Live Right and Find Happiness (Although Beer is Much Faster): Life Lessons and Other Ravings from Dave Barry

by Dave Barry

Now in paperback from the Pulitzer Prize winner, the hilarious New York Times –bestselling exploration of what generations can teach one another—or not.
 
During the course of his life, Dave Barry has learned much of wisdom, and he is eager to pass it on. Among other brilliant, brand-new pieces, Dave shares home truths with his new grandson and his daughter Sophie; explores the hometown of his youth, where all the parents seemed to be having un- Mad Men –like fun; and dives into firsthand accounts of the soccer craziness of Brazil and the just plain crazy craziness of Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

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

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2015

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]

Why I chose to listen to this audiobook:
1. I was thrilled to find this free-loan audiobook, written and narrated by my favorite humorist, Dave Barry, on Hoopla, coming in at 3 h. 39 min.; and,
2. June 2024 is my self-appointed "Humor Month"!

Praises:
1. once again, Barry shares essays with his classic tongue-in-cheek humor, on a variety of topics. I especially enjoyed:
- his issues with his self-image, and why he "hates" David Beckham;
- how we need to learn from various generations, especially The Silent Generation which came before the Baby Boomers. I really liked their "old-school" parenting style;
- his thoughts on DIY projects and Home Depot (for an in-depth look, check out his book titled Homes and Other Black Holes); and,
- his professional trip to Russia several years ago with fellow writing colleague, Ridley Pearson. He shares his thoughts about some of the sites, the people, even Vladimir Putin. Since I just finished reading Barry's fictional Big Trouble, I was delighted to hear his thoughts about the movie adaptation that some Russians were watching. Turns out, some plot elements (e.g. Russian gangsters, the cane toad) were ideas taken from real life;
2. Barry also shares all the interesting research he does for his columns; and,
3. my favorites were his "wise advice" letters to his young daughter, Sophie, about driving in south Florida, and to his infant grandson, Dylan, about life's expectations.

Overall Thoughts:
Dave Barry's nonfiction work never fails to deliver the laughs, from chuckles to downright belly laughs! Keep them coming, Dave!

[Fergus, Weaver of Autistic Webs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Blast from A Man’s Past!

I laughed uproariously while reading this.

Now that I'm settled in, though, I'm better - but that part about Dave attending a political fundraiser, getting blitzed three sheets to the wind then thinking it would be a neat idea to keep walking up to Mr. Dick Cheney and shaking hands, over and over... oh, well.

You know, Dave Barry makes us laugh at a lot less than the overall human comedy we're all familiar with. You know, those fast talking salesmen, incompetent professionals, flowery writers - the whole nine yards of funny business - rule that all out!

No, Dave wants to make us laugh - not through our choked rage or tears - but belly-laughs at conventional-type things. In other words, black comedy is verboten here. Leave that for the kids. Just plain run of the mill everyday humour, please! Makes sense.

In 2019 I was paring my life back to the basics, too.

Badly burned out at work, I took refuge - much like the frontline First Responders who choose an early retirement, in the great new film by that name - in a life now burdened by very few extra duties other than being a faithful retired house husband who likes to review books.

And humorous books like this one, thank goodness.

Before 2019, I did a lot more stuff - like house sitting. But I was under a black cloud all the time.

Now, back at that time my neighbour Don was a settled old timer like me who needed a house sitter because of his family cottage. I saw it as a rather neighborly deed to take the job on. And so I filled the bill for him over a number of years.

But in 2018, many more of my affective hens were coming home to roost, and as I say, I had to pare things down. I guess burnout can be progressive. I know mine was. So I told him a full-season job was too much for me.

He listened - with no hard feelings - and easily found someone else. To show my relief, I gave him one of my old Dave Barry books: Dave Barry’s Guide to Guys (he didn’t know Dave, having never read Dave’s Miami Herald work).

Guys keep it bottled up, unlike our better halves, cause we’re expected to.

And Dave plays around with that - hilariously!

Well, I’m sure I didn’t need to gild the lily - for he knew I was a guy who’d taken on too much, too fast. And always spoke my mind.

