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A Field Guide to the Jewish People: Who They Are, Where They Come From, What to Feed Them…and Much More. Maybe Too Much More
From three award-winning and bestselling humor writers comes a hilarious guide to everything you need to know about Jewish history, holidays, and traditions. Why do random Jewish holidays keep springing up unexpectedly? Why are yarmulkes round? Who was the first Jewish comedian? What's "Christian humor" and have you ever even heard of that phrase? Who is "the Golem" and whom do you want it to beat up?These baffling questions and many more are answered by comedy legends Dave Barry, Adam Mansbach, and Alan Zweibel, two-thirds of whom are Jewish. In A Field Guide to the Jewish People the authors dissect every holiday, rite of passage, and tradition, unravel a long and complicated history, and tackle the tough questions that have plagued Jews and non-Jews alike for centuries.Combining the sweetness of an apricot rugelach with the wisdom of a matzoh ball, this is the last book on Judaism that you will ever need. So gather up your chosen ones, open a bottle of Manischewitz, and get ready to laugh as you finally begin to understand the inner-workings of Judaism.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 24, 2019
352 people are currently reading
469 people want to read
About the author
Dave Barry
152 books2,241 followersDave 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
October 15, 2019
Warning: this review is all over the place. The book wasn't that funny. The authors make a lot of stupid jokes that aren't at all funny but they find them hilarious and don't care at all that no one else sees the joke.
One of the things about Jews is that no one else can define whether they are a religion or a race. Jews have no such problem and in greeting someone you think is Jewish, you might well say, "Are you one of the Tribe". This is both cultural and biblical. In the bible there were the 12 tribes of Israel, there are the Levites and the Cohens (all of whom still know who they are as the line is matrilineal and occasionally important) and the ten lost tribes. That's who we are. And asking someone if they are one of the tribe means you accept all are equal, no matter the level of observance or which sect (well not really sect, that's not really a Jewish concept, but kind of) you belong to.
Definition of Jewish 'sect' by reaction to a freshly-cooked pork chop with no owner
The authors, including Dave Barry who is Presbyterian but likes Jewish stuff and married into the tribe, think this sums up Jews and made me laugh. They are talking about playing the dreidel, a gambling game with a spinning top, at Chanukah.
"The origins of this game are mysterious, but one theory is that it started at a time (pick one) when Jews were forbidden to study Torah. To avoid being caught, they’d pull out their dreidels and pretend to be gambling. Let’s recap that: the Jews would pretend to gamble so they could study. If that doesn’t perfectly sum up the beauty and lameness of Judaism, we don’t know what does."
When I was nearly 15 I started to go to summer and winter 'camps' for Orthodox Jewish kids. In the morning we were divided into three groups and rabbis from all over the UK would come and give us lectures on Torah, ethics, philosophy etc. and we would discuss them. My non-Jewish friends, I didn't live in a Jewish area or go to a Jewish school, so basically all my friends, thought it was weird going on holiday where there was four hours a day of studying. I loved it.
The lectures were interesting but the real reason to be there was to find a Boy After lunch it was an hour's ramble through the woods to the nearest town to buy a bottle of alcohol (just because something is illegal doesn't mean that it's either impossible or forbidden). Then after dinner there would be entertainment. dj and dancing was one. But the best was the folk-singing around a candle. A big dark room lit by a single candle and all the kids in circles around it. Closest to the candle were those who were those earnest people serious about singing, furthest, in the shadows, were those who were serious about lurvvve. That would be me
On my first holiday there, I had just turned 15 and met a real nice Boy. He and I got caught in the library after hours in a very passionate embrace by a rabbi who later became Chief Rabbi of Great Britain. He sat opposite us and talked to us for about 10 minutes (we thought he'd never go). As he got up to leave, he said we should probably wipe up the wine that had spilled from the bottle hastily stowed under the seats.
The purpose of these holidays was to get the youth together, pair them off, so the Rabbi was pleased with us. It was a potent combination, studying and sex (making out, we were all religious kids, so it was a bit limited) and no parents. For Orthodox Jewish teenagers, these were the best of all possible holidays.
Some of the book was funny, some of it was enlightening. I'd never heard of so many different types of Jews before. They left out the main one though, Cultural. I'm a cultural Jew. I like the food. The religion makes no more sense than any other where someone or other in the sky sends bicycles for gifts mid-winter, hurricanes to blow our houses down, and can't stop his children from fighting about who he loves best.
