Dave Barry's History of the Millenium

by Dave Barry, Patrick Frederic (Narrated by)

A brilliantly funny exploration of the tumultuous years 2000-2006 from the Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, History, Comedy, Essays, Audiobook, Politics

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2007

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]

For a good laugh, Dave Barry is my go-to for reading!

[Chrisiant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Dave Barry retired at the right time. I grew up loving his humor, but it's become more and more formulaic as time goes on, and there's only so many times that the letters in someone's name rearranged, or a goofy suggested band name, or even, dare I say it, a fart joke, can be funny. This book is mostly a compilation of his "Year in Review" columns, with a bit of other humorous quick recap thrown in for good measure. It seemed tired to me, and not all that funny, and that's saying a lot for someone who grew up loving his books and columns.

I think in the end there's just only so far he can carry his humor before it needs a shot in the arm of new and interesting, and this book was absolutely missing that.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first chapter of Dave Barry's millennial review is a hilarious, condensed chronicle of the previous thousand years (1000-1999 A.D.); wars, revolutions and cultural epochs swirl past in a kaleidoscope of muddled history. The ensuing chapters lampoon the media, politics and pop-culture of first eight years of our current millennium; these chapters are less inspired. Apparently there's more comic material in one thousand years than in eight and those subjects were already well-worn by a multitude of modern mockers by the time Barry's book got published.

But while the prolific jokester struggles to find comedic ground not covered by Leno, Letterman or Stewart, his wit makes this stroll through absurdity a quaint one. And you might just recall some Earth-shaking events from the recent past; remember the hullabaloo over Scooter Libby? (I hadn't.) How about Elian Gonzales? (Sadly, I had.) What about that time congress was super-dysfunctional? (Ha ha.) Barry makes all this silliness palatable, though it's hard to laugh when you're cringing.

Edited 12-17-2017

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Barry’s humor spares no one. Not even Shakespeare. “Shakespeare gave us a priceless legacy of famous phrases that, to this very day, are pretty much incomprehensible.”

[Bonnie Morse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Dave Barry, all his work, all the time, and I especially love his annual Year in Review. After reading his 2018 review in the Washington Post yesterday and noting how careful he was around some of the worst moments of this year, I wanted to read the review of 2001. Not being able to find it online, I located this book on Amazon where the product description promised it contained all of the Year in Reviews from 2000 through 2006. It was a fun, lively read for the end of the year, a trip down memory lane where the tragedies of the first part of the century are rendered more humorously than they occurred. It also felt good to be validated in my belief that Donald Trump has always been a joke.

All is not golden, however. The review of 2000 is followed by a short explanation from Barry on how he chose not to write a review of 2001. The question I wanted answered--did he make it funny with a sober entry for September, or did he ignore the year's biggest event* altogether--turned out to be one that he didn't know how to answer and so he skipped the whole year.

I would still have bought the book if I'd known that. It's great having so many annual reviews in one place, and I wish there were more collections of them.



*He did do that in 2003, covering everything that occurred in the month of February except the destruction of the Columbia space shuttle and the deaths of its entire crew.

[Elevetha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 seems too low, so 4 it is.

Worth it for the sum-up of the years 1000-1999 alone.

Almost all of what he talks about here are things I either have no interest in or have long since stopped being relevant, and yet I was amused greatly many times. Eg. I hate politics with a fiery burning passion. And while there's a lot of political talk throughout the years here, it seems like good ol' Dave hates it all as much as I do. It's good to know that Joe Biden talking has always been torture and also put some listeners into a coma. And it's good to know that Donald Trump's hair has always been both orange and the butt of a joke.

That being said, there's a lot in here that went over my head or I didn't get the joke (cos I wasn't even potty trained at the time it was taking place and have zero context) or it just wasn't that funny. Still well worth a read in this year of 2023. Actually especially now, because too many things came full circle.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far) is one of the author's more tedious works. The format of the book itself gives it a repetitive nature, but the author's style of writing also leads to repetition. While some repetition can not be avoided, I was hoping for a more original and inspired work. If you have never read one of Dave Barry's works, I do not suggest you start with this one. Read some of Barry's older books such as, Dave Barry Is Not Taking This Sitting Down. All-in-all this book is an easy read with some easy laughs, but it leaves something to be desired.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe not quite his best, a couple of recurring jokes never land, but funny regardless

[Kristal Stidham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Barry's half serious, half silly take on history which consists of his year-end wrap-ups from 2000 to 2006 and a brief rundown of everything before that. (IE: "In Texas, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, and Roy Rogers die defending the Alamo, which is a place that rents horses.") Dave's stuff may be seriously lightweight compared to most of today's comics, but he's always good for a giggle!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not one of Dave Barry's funniest books. I did have a few good laughs from it, even reading it the second time! If you were an adult during that time period, you can still find humor in its pages.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

He signed this for me when I went with some friends to see him at a bookstore in DC. The inscription reads, "For Laura, a goddess."