There comes in every guy’s life a time -

When, instead of being bright-eyed and bushy-tailed -

He has stopped to read the fine print on his volunteer job description, and balks. House sitting can be nerve-wracking when you’re in your forgetful seventies.

The funny thing about deep burnout, though, is that patiently endured:

It can lead to a deeper Faith, a deeper understanding of our humanity -

And a ever-ready capacity to LAUGH OUT LOUD at Life.

Because at long last, we're living again in THE PURE PRESENT TENSE!

So, thanks, Dave, for the Belly Laughs. I needed them…

And say, did Dick Cheney ever forgive you?

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer - this book was written by a man for men to read. You have been warned.



Reasons to be happy...
I have a small group of really close male friends with whom I am not in touch because we are males, but I know I can count on them if I ever really need them, assuming they are still alive.

Driving test...
There isn’t anybody that the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles doesn’t think can drive a car. I cannot imagine what you would have to do to fail the driving test here.
DMV OFFICER: OK, make a left turn here.
TEST TAKER: Whoops.
DMV OFFICER: (Writes something on clipboard.)
TEST TAKER: Does that mean I fail the test?
DMV OFFICER: Nah, she’s getting back up. You just clipped her.

The TV viewing public...
ANCHOR: We’ll be right back with our continuing coverage of this breaking story after this commercial message aimed at the easily alarmed near-death demographic watching twenty-four-hour cable news.
SPOKESPERSON: Hi, William Devane here for Buy Gold or Die. You may know me as a fading, semi-obscure actor reduced to doing commercials, but I’m also a senior citizen like you who is alarmed by all these stories on cable TV news. That’s why I invest in gold, and you should, too, unless you want to wind up homeless eating dog food in an alley. Because the world economy is about to collapse and your money will be worthless. That’s why we want you to send it to us in exchange for gold. Call the number on your screen right now. I’m not talking about the good dog food, either. I’m talking generic. Take it from me, William Devane. I played that guy in that movie.

Sharing the housework...
We are a modern enlightened couple who have divided up our household responsibilities equally along non-gender-stereotypical lines:

My wife’s responsibilities: Cleanliness, food, décor, clothing, medical care, houseguests, parties, holidays, relatives and all other activities involving human interaction, such as talking.

My responsibilities: Things that break, lizards.

Tech support...
Like many men of the male gender, I believe I have a natural intuitive grasp of how technology works. I am the “tech support” person in my household. Whenever my wife or daughter informs me that some electronic device is not working properly, I utilize my superior knowledge by (a) turning the device off, thereby allowing the bad electricity to drain out of it, then (b) turning the device back on, thereby causing fresh new electricity to flow in and heal it. If this fails to fix the problem, I buy a new one. This always works.



This is not a serious book. Have fun.

Enjoy!

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of hilarious essays. Some of them were laugh out loud funny, but they were all entertaining. I especially loved the Mad Men bit and the letter to his grandson. I may have to start composing something for my grandson. Lol

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

Dave Barry is like my comfort food. He's just bloody hilarious, and I love the little insights into his family life - is it weird that I feel like I know Rob and Sophie and Michelle?

[Blog] - [Bookstagram]

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, happy day that I found this on Hoopla - a new (to me) book by my favorite humorist, narrated by the author! It was just what I needed. I have spent many happy hours over the years giggling uncontrollably at Dave's nonsense. This book was no exception. I enjoyed every one of the essays, laughed loud and often, and feel a bit better about life for having read them.

Thanks Dave, for reminding me that a sense of humor can't be taken away and is essential to living a good life.

[Diane Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can always count on Dave Barry for deep belly laughs and putting things into perspective. I would suggest reading the real book instead of using an ereader, that way when you collapse in laughter in a public place, people can look at the book cover and see why you're embarrassing yourself.

[Tony Laplume · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the turn of the millennium, more or less when Dave Barry quit writing his syndicated humor column, the job of keeping Americans in stitches has undergone a metamorphosis. Some people gravitated to the likes of Jon Stewart and went political. Others to the likes of David Sedaris and went social. I'm not sure anyone bothered to remember that there was someone like Dave Barry, who literally covered everything. Since retiring the column, Dave has continued to release the occasional book. Obviously this is the latest one. Approaching seventy (!!!), Dave is starting to become more reflective, and if anything more useful as a commentator on American life than ever before.