One of the things about Jews is that no one else can define whether they are a religion or a race. Jews have no such problem and in greeting someone you think is Jewish, you might well say, "Are you one of the Tribe". This is both cultural and biblical. In the bible there were the 12 tribes of Israel, there are the Levites and the Cohens (all of whom still know who they are as the line is matrilineal and occasionally important) and the ten lost tribes. That's who we are. And asking someone if they are one of the tribe means you accept all are equal, no matter the level of observance or which sect (well not really sect, that's not really a Jewish concept, but kind of) you belong to.
Definition of Jewish 'sect' by reaction to a freshly-cooked pork chop with no owner
The authors, including Dave Barry who is Presbyterian but likes Jewish stuff and married into the tribe, think this sums up Jews and made me laugh. They are talking about playing the dreidel, a gambling game with a spinning top, at Chanukah.
"The origins of this game are mysterious, but one theory is that it started at a time (pick one) when Jews were forbidden to study Torah. To avoid being caught, they’d pull out their dreidels and pretend to be gambling. Let’s recap that: the Jews would pretend to gamble so they could study. If that doesn’t perfectly sum up the beauty and lameness of Judaism, we don’t know what does."
When I was nearly 15 I started to go to summer and winter 'camps' for Orthodox Jewish kids. In the morning we were divided into three groups and rabbis from all over the UK would come and give us lectures on Torah, ethics, philosophy etc. and we would discuss them. My non-Jewish friends, I didn't live in a Jewish area or go to a Jewish school, so basically all my friends, thought it was weird going on holiday where there was four hours a day of studying. I loved it.
The lectures were interesting but the real reason to be there was to find a Boy After lunch it was an hour's ramble through the woods to the nearest town to buy a bottle of alcohol (just because something is illegal doesn't mean that it's either impossible or forbidden). Then after dinner there would be entertainment. dj and dancing was one. But the best was the folk-singing around a candle. A big dark room lit by a single candle and all the kids in circles around it. Closest to the candle were those who were those earnest people serious about singing, furthest, in the shadows, were those who were serious about lurvvve. That would be me
On my first holiday there, I had just turned 15 and met a real nice Boy. He and I got caught in the library after hours in a very passionate embrace by a rabbi who later became Chief Rabbi of Great Britain. He sat opposite us and talked to us for about 10 minutes (we thought he'd never go). As he got up to leave, he said we should probably wipe up the wine that had spilled from the bottle hastily stowed under the seats.
The purpose of these holidays was to get the youth together, pair them off, so the Rabbi was pleased with us. It was a potent combination, studying and sex (making out, we were all religious kids, so it was a bit limited) and no parents. For Orthodox Jewish teenagers, these were the best of all possible holidays.
Some of the book was funny, some of it was enlightening. I'd never heard of so many different types of Jews before. They left out the main one though, Cultural. I'm a cultural Jew. I like the food. The religion makes no more sense than any other where someone or other in the sky sends bicycles for gifts mid-winter, hurricanes to blow our houses down, and can't stop his children from fighting about who he loves best.
July 13, 2023
I have to admit that this caught my eye. I grew up a big Dave Barry fan and I know that while he isn’t quite retired, he doesn’t write as often anymore. I probably can’t overstate how big of a Barry fan I am, as many of us in the 80s and 90s were
And secondly, it seems kind of like an odd topic. Obviously, he’s given his humorous take on a number of subjects - turning 40 (and 50), bad rock songs, the internet, travel, history and so on. Barry does have a Jewish wife and he is assisted here by two Jewish writers Adam Mansbach and Alan Zweibel( SNL, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm)
I do have some Jewish friends (it sounds awful when you say it that way) and I also thought it might help learn a thing or two about Jewish culture.
Now, I doubt I learned much of anything but like Barry’s classic books, I found it hysterical. Yes, I laughed out loud almost every single page.
It absolutely is based off on whether you like Barry or “get” his humor but I really laughed throughout.
On the factual side, yeah I am not sure I learned anything. But, hey that’s the trade off for a very funny book.
October 24, 2024
Hilarious. I burned through it in two days. Contrary to what you might expect given the title, it's necessary to know a little bit about contemporary Jewish culture and humor to appreciate the jokes, which come thick and fast. Perhaps my favorite bit was the section on the proper way to spell "Hanukkah," with variations including "Chihuahua" and "Channnnnnnukah".