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those of you who appreciate Dave Barry's tongue-in-cheek hilarious sense of humor, this book is for you. If you have a feeling of "Ummm... I always read Dave Barry's Year in Review column and am totally one-and-done with it", this book's not for you. "Dave Barry's History of the Millennium" shares his Year in Review columns between the years 2000-2006, and there's a bonus of a 2000-year recap at the beginning of the book. I couldn't help but think about what he will write about at the end of this year given the wealth of material for our 2020 global pandemic? Time will tell!

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are other Dave Barry books that I enjoy much more than this one. I would like for him to do a commentary on what he had written. 2020 has topped everything Barry has put to paper.

[Public Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Look, I like Dave Barry a lot, but I could not finish this book. Barry can be hilarious but I just thought this was silly nonsense. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mood but I don't think this kind of material ages very well. Maybe these annual recaps were funnier when it was all recent history.

[John of Canada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Barry never ceases to make me laugh.I'm sure his recounting of political and historical events is accurate and unbiased.

[Michael Beyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Barry is funny. He is amazingly, bombastically, wonderfully, hyperbollically funny. And this is not even his funniest work. But it is good. It makes me laugh. And it is low in cholesterol. But I don't recommend eating it in any case. Just appreciate it quietly as you laugh out loud, like I almost did. Appreciate it quietly, I mean.
(I did misspell hyaperbollillically wrong on purpose, because I thought it would be funny. But, as you can plainly see, I was wrong.)

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always liked Dave Barry (of his work, I've read one other book, scattered columns, and really liked his TV show), and I really, really enjoyed reading this. Both the history of the previous millennium and the newer stuff from the beginning of the 21st (2000-2006) are hilarious. The turn of the millennium was around the time I started seriously following the news (I had just turned 13), and I was surprised by how quickly most of the stories came back—but of course not at all surprised that Barry's take on them was hysterical. I was especially amused to hear all the references to the Clintons & Trump (mostly his hair) in light of recent and current events, as well as a couple of Obama references (I wonder what mid-to-late 2000s Barry would have to say if he knew where all these players are now). The numerous references to Democrat-Republican animosity and Democratic obstruction of Bush were both really funny and oddly comforting (given all the hand-wringing about our divisive political landscape, it helps to be reminded that things weren't all that different in the past). So overall this was a really great read, both as a reminder of why I like Barry and of a simpler time in my life (which may have been a simpler time in everyone's lives, but given the parallels I've noted here, I sort of doubt it).

*Format note* I listened to the audio version of this from the National Library Service for the Blind. It was read by Michael Kramer, who also records commercial audiobooks for Audible and other publishers (I think he specializes in fantasy books; I know he's narrated some of Brandon Sanderson's books). He was surprisingly good at reading humor, which made the book even more enjoyable.

[Jimyanni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of Dave Barry's books are screamingly, laugh-out-loud funny. Others are just silly and juvenile. Even the silly and juvenile ones are amusing and enjoyable reads, but they aren't nearly as good as, say, "Dave Barry Is NOt Making This Up", Dave Barry Turns 40", and "Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need". This is one of the lesser Dave Barry books; it's still amusing, in a juvenile and just plain silly way, but it's far from his best. In it, he gives a spoof, "Harvard Lampoon" style recap of the millennium from 1000-1999 (which, for some reason apparently involving a complete lack of a grasp of simple arithmetic, he calls the first millennium) and then follows this up with his spoof "year in review" columns for 2000 and 2002-2006; he explains that in 2001, he simply didn't feel that it was appropriate to deal with the 9/11 attack in a humorous way, but he didn't see any way that he could either A) ignore it, or B) treat it seriously while treating the rest of the year humorously; this shows that he actually DOES have some taste, tact, and common sense, despite what he would have you believe.)

