Dave Barry Turns 50

by Dave Barry

Yes, Dave Barry has turned 50. No, he is not going to whine. Con-Sarn it! (to borrow an expression from Granpappy Amos of "The Real McCoys", whose peer Dave has become), he's not going to dwell on the negative aspects of turning 50, such as the weight gain that results from merely watching food commercials. Instead, Dave is going to make all you young whippersnappers envious with a rundown of the advantages of turning 50. For instance, you know all those newspapers articles about Middle East turmoil you read because you think you should? Dave doesn't read 'em, because with his eyes he can't! And you know all that energy you expend trying to look and sound hip? Dave doesn't, because after 50 it's hopeless, so he's through trying to be one of the Boyz 'N the Burbz.

And Dave writes not only about being 50 but also about 50 years of inventions (Oreos, Silly Putty), arts (Howdy Doody, TV commercials), politics (the cold war and more of the cold war), and other baby boomer concerns.

So call Dave and let him know how much you're looking forward to reading Dave Barry Turns 50. But not right now -- he's sleeping.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Comedy, Essays, Memoir, Biography, Adult

219 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Dave Barry is a humor writer. For 25 years he was a syndicated columnist whose work appeared in more than 500 newspapers in the United States and abroad. In 1988 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Many people are still trying to figure out how this happened.
Dave has also written many books, virtually none of which contain useful information. Two of his books were used as the basis for the CBS TV sitcom "Dave's World," in which Harry Anderson played a much taller version of Dave.
Dave plays lead guitar in a literary rock band called the Rock Bottom Remainders, whose other members include Stephen King, Amy Tan, Ridley Pearson and Mitch Albom. They are not musically skilled, but they are extremely loud. Dave has also made many TV appearances, including one on the David Letterman show where he proved that it is possible to set fire to a pair of men's underpants with a Barbie doll.
In his spare time, Dave is a candidate for president of the United States. If elected, his highest priority will be to seek the death penalty for whoever is responsible for making Americans install low-flow toilets.
Dave lives in Miami, Florida, with his wife, Michelle, a sportswriter. He has a son, Rob, and a daughter, Sophie, neither of whom thinks he's funny.

Reviews

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are 50+, this hilarious book is for you! I thought I was going to split my gut reading this book!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was worried with the beginning of this book. Was disappointed and wondering what had happened to Dave Barry. He used exactly the same joke over and over and over. Persisted and belly laughed through the last 2/3 of the book. I think this is another of those books that you have to be of a certain age to enjoy.

[Russell Libonati · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not his finest work. I remember reading articles by him when I was in college and just laughing out loud. This was more of a chuckle. But I really did love the drive-by down memory lane. I'm not a big history buff, but I really do like to see where things that I know fit into history, like when McDonald's opened or the first time a show appeared on TV, etc. I'd actually like to read more history this way.

The older I get the more I realize just how horrible history was presented in school as I grew up. It made me hate history. Slave revolts in Haiti and impending war with Britain prompted France to sell a vast swath of land including Louisiana and part of present day United States all the way up to Canada in 1803, blah, blah blah. Yeah, but did they have zippers back then? Dave Barry covers the kind of stuff you can really associate with, if you are a baby boomer, or like me followed the baby boomer generation. Hey, I remember Captain Kangaroo! So I do recommend it. It's fun and easy to read.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chiefly, I loved this book because it contains a brief overview of Dave's life from 1947 to the 1970s - the closest he'll ever come, I suspect, to an autobiography. Really made me nostalgic for a past I've never even known.

[Blog] - [Bookstagram]

[J.S. Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Barry never fails to crack me up!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Includes the brilliant list "25 Things I've Learned in 50 Years", from which I still remember and frequently cite the following:
"#6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
#13. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)"
That second one is especially true, and I have often observed its truth in the decade since then. People, take note!

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've got a story for you Goodreaders about Dave Barry.

But first, technically, about my review, I loved this book. Of course!
Having read it in 1998, the year it was published, I wouldn't recommend it for now. Even great humor can date so quickly.
FIVE STARS for this, though.

HERE'S A SAMPLE

At the start of Chapter 12, "Confronting the Inevitability of Death: You Go Ahead, I'm Gonna Watch The Simpsons.

Death comes to all living things except crabgrass. We all know this, but most of us don't think about death much when we're young, because we're preoccupied with the concerns of youth, such as sex, and work, and having sex at work.