November 8, 2019
A comprehensive, detailed, exhaustive 1000s of page examination of the Jewish people from the time of Abraham to today . . . is not what this book is about. No, this is a roughly 244 page humor book (the page count on Goodreads is 256, but the book I got from the library was only 244 pages) that alternates going into more detail than I’d expect, to having a paragraph saying that a particular issue is too important to not include in a book like this one . . . and have that one paragraph be the entire ‘discussion’ about that issue in the book.
Quite interesting. Nothing exactly hilarious, but some good bits of humor here or there. Without giving a detailed account of each topic covered or something like that, I can’t think of what else to include here. And I do not desire to give a detailed account. Holidays were covered. Dating system (calendar, not how Jewish people date; though I believe the food date was mentioned once or thrice). History. Important books. People who are; are not; wish they were; wish they were not Jewish. Some mention of food taboos.
Rating: eh, what should I give . . . something close to ‘4’ feels right.
November 8 2019
Quite interesting. Nothing exactly hilarious, but some good bits of humor here or there. Without giving a detailed account of each topic covered or something like that, I can’t think of what else to include here. And I do not desire to give a detailed account. Holidays were covered. Dating system (calendar, not how Jewish people date; though I believe the food date was mentioned once or thrice). History. Important books. People who are; are not; wish they were; wish they were not Jewish. Some mention of food taboos.
Rating: eh, what should I give . . . something close to ‘4’ feels right.
November 8 2019
March 7, 2020
I started reading this book with hopes of learning more about Jewish folks, their traditions, etc. I did learn a few things, but for the most part, it was silly humor. I enjoyed how the authors gave historical facts in a fun, relatable manner. They were great story tellers. However, I didn’t really understand many of their inside jokes.
April 2, 2025
Middle school humor. Silly and sacrilegious. I skimmed it and regret the time doing so.
September 11, 2019
I received this ARC compliments of Goodreads and @flatironbooks. I really appreciate the opportunity to read and review. And I am happy I did, so I do not waste money on the book when it is released. I had high and hopeful expectations of this book, but was severely disappointed in the end. Expecting an updated, lighter comedic version of Rabbi Harold Kushner's "To Life" - being a non-Jew it is my go to for information on Jewish beliefs and customs - based on the cover of the book - and based on the authors all of whom I am familar with -I was sorely mistaken. This book is 1/4 barely informative and 3/4 humor which ran the gamut of mild to amusing to annoying to outright insulting. Though not being a Jew, I can't really speak to the insulting take-away. Bottom line, if you know little to nothing about the Jewish people, faith, customs - and want to - you won't learn much from this "guide". For example, I am basically familiar with the Bris, with the Shiva ritual, with the Bar/Bat Mitzvah traditions. Absolutely nothing in this "guide" added to my limited knowledge; in fact, if I knew nothing, I would know not much more after reading these chapters. And that is disappointing. The sometimes extremely callous comments throughout this book on these and other very solemn and historically rooted traditions shows a real lack of respect for these traditions. As a side note, the both veiled and obvious references to Trump were unnecessary in a book of this nature. Again, I am not a Jew so I will defer to those who are for perhaps a more objective interpretation of the comedy. My conclusion is that the authors could have contributed much more basic factual information on the Jewish history, customs, holidays for those of us who are not Jewish and still kept the tone of the book light and funny - the style these men are well known for. Thank you for the opportunity to review.
November 10, 2019
It's informative when it wants to be, hilarious at times...yet it's also not as funny as it thinks it is, and the writing is trying far FAR too hard to be consistently amusing. It's why it occasionally ends up feeling snarky and smarmy, rather than funny. A bit of a metaphor for shows like SNL.
January 2, 2020
Cute. Some laugh out loud moments. I’m so glad I’m completely educated on everything Jewish now. Book signing was a blast, or maybe it was the audience participation.
January 17, 2020
Funny at times, overkill in many others. Felt like the intending audience was people already Jewish in order to get many inside jokes.