Some readers have recently started observing that he's simply aging, out of touch, or merely not funny anymore, relying on the old gags, which were better years ago. They find new Dave material to be shocking. A lot of them stopped reading him years ago, too, and seem to have stumbled into one of his later books out of some sense of nostalgia. How much credit do you give their thoughts? Or to someone like me, who has continued reading both his humor and fiction over the past fifteen years?

Well, let's get down to it, then, about Live Right and Find Happiness (Although Beer is Much Faster). The title is perhaps the least snappy of all his books (it really needs that additional phrase to sound like Dave at all). But don't let that get in your way. The contents, a series of essays, are Dave through and through.

As I've suggested, there's a real sense that the Dave behind the booger jokes is starting to emerge. He's reflective of his past in ways I don't remember reading before. Some will call the results a bitter Dave that's difficult to read, but if this is Dave being honest, I can't see anything wrong with that. The results find a Dave very different from the one a lot of us have read over the years, a much more insecure one who still remembers what it was like to be the teenage Dave who might have produced the one we know and love, but who was hardly happy about it.

(Yes, the clown is usually crying inside.)

He talks about the Cold War, about his parents, about how the Russia today is relevant to the Russia of yesterday, without getting stuck (too much) in thinking people were somehow less crazy in the past. He talks about Mad Men, soccer (two separate times!), Miami driving (there are a lot of places that feature bad driving; apparently Miami wants to be the world champion of bad drivers), Google Glass (he doesn't recommend it) (at all), and whether his writing counts as literary (probably not) (although it probably does).

In short, this is very much a Dave you haven't read before, no matter what you might think (however accurately), very much a book Dave needed to write, to once again assert his significance. You might be shocked. But this will be a good thing.

[Fred Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suspect one must be "one of us" to enjoy this - white male baby boomer with sophomoric sense of humor - but there are a lot of us out there! Probably also helps to live in Florida and be familiar with the peculiar kind of wackiness that defines our state, although Dave does touch on universal themes like dealing with wives and kids. Funny stuff, as usual. Reminds me how much I miss his Miami Herald column. Keep them coming, Dave. (By the way, he is a member of the band known as the "Rock Bottom Remainders" which includes such "talented" musicians as Steven King, Tim Dorsey, Amy Tam and others who perform to raise money for charity. As Barry puts it, "We play music as well as Metallica writes novels."

[Elevetha · Rating 4 out of 5]

2015 review

3 stars only for the absolutely hilarious chapter on his daughter learning to drive and the safest car in the world, a 1961 Plymouth Valiant station wagon. I was in stitches throughout that whole chapter.

I also quite enjoyed the chapter "Everything I Learned About Home Improvement I Learned From Johnny Carson". Namely, you can't do shit yourself. Which should be the Home Depot's new tagline.

As for the rest of the book, it was pretty sub-par. His Brazilian soccer trip was pretty funny, but the David Beckham bit was too raunchy for my taste, his trip to Russia with Ridley Pearson was in no way amusing, the "Letter to My Grandson" was heartwarming but not particularly engaging. And if there were other chapters, I can't even recall what they were about at this time.

2023 review

Bumped up to 4 stars. Older me thinks the David Beckham bit much more amusing now. Russia with Ridley was still a little on the boring side.

[Dragana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Dave Barry's humor but this book didn't feel like a whole to me. More like he grouped a bunch of his articles and published them together. Surprisingly the articles that had a more personal theme (like a letter to his grandson and his daughter) are the weak spots that lowered the ratting. they were not as funny as the story about the World Cup or a visit to Russia. Who would have expected that?

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another fun book by my favorite humor author!

[Wendy Bunnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like Dave Barry's humorous essays, this book has more of them. It is exactly what you, the previous reader of Dave Barry's books of humorous essays, have come to expect. This is exactly what you are expecting it to be, and it succeed as being what it is. A rather short and easy collection of essays about random topics with Dave's signature funny spin, which often involves self-deprecation and funny circumstances.

