Young kids somehow are able to cut right through all the preconceptions, pretenses, prejudices, and pre-teen hormones that adults (and pre-teens) have.  And the clarity of vision they possess is remarkable.  Here is a case in point.  Recently we headed out on a 1300 mile roadtrip.  The 'we' is two adults, a teenager, twin first-graders, and a 3 year old.  All of us packed into a large SUV driving across the Western United States.  Amidst the numerous "are we there yet?", "I'm hungry", "I'm thirsty" (and the follow-on 30 minutes later, "I have to go to the bathroom") questions we heard someone from the back ask, "Are Earthlings Aliens?". 

What do a lost cat, a time traveler, a software engineer, a stuck sofa, and an Electric Monk have in common?  Well, it's hard to say unless you read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. Then it becomes clear -- almost. Adams' style, first shown to the world in his Hitchhiker's Guide series of books, is hard to describe.  Not because it crosses many genre boundaries but because it's hard to make words like irreverent, zany, witty, and clever combine in such a way as to give an accurate picture.  It's best just to read the books. But be warned, if you have even the smallest of religious bones in your body, be sure to wear your thick skin while reading this book.  His pokes at religion and belief systems are not mean-spirited but could be irritating if you're not expecting it.