Read
April 14, 2024DNF
September 17, 2019
"You Don't Have To Be Jewish" was a best-selling record album (yes, I remember them) back in the mid-60s, from the guys who did "The First Family" LPs. It was on the charts, as they used to say, for weeks, and was widely cheered. The title of this hysterical book applies here...altho it does help. No offense, but the review I read here was not quite fitting, as the horrendously long title should have indicated that this was not something you'd find on Wikipedia. How the author's got together to write this must have been a chore it itself, but it works. If you're a fan of the "Mrs. Maisel" series on Netflix, you'll particularly enjoy this, but it's not a requirement. A good sense-of-humor is. Congrats to Dave Barry, Adam Mansbach and Alan Zwiebel for...well, maybe not a masterpiece, but, as they say, "much more...maybe too much more."
May 9, 2023
jewbelong
November 24, 2019
I had great expectations. While I didn’t learn a whole heck of a lot, I was amused , sometimes laugh out loud amused. Often I would read something and wonder if it was true or just a joke. I think there are way more jokes than truths in this book. I’m glad I received the ARC and read it; overall I was entertained.
December 14, 2019
This book contained a whole bunch of sarcasm and nonsense with only a little bit of facts. Definitely wouldn't suggest to anyone who doesn't have prior knowledge of Judaism but anyone who does might get the humor. There were quite a few things that made me laugh, though an unfortunate amount of the jokes were crude.
September 29, 2019
Expected something different
I expected somewhat another version of Did Jew Know. Did Jew Know is funny, entertaining, informative and moreover, intelligent. This one has its moment of laughter but is utterly dumb. 3 stars forced.
I expected somewhat another version of Did Jew Know. Did Jew Know is funny, entertaining, informative and moreover, intelligent. This one has its moment of laughter but is utterly dumb. 3 stars forced.
browsed-nonfiction
October 8, 2019I was looking forward to reading this (having recently watched the documentary A Life Apart, about Hasidism, I wanted to learn more about Judaism in general), but I ended up skimming it as it didn't contain much actual information and the tone wasn't for me.
November 8, 2019
I usually find Dave Barry’s books funny, but this just wasn’t funny. Maybe he works better alone.
September 18, 2019
A Field Guide to the Jewish People: Who they are, where they come from, what to feed them, what they have against foreskins, how come they carry each other around on chairs, why they fled Egypt by running straight to a large body of water, and much more. Maybe too much more.
Dave Barry, Adam Mansbach, and Alan Zweibel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Have you ever wanted to know about any or all of the stuff listed above, in the longest name for a book I, and maybe you, have ever seen? Well if you have, look no further and read this here book with the really long name, which I will simply refer to as A Field Guide to the Jewish People (still kind of long...).
A Field Guide to the Jewish People is such a funny, entertaining book, but it is extremely informational as well. I myself am not Jewish, but I still enjoyed learning more about the Jewish people, their history, customs, and beliefs. The fact that this information was presented in such a funny, entertaining fashion is what kept me reading; I don’t think I would have picked up this book, or any book about religion, if it was purely an informational piece. I love that the information is presented in so many different ways: question and answer sections, little conversations, translations, as well as the informational sections. I often found my husband staring at me oddly as I laughed while reading; sucks he missed out on all the fun.
If you have a good sense of humor I would most definitely recommend A Field Guide to the Jewish People. It will be sure to keep you laughing while teaching you a thing or two about the Jewish people.
In September 24th be sure to check out A Field Guide to the Jewish People: Who they are, where they come from, what to feed them, what they have against foreskins, how come they carry each other around on chairs, why they fled Egypt by running straight to a large body of water, and much more. Maybe too much more.
Thank you to Flatiron Books for an ARC of A Field Guide to the Jewish People, given in exchange for an honest review.
Dave Barry, Adam Mansbach, and Alan Zweibel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Have you ever wanted to know about any or all of the stuff listed above, in the longest name for a book I, and maybe you, have ever seen? Well if you have, look no further and read this here book with the really long name, which I will simply refer to as A Field Guide to the Jewish People (still kind of long...).
A Field Guide to the Jewish People is such a funny, entertaining book, but it is extremely informational as well. I myself am not Jewish, but I still enjoyed learning more about the Jewish people, their history, customs, and beliefs. The fact that this information was presented in such a funny, entertaining fashion is what kept me reading; I don’t think I would have picked up this book, or any book about religion, if it was purely an informational piece. I love that the information is presented in so many different ways: question and answer sections, little conversations, translations, as well as the informational sections. I often found my husband staring at me oddly as I laughed while reading; sucks he missed out on all the fun.