Why did I pick this audiobook at this time? Well, Audible has a "2 books for one credit" sale going on, and there were three books that I really wanted to get, so I had to pick a fourth to be able to fully use two credits for four books. And I will be honest, it was a good counterbalance to that group, which included Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart, Kazuo Ishiguro's Remains of the Day, and Patricia Briggs' Fire Touched. Yes, I was all over the place with sci-fi, historical drama, and fantasy romance, so why not a comedy.

I particularly liked Dave's take on international soccer and why he has come to appreciate it and doesn't think it is the most boring thing to watch ever. I liked hearing his explanation, but he's a comedy writer, not a spin doctor; I'm still unconvinced that I'd ever enjoy watching soccer more than watching paint dry. But I liked the image of him at the games, with his kids, all dressed up and yelling with the crowd, who were actually quite polite and didn't even try to rob him. I also liked his account of his trip to Russia, but was less enthralled with his tales of gastric distress. Yes, we've all been there. Not a moment we'd like to relieve, thanks.

Just the whole concept of Dave Barry though is such a throw-back, a newspaper columnist (I think he's retired from that now), but for decades he wrote a column that was syndicated in many actual newspapers - wow, what a concept. So because of that, for years his books all had rated G content and a pretty uniform length. This reminds me of Laurie Notaro's comedy essay books (I know, Dave's been doing it longer, but I like Laurie better), as she also started out in newspaper column writing. Both of these are such a contrast to the more "modern" comedy books out there more recently, books like People You Want to Stab in the Throat by some mommy blogger, and the one I'm listening to right now Let's Pretend This Never Happened by a different blogger. One of the main differences is swearing, or the lack thereof. This is better. Why all the swearing, mommy bloggers, that is so lazy and uninspired. Thanks Dave for keeping it an audiobook that I can listen to without headphones while working on a giant puzzle in my dining room while the kids are playing Minecraft in the next room without worrying about having to explain the language (or the sexual positions, yikes) if the kids wander in to tell me about Endermen.

Dave's last essay, to his young grandson, was very touching, and funny, and also a reminder that he is getting old, and so I, as a reader of his from back in the 1980s, must somehow also be getting old. How can that be? I'm not sure. I won't be chasing my bookish friends up and down the block, telling them that they must read this or they will be missing out. Yes, FOMO (fear of missing out) is a thing, even with the bookish nerds, as in if you haven't read the latest from the multiverse you just aren't with it. This isn't that. But this is steady, reliable, and good to fill out your Audible package order.

[Shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up with Peg Bracken and Erma Bombeck, who were humorous essayists of my parents' generation, and Dave Barry's essays are in that same mold. Some are laugh-out-loud funny, some are funny but less rollicking, and some are quite sincere although still pretty funny. I'm pleased to see by the list of books in the front of this one that he has a bunch of books I haven't read yet.

This collection has:
Bite me, David Beckham, which has Dave versus "the hottest man on Earth." His wife's a sports reporter, Beckham is in Miami for some soccer thing, and Dave has the world's dweebiest high school yearbook picture, which he shows us.

A letter to my daughter as she becomes eligible for a Florida learner's permit, which had me in tears, living as I do in Arizona, whose drivers I will pit against Florida's any day.

As far as I can tell, after three decades on the roads of Florida, there isn't anybody that the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles doesn't think can drive a car. I cannot imagine what you would have to do to fail the driving test here.
DMV Officer: OK, make a left turn here.
Test Taker: Whoops.
DMV Officer: (Writes something on clipboard.)
Test Taker: Does that mean I fail the test?
DMV Officer: Nah, she's getting back up. You just clipped her.

The real Mad Men, which is a reflection on the fun Dave's (and my) parents' generation used to have, before the days of worrying all the time, when they smoked, had cocktail parties, and drank water right from the tap. And lived their own lives, as opposed to being all over their kids' lives.

In which we learn to love Brazil, and try to hate Belgium, which is about soccer. It almost convinced me to try watching a soccer game someday even if my granddaughter isn't playing in it.

