, a depressed robot, and the man who rules the universe along the way, he discovers that the galaxy is a stranger place than he could have possibly imagined. Major themes in this comic novel are fate, free will, and the purpose of life.
The Guide is a 1958 novel by R. K. Narayan about spiritual transformation set in the fictional town of Malgudi, India. Raju is a shady tour guide who falls in love with Rosie, a dancer. Rosie's husband does not approve of her career but Raju does, and they begin living together with Raju as her manager. Raju is soon sent to prison for forgery. After his release he ends up in a famine-stricken village where he becomes a spiritual guide, fasting and possibly dying in the end.
America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction is a book by Jon Stewart published in 2004. The book is written as a mock-textbook for high school history and civics classes and includes articles by many of the writers for the satirical Daily Show. The book satirizes American politics and history, poking fun at politicians, bureaucracy and historical events. The book also contains humorous activities and picturees, such as (fake) nude photos of Supreme Court justices.