If you have a good sense of humor I would most definitely recommend A Field Guide to the Jewish People. It will be sure to keep you laughing while teaching you a thing or two about the Jewish people.
In September 24th be sure to check out A Field Guide to the Jewish People: Who they are, where they come from, what to feed them, what they have against foreskins, how come they carry each other around on chairs, why they fled Egypt by running straight to a large body of water, and much more. Maybe too much more.
Thank you to Flatiron Books for an ARC of A Field Guide to the Jewish People, given in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2020
This was a quick, light, and fun read! You probably need to be pretty well versed in certain aspects of modern Jewish culture to understand some of the jokes but overall this was a funny exploration of a history and culture that I have recently begun wanting to explore a little more of since my post Bar Mitzvah loss of interest.
Listen, you can only drill so many lines of a relatively dead language for a ceremony that culturally (but not legally or physiologically) makes you a man before your twelve and a half year old brain just wants to go back to playing Star Wars: Republic Commando.
I did in particular enjoy the history chapter, as I am a history nerd. Some of the best lines in this book can be found there. "Most Jews at that time lived in Babylon, and after the initial shock of having to leave their homes wore off, they were almost obnoxiously happy about it, like San Franciscans who get priced out of the Bay Area and move to Portland." There's plenty more to be found that will fit your sense of humor.
It's a quick read that's funny and provides multitudes of pop culture references. A definite recommend from me! Don't expect too deep of a cultural and historical exploration though, they wrote too many circumcision jokes to fit that in.
Listen, you can only drill so many lines of a relatively dead language for a ceremony that culturally (but not legally or physiologically) makes you a man before your twelve and a half year old brain just wants to go back to playing Star Wars: Republic Commando.
I did in particular enjoy the history chapter, as I am a history nerd. Some of the best lines in this book can be found there. "Most Jews at that time lived in Babylon, and after the initial shock of having to leave their homes wore off, they were almost obnoxiously happy about it, like San Franciscans who get priced out of the Bay Area and move to Portland." There's plenty more to be found that will fit your sense of humor.
It's a quick read that's funny and provides multitudes of pop culture references. A definite recommend from me! Don't expect too deep of a cultural and historical exploration though, they wrote too many circumcision jokes to fit that in.
July 17, 2021
Dave Barry is one of my favorite humor writers, I have been following him since I lived in Miami years ago and read his columns. I have seen him several times at the Rancho Mirage writers festival and the LA Times book festival. If he writes a book, I read it. I was interested to see his take along with 2 Jewish writers. I was not disappointed. Laugh out loud funny ( do not skip the acknowledgements. ) Much of the book is complete ridiculousness, with a few facts thrown in. I enjoyed it immensely.
September 24, 2019
Oh my god! That was way too funny!!! I’m sick and it hurts to laugh but I did on almost every page. Including the typeface information in the back.
November 18, 2024
I was hoping for a humerus book on Jewish history. I was interested in learning more however most of the time this book looked to be more humerus and not as informative on the history part. There were time when the history was so passed over in order to try and make a joke out of it.
November 2, 2019
If the thought of laughing so hard every few minutes or so that you nearly wet your pants does not appeal to you then, by all means, read no further. However, if experiencing the Jewish faith from every possible angle --- all with more than a little tint of humor thrown in --- then replicate Moses and prepare to walk out of Egypt towards a large body of water where the future is uncertain. But, have faith, G-d and three extremely funny men will show you the way to the promised land.
For many years I have gone out of my way to read everything from Dave Barry that I can. I even have his daily desk calendar that features a quip from one of his hysterical syndicated newspaper articles. By becoming such a fan I also learned that I have something in common with Mr. Barry. We both started our lives in New York and then migrated to Florida. The most ironic similarity is that we both married Jewish women while being raised Catholic. My indoctrination into the Jewish way of life has opened me up to a vast history I never fully new, beautiful ceremonies and traditions, and most of all, some great Jewish humor.
The co-writers with Dave Barry on the hilarious A FIELD GUIDE TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE are former Saturday Night Live writer --- from back in the golden age --- Alan Zweibel. The third author, and youngest of the trio, is Adam Mansbach who is also a best-selling humorist. The three previously penned together another book that digs deeper into Jewish customs --- FOR THIS WE LEFT EGYPT? : A PASSOVER HAGGADAH FOR JEWS AND THOSE WHO LOVE THEM.