Cable news is on it, a sadly realistic impression of 24-hour cable news when "something has reportedly happened."

Everything about home ownership I learned from Johnny Carson, which is about DIY projects, and the futility thereof.

Google Glass, a review, which is what it says., from an early adopter of just about anything.

I utilize my superior knowledge by (a) turning the device off, thereby allowing the bad electricity to drain out of it, then (b) turning the device back on, thereby causing fresh new electricity to flow in and heal it. If this fails to fix the problem, I buy a new one. This always works.

To Russia with Ridley, which is about a book tour in Russia with Ridley Pearson, with whom Dave writes fiction. It's an interesting look at a slice of Russia under Putin in the Obama years.

A letter to my grandson, which is sweet and includes Dave's rules for living, starting with:

Don't be a jerk.

You could do worse.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another entertaining collection of Barry's deceptively simple style of humorous essays. Whether you've ever heard of Dave Barry or not you'll be able to follow along as he takes you by the hand down the traitorous road of life and teaches you how to handle speed bumps along the way such as why David Beckham can ruin a perfectly fine car trip or why when in Brazil, it's really Belgium you ought to hate. If these don't seem particularly interesting then travel with Dave to Russia where we find out that sometimes Mexican food is just not worth the resulting fall out and tea and chocolates await aplenty.

Barry's tongue in check humor hides the fact that though these essays may flirt, all right, French kiss silliness, they are still a fascinating look at the world through the eyes of an everyday joe with the sharpened wit of a genius. When you're reading a Dave Barry book all you want to do is sit down with him, sip a couple of brewskis, and hope that your adult diapers can handle the hilarity about to ensue. Dave Barry is the perfect antidote to a life that constantly has you questioning your sanity. It's nice to know that someone else understands.

[The Loopy Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it may be a stretch to correlate the chapters of this book under it’s given title, each was entertaining in its own right. It’s fair to say (and Barry admitted as much in his presentation) that the title is more tongue in cheek than definitive. Nevertheless, the book was laugh-out-loud funny with witty observations, hyperbole, sarcasm, and Barry’s trademark self-deprecating humor. Even activities that most of us will never experience such as meeting David Beckham or traveling to Russia become personal and all too human with Barry’s ability to relate them to every man. Sometimes Barry is even poignant in the midst of being zany. I recommend Live Right and Find Happiness as I do any Dave Barry book. He is consistently observant, funny, topical and relevant. Always a joy to read.

[John of Canada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ridiculous.In a good way.A couple of things stood out.Daves chapter on his visit to Russia has me thinking it might be a good place to visit.The culture,art,and history.I was very impressed by his examples of Russian manners.Children would always stand up when a visitor entered their classroom,and he never saw University students checking their cell phones during class.I have been reading "Rude Bitches make me tired"by Celia Rivenbark,and"Would it Kill You to Stop Doing That?"by Henry Alford.North Americans seem to be lagging in this area.

[Diane ~Firefly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Dave Barry's humor, even though it can be a bit juvenile. This book was really a group of humorous essays on different subjects. My favorite was on cable TV news which seems to be the precursor to fake news. But others were just as fun - driving in Miami, soccer in Brazil, DYI Home Improvement - don't. The only one that was a bit off was the trip to Russia. Probably because it was a bit more serious and longer.

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just need to laugh out loud. I didn't know that I needed that today but I picked this book up a couple hours ago and couldn't put it down. The neighbor's dog came over to see what I was laughing about as I sat on the patio laughing out loud.

I have been reading Dave Barry since my first pregnancy and even when I see his jokes coming I still laugh out loud.

[Hobart · Rating 4 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader as part of a quick takes post to catch up--emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.
---
This is more like it: pieces of wisdom (and other things) Barry's passing on to his daughter and grandson. The driving tips for his daughter were fantastic (not just because my daughter is in the process of getting her license right now). The letter to his infant grandson was funny and touching.

Barry also looks at his parents' generation (the Mad Men generation) and their ability to party, Google Glass, and a trip to Brazil for the World Cup (not being a sports guy, I didn't think that last one would do much for me, but it was really funny). Oh, yeah, then he talks in-depth about a trip that he and Ridley Pearson took to Russia to talk about writing.