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

A typical quick and funny Dave Barry book--these are good for those occasions when you just don't feel like using your brain as you read. This book was a collection of the seven "Year in Review" columns he has written since the turn of the millennium along with some other fluff to get it close to 200 pages. I smiled/chuckled a few times, but I just don't find him as funny as I used to. There's something a little unseemly (or creepy?) about a 60 (!) year old man making booger and bathroom jokes (or the equivalent). I'm glad I didn't buy it (got it from the library).

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining. Quirky. Fast Paced. I listened to this on Audio CD while driving. I enjoyed it that way, but not sure I would have gotten through it as a book. Some of Dave Barry's jokes are a bit repetitive, and at times I found the pace a bit fast, but maybe that's because it was the audio version. This "recap" still provided an entertaining and funny look at our history, and reminded me of some of the crazy things I've forgotten from the early 2000's. Would love to hear his take on our current events.

[Gerald Kinro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny as I expected. He does it without being overly acerbic. Barry writes what I call an alternate history by using perceived idiosyncrasies of major world figures and institutions to create a fun book. It ends in 2006. Just think what he would do with eight years of Obama and now Trump.

[Karma Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUNNY!!! I laughed out loud so many times, my kids were looking at me like I was crazy. I have always been a huge fan of Barry's column but this was my first book - he did not disappoint!!! With his usual clever/silly take on the world and politics; this book was entertaining and thought provoking all at once. Truly a great way to spend an afternoon!

[Peter Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Dave Barry's take on the last millennium (in the first chapter) and the current one (in all the remaining chapters). Dave is at his best when discussing the craziness that is our modern life. He is close enough to what is really taking place that it is the best humor I've read in quite a while.

[Michael Tildsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some pretty funny zings and one-liners concerning history. I particularly liked Barry’s recap of the previous millennium. He glosses over huge sections and sums others up with a simple turn of phrase. I’d say this is a bit informative as it is a quarter truth to three quarters joke. Definitely a funny refresher if you already know most or all of the dates and events covered.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this was a good one to read at work in the middle of the night, something I didn't have to think hard about. But it was too mindless even for that and I couldn't bring myself to waste my time to finish it.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply insightful and trenchant analysis of modern politics — wait, wrong book.

This is vintage Barry: taking pot shots at everyone, surveying the first decade of the 21st-century with a wry but still non-cynical sense of humor. Quite enjoyable.

[Roger Smitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even after 10 + years, the book is worthy of a (re)-read for some laughs. The book also reminds us of some of the crazy history we all have been through. The four stars are for Barry’s skill for seeing the humor of the headlines. It’s not great literature but it’s worthy of a read.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

#86 of 120 books pledged to read during 2019

[Jennifer Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember recent years

A fun look at some very not-fun years in recent history that many seem inclined to forget and go around again on a dumb ride.

[Grant Cousineau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read a Barry book in nearly 10 years, and looking back at some of my old reviews, the word "hilarious" rears its head frequently. I remember loving Barry, having to stop from time to time to laugh and think about where a certain joke came from, or what made it so funny. Perhaps I've changed as a reader since then, or perhaps this was one of his lesser successful collections, but I felt myself smiling a lot, though rarely laughing out loud, maybe three or four times. His wit is certainly there, and there's definitely a good amount of research that goes into making these columns, both in terms of inaccuracy and finding the joke in even the most dire of stories (Natalie Holloway comes up a lot, simply for the fact that, apparently, Greta Van Susteren found reason to basically live in Aruba for most of a year to report, mostly, non-news). But the enjoyability wasn't the same.

I was digesting it all right, and I know it's unfair to rate a humor book solely on its ability to make me laugh, but it was merely a time-passer and a nice way to remember the news events I've already begun defragging from my brain. Unfortunately, this book likely will be something I forget I ever read. Humor is fine, and it's probably also unfair to judge this as a book and not seven completely separate essays, but it's a nice coffee table book at best, and I get the feeling Barry knew that. Heck, he didn't even have to write new content for this book--simply get the rights to republish stuff he'd already been paid for. I'd have done the same thing. But if you're going to call a book "The History of the Millennium," I'd have much more enjoyed his thoughts after year had become actual "history" and he'd had time to put things into context rather than reactionary archives that, today, seem perhaps not so funny (such as ridiculing Michael Jackson's legal woes and Donald Trump's then-seemingly-silly idea of running for president). In other words, if jokes can't stand the test of time, the book as a whole likely won't either.

And yet, because it does it's job, it's not a bad book. Most readers will know what they're walking into, and if they're already Barry fans, they'll probably be adequately satisfied (myself excluded).