This book literally had for me a laugh out loud moment on every page. Sometimes, more than one. It is told in various sections that focus on everything from the history of the Jewish people to their traditions and a good luck at modern Judaism. It makes it difficult to review because there is so much that the authors tackle that I have decided to highlight some of the sections that really did it for me. I tip my hat, or more accurately my 'yarmulke', to these three gentlemen who did an incredible job of covering a myriad of topics made that much more interesting when infused with very witty, and yes sometimes vulgar, humor. I happen to have a great and occasionally warped sense of humor so I loved every bit of this book!
Some of the highlights for me begins with the alleged Foreword by Lebron James --- no, they did not actually get Lebron to do this! This was followed by the Preface that avers: '...welcome to the last book on Judaism you will ever buy. The writers then saw it fit to include an Introduction after the Foreword and Preface. Here, they ask readers to heed the word of the Kotzker Rebbe: 'Not all that is thought need be said, not all that is said need be written, not all that is written need be published, and not all that is published need be read'.
After a further Preamble and additional Word From the Authors, we start with a look at Jewish Life. We are provided a comical look at the interpretation of many common names with their historical 'definitions'. Readers are provided a 'cutting' look at the ceremony known as The Bris --- if you are not aware of this, be prepared to cringe a bit, especially you fellas. The Bar and Bat Mitzvah are analyzed and a handy Q&A follows, which will have you rolling. If you happen to be the parent or close relative of a Jewish thirteen year-old about to become an 'adult' in the Jewish faith, then these chapters are required reading. You will even be educated on how to best throw hard candy at the end of the ceremony without actually killing anyone as they run for the buffet!
I loved the analysis of the Jewish Home; the clever look at the Creation story as well as debunking the myths about it; and, Modern Jewish History which provides the etymology of classic Yiddish terms like 'Oy' and 'Feh'. Even more educational are the quizzes at the end of the book --- especially the one entitled 'Are You An Anti-Semite?'. Yes, Mel Gibson does take quite a roasting here. I am going to stop right there because giving any more information will take away from the reading pleasure you are sure to experience when sitting down with this book. Now, as was discussed at length by the authors, I am going to lament about being a displaced New Yorker and living in Florida where I cannot find a decent bagel or Chinese restaurant. Oy Vey!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
For many years I have gone out of my way to read everything from Dave Barry that I can. I even have his daily desk calendar that features a quip from one of his hysterical syndicated newspaper articles. By becoming such a fan I also learned that I have something in common with Mr. Barry. We both started our lives in New York and then migrated to Florida. The most ironic similarity is that we both married Jewish women while being raised Catholic. My indoctrination into the Jewish way of life has opened me up to a vast history I never fully new, beautiful ceremonies and traditions, and most of all, some great Jewish humor.
The co-writers with Dave Barry on the hilarious A FIELD GUIDE TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE are former Saturday Night Live writer --- from back in the golden age --- Alan Zweibel. The third author, and youngest of the trio, is Adam Mansbach who is also a best-selling humorist. The three previously penned together another book that digs deeper into Jewish customs --- FOR THIS WE LEFT EGYPT? : A PASSOVER HAGGADAH FOR JEWS AND THOSE WHO LOVE THEM.
This book literally had for me a laugh out loud moment on every page. Sometimes, more than one. It is told in various sections that focus on everything from the history of the Jewish people to their traditions and a good luck at modern Judaism. It makes it difficult to review because there is so much that the authors tackle that I have decided to highlight some of the sections that really did it for me. I tip my hat, or more accurately my 'yarmulke', to these three gentlemen who did an incredible job of covering a myriad of topics made that much more interesting when infused with very witty, and yes sometimes vulgar, humor. I happen to have a great and occasionally warped sense of humor so I loved every bit of this book!
Some of the highlights for me begins with the alleged Foreword by Lebron James --- no, they did not actually get Lebron to do this! This was followed by the Preface that avers: '...welcome to the last book on Judaism you will ever buy. The writers then saw it fit to include an Introduction after the Foreword and Preface. Here, they ask readers to heed the word of the Kotzker Rebbe: 'Not all that is thought need be said, not all that is said need be written, not all that is written need be published, and not all that is published need be read'.