As much as I liked Dick Hill, Barry's a better narrator of his own stuff.

[Judy Lindow · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a nice break from "Still Alice". I hope I remember where I was when I go back to finish that depressing book.

Dave Barry's books are like comfort food for me. I get him! We're about the same age and I think I remember talking about exploding toilets (?) with friends*, before I ever knew or read his books. His essays always make me laugh and they always end too quickly. I did NOT, however, enjoy the fiction he wrote - something about high jinx in Miami - but maybe someday I'll try again.

I have fond memories of living on the Rhine in Germany for a few years, and looking forward to the weekly International Herald Tribune and his column.

*drinking beer somewhere.

[Cindy Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Dave Barry provides sound advice and wise sayings to help us make our way successfully through this thing called life. Or he just entertains us with some great funny essays on his recent adventures at the World Cup in Brazil, traveling to Russia with a "code name", and how much of a douchebag Google Glass makes you look when you put them on--your choice! Recommended reading for all sour pusses and persons who could use a good laugh by viewing life through a slightly off-kilter perspective. All I know is that I want to be Dave Barry when I grow up--if he's willing to sell me his book franchise, that is. ;-)

[Nita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was debating the five-star rating, since this is definitely - being Dave Barry- not highly intellectual literature. But, after thinking about it, for the genre, and my reaction to the book, the five stars are well-deserved. It is Dave Barry at his best, and I loved the last chapter, where he leaves some excellent life-advice for his young son, of course written in a humorous, but heart-felt style (made me tear up!). Actually, the advice- how to be a happy and decent human being- is applicable to anyone and everyone. So, LOL funny, plus edifying- five stars!

[Theresa Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun book. I’m always astounded by how Berry can be so damn funny. I especially loved the chapter entitled The Real Mad Men about how crazy parents have become these days in their attempts to shield their children from any possible harm and schedule every second of their kids’ times. I’m a lot younger than Berry, but my parents raised me like Berry’s raised him, which is completely unlike parents my age are raising their kids. This is a hilarious book that you will definitely laugh out loud throughout!

[Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Dave Barry. That's all. He makes me laugh, page after page. Even his send-up of Google Glass, from 2014 (remember that? barely), is still a riot. Dave Barry goes to the 1950s, Dave Barry goes to Brazil, Dave Barry goes to Russia, Dave Barry wanders about Alabama wearing Google Glass, Dave Barry is the sandek at his grandchild's bris. Not every piece is as funny as the best parts, but once you get to my level of fandom, even the mildly amusing bits rock with that Dave Barry spirit.

[Bianca Labrador · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Barry has once again given us the gift of laughter. I should have known better than to read his collection of essays while trying to rock my baby to sleep. Apparently, laughter isn't as soothing as lullabies. But, I couldn't help myself. I just wanted to keep reading about why houses are all crap (my husband and I just bought our first house. Dave's right) or what it's like to travel to Russia on a diplomatic trip.

Great writing as always! Keep it up, Mr. Barry.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boyfriend and I like to read Dave Barry essays to each other on road trips...passenger reads while the other drives. We read about half of this last year, but finished it up last weekend. So many moments where we almost had to pull over from laughing. Really excellent essays and great entertainment for the open road.

[Dana Fontaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really glad that Dave Barry got out of his "You'll Never Date Until You're Forty" style of writing. I felt that this was his weakest book, but this book was one of his strongest. I laughed out loud, and read it aloud and made everyone think I was a crazy person. It's short and sweet and definitely worth a read.

[Steve Peifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't think of anyone with the possible exception of Garry Trudeau who has been as consistently as funny as Dave Barry. When you have expectations of laughing out loud and you always do, that is a neat trick to pull off. What a gift he is.

[Claire Gilligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! Dave Barry has his own particular charm, and he serves it up just as expected yet again! I can say nothing to add to the excellence of this book, and I'm quite glad I bought it! If you enjoy Dave Barry's columns, you'll enjoy this book, period.