AS FOR THAT STORY I PROMISED YOU

For readability, how about this? Goodreaders, I'll chunk up that story into separate COMMENTS below.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having recently turned 50, I decided it was high time I read this book that has been sitting on my wife's book shelf for the past 20 years. It was a wise move on my part. With his typical combo of irreverence, sarcasm, and insightfulness, Dave Barry makes turning 50 fun. Barry, of course, hit the half century mark 22 years before me, and much of the book talks about hitting this milestone from the perspective of a Baby Boomer. He actually gives a year-by-year summary of events between 1947 and 1974, which, although I was only alive for five of those years, was extremely enjoyable. This was definitely the right reading choice to commemorate my birthday, but you don't have to be 50 to appreciate Barry's humor.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Includes the critical year-by-year summary for the 1950s through the early 1970s, DB just loves doing these. If you like Dave Barry, it's pretty funny.

A couple critical paragraphs from 1968 couldn't be any more relevant for today:

"This is when it began to dawn on me that there was a serious competition going on in America to see who could be the biggest group of assholes: the right-wing assholes who thought that the Vietnam War was a good thing, as long as they personally did not have to go over to Vietnam and get shot at; or the left-wing assholes who thought that what we really needed was for more people to shoot each other here at home.

It seemed as if both sets of assholes were winning in 1968."

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Dave Berry and it is a hoot. It is definitely a trip down memory lane; the author takes the reader back through the significant parts of the 1950s through 1970s. I didn't know that Dave Barry got a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for Commentary; he is the only humorist to do so.

This is the kind of book that a reader should keep at the bedside for the times when life seems a bit blah. The humor within the pages will have the reader laughing and smiling in no time. OK, so some of the humor is a bit junior high, but Dave infuses it with some kernels of wisdom and truth about the human condition. A fun read.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting humor, and Barry delivered, with about one grin per page and one laugh out loud per chapter. What I was not expecting was a great pop history book; by the end, I felt I had experienced some of the life-shaping events of the 50's, 60's, and 70's like a regular baby boomer.

So even though I'm not a baby boomer- my parents are- I feel like I understand some of the mindset and perspective a bit better.

And I was entertained the whole time. What more could an entitled yet socially conscious Gen Xer want? :-)

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his usually rambling and fun way, Dave Barry explores what its like to be an aging baby boomer. This funny book covers the history of boomers from the 1950's through the 1970's and he offers some unique Dave Barry wisdom on aging gracefully. This was a fun book that brought some good laughs and some great shared memories.

[Madeleine Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually the 2nd time I read this book. I first read it over a decade ago, and laughed until I cried. I am now in my 50s and laughed harder. This book is definitely for the older crowd that either lived during this time period or is very, very familiar with it. One of my favorites and now I remember why.

[Berry Muhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time you turn 50, pull this book out and have a few laughs.

This isn't just a treatise on aging; it's also a decade-by-decade retrospective of the mid-20th century, the period during which Barry's generation (OK, Boomers) grew up. This makes it surprisingly informative, for those capable of picking out what Barry is making up and what he is not making up.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start by saying humor essays are my favorite genre, and i really enjoy Dave Barry. This book is now 25 years old, but I am 53, so a perfect age to enjoy this book. I remember most of the pop culture references. And Dave has an easy conversational style that made this a quick read. A funny, enjoyable read for anyone 50+.

[Clive Hazell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good laugh

The first half was a funny history lesson. The second half dealt with personal issues related to aging and was terrifically funny, and wise, without being the least bit cloying.

[Greg Tarlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you agree that Dave Barry is one of, if not the best, humorist working today, then you will enjoy this book. Even more so if you’ve passed fifty. Not sure if this is faint praise, but since you can peruse the book in small doses, it makes for great bathroom reading!

[Beverly Hollandbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Barry turned 50 in 1997, as did I, so I am surprised that I have not read this before. He gives a review of each year up to the end of the 70s, which recalls for me things I haven't thought about in years. As usual, he is very funny.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was born seven years before Dave Barry but I found his book hilarious. Having raised four boys through the 60's, 70's and 80's, I laughed out loud throughout the book replaying "the good old days" with Dave's insight!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Includes the excellent colonoscopy piece. Get one if you haven't

[Drkmac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as funny as the Dave Barry I read when I was younger, but maybe it is that my sense of humor has changed.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am too far from being a Boomer to truly appreciate this (#teamxennial), but it was funny. His books are always funny.

[Sean Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of his stuff is very funny and this one is worth the read.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, hilarious, hilarious! Especially for Baby Boomers. His writing style is pure genius...

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brought back memories.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

An average Dave Barry - which means I still laughed out loud multiple times.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barry takes a humorous look at significant events in the life of Baby Boomers.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more enjoyable for baby boomers then from my generation, but typical hilarious silly Dave Barry all the way.

[Luke Armour · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not as good as his column books, but it was enjoyable. Probably more interesting for Boomers who lived through this, but still had that Barry charm.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave is always good for a laugh or two.