After a further Preamble and additional Word From the Authors, we start with a look at Jewish Life. We are provided a comical look at the interpretation of many common names with their historical 'definitions'. Readers are provided a 'cutting' look at the ceremony known as The Bris --- if you are not aware of this, be prepared to cringe a bit, especially you fellas. The Bar and Bat Mitzvah are analyzed and a handy Q&A follows, which will have you rolling. If you happen to be the parent or close relative of a Jewish thirteen year-old about to become an 'adult' in the Jewish faith, then these chapters are required reading. You will even be educated on how to best throw hard candy at the end of the ceremony without actually killing anyone as they run for the buffet!
I loved the analysis of the Jewish Home; the clever look at the Creation story as well as debunking the myths about it; and, Modern Jewish History which provides the etymology of classic Yiddish terms like 'Oy' and 'Feh'. Even more educational are the quizzes at the end of the book --- especially the one entitled 'Are You An Anti-Semite?'. Yes, Mel Gibson does take quite a roasting here. I am going to stop right there because giving any more information will take away from the reading pleasure you are sure to experience when sitting down with this book. Now, as was discussed at length by the authors, I am going to lament about being a displaced New Yorker and living in Florida where I cannot find a decent bagel or Chinese restaurant. Oy Vey!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
February 22, 2022
A guide to Jewish people and their religion, habits, stereotypes and any thing else you can find to laugh about. Written by a man who is the son and grandson of Presbyterian ministers and two Jewish men.
It's funny. It's very funny. The fun starts with the blurbs on the back of the dust cover and it never stops.
No, it's not disrespectful of Jews, it just is field with humor, from slap stick to malaprops to outrageous misuse of facts.
It's funny! You don't have to believe me, just read the book and you will see.
It's funny I tell you!
It's funny. It's very funny. The fun starts with the blurbs on the back of the dust cover and it never stops.
No, it's not disrespectful of Jews, it just is field with humor, from slap stick to malaprops to outrageous misuse of facts.
It's funny! You don't have to believe me, just read the book and you will see.
It's funny I tell you!
October 24, 2020
Won from a Goodreads giveaway
So I'm one of those people who grew up in an area that has almost no Jewish people or influence. They seem to have avoided this area like the plague, and I totally understand. That said, that means my knowledge of anything Jewish is pretty limited. We're talking Fiddler on the Roof and those episodes of the Rugrats about Passover and Hanukkah being the basis of my knowledge.
Overall, I do feel like I learned something from this, and in a fairly amusing format. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments, though sometimes the humor felt like they were trying too hard. If you are fairly ignorant on the topic like I was, and just want a basic primer, I'd definitely recommend giving this a shot.
So I'm one of those people who grew up in an area that has almost no Jewish people or influence. They seem to have avoided this area like the plague, and I totally understand. That said, that means my knowledge of anything Jewish is pretty limited. We're talking Fiddler on the Roof and those episodes of the Rugrats about Passover and Hanukkah being the basis of my knowledge.
Overall, I do feel like I learned something from this, and in a fairly amusing format. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments, though sometimes the humor felt like they were trying too hard. If you are fairly ignorant on the topic like I was, and just want a basic primer, I'd definitely recommend giving this a shot.
October 26, 2019
Vulgar not Funny
We have followed Dave Barry since 1975 and loved him until this book which is not funny but vulgar. The topic is interesting and we were eager to receive a copy. Maybe he should not have co authors. We are 24% through and have no desire to finish it. We will be very careful about purchasing an advanced copy of his next book.
We have followed Dave Barry since 1975 and loved him until this book which is not funny but vulgar. The topic is interesting and we were eager to receive a copy. Maybe he should not have co authors. We are 24% through and have no desire to finish it. We will be very careful about purchasing an advanced copy of his next book.
October 28, 2019
This book is hilarious, from the authors’ dedications all the way through “About the Type” on the last two pages. I hated to see it end and hope that these three funny men will write more books together.
February 23, 2020
Hysterical! Whether you are Jewish, have Jewish friends, or are totally ignorant of Jewish culture, this ironic take on a guidebook will have you howling out loud (or at least, it did that to me....).
Mazel tov!
Mazel tov!
November 26, 2019
Boring. Funny in a "why'd the chicken cross the road" kind of way. Meh. Their interview at the 92Y was better.
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