Dave Barry Books

Whilst From Mars and Venus certainly isn't Barry's best work it is not at the bottom of the list either. Published in 1997 it is rather dated in parts but a lot of the topics are still extremely relevant today. Barry has included photographs as well in this book which he doesn't always do, which are quite funny. In From Mars and Venus Barry covers topics such as synchronised swimming, laser tag, gravity, fashion tips for men, snowmobiles, snowboarding, dog sledding, Wheel of Fortune, Harley Davidson jerks, Classical Music, playing the part of a corpse in an Opera, Hilary Clinton asking him to lunch then declining because he wouldn't do it off the record, going on Oprah, annoying commercials and Florida drivers to name just a few. Definitely check out other non fiction collections such as Boogers are My Beat as well as his sensational fiction novels especially Tricky Business.

This book is one of Dave Barry's best books ever. It has a multitude of really good columns in it, and my favorites are as follows:

"Warp Speed"--wherein Dave Barry discusses flying (and puking) in a fighter jet.
"The Avenging Death Killer of Doom"--wherein Dave Barry discusses playing laser tag.
"Saving Face"--wherein Dave Barry discusses laser tag again; this time regarding getting hit in the face with a laser gun.
"Brain Sludge"--wherein Dave Barry discusses how no one can remember the names of all the Supreme Court justices, but they can remember all the words to the "Robin Hood" TV show theme song from the 1950's.
"The Cigar Avenger"--wherein Dave Barry discusses getting the World's Best Water Gun and using it in a superherolike fashion.
and
"One Potato, Two Potato..."--wherein Dave Barry discusses firing a potato cannon.

For those of you unfamiliar with Dave Barry's work, this book is hilarious and you desperately need to get it out of the library, at the very least.
And as for those of you familiar with Dave Barry's work, if you've read his previous works and liked them, then you also really need to read this one.

i am an avid dave barry fan and this is one of the best book i have read. with the new topics of dave barry, you will laugh till you side hurts. some of the newer topics are "lobster related to insects?" and "insect intelligence" this book is great. also recommened is "dave barry in cyberspace" and "dave barry is not taking this sitting down" and one of the best is "dave barry talks back"

This book gave me the most laugh-out-loud moments I can remember from a Barry book.

Some of my favorite columns in this one include "Speed Trap," regarding the abolishment of the national pretend speed limit of 55 miles per hour. Another is "Eureka!," regarding the invention of "buffalo-style" wings, which means (according to Barry) "to people who have been drinking beer." He theorizes that buffalo wings are the same bones over and over, run through the dishwasher before being re-served to customers.

This is a compilation of newspaper columns published by accomplished humorist Dave Barry. Barry's whose sarcastic and colorful brand of humor, coupled with a creative and liberal use of capital letters and punctuation and a tendency to flit from topic to topic, neatly anticipated the internet generation by several years.

Barry is funny, and I'm happy to say that his material ages very well. While he is often commenting on the story of the day, his emphasis is on the humor rather than the facts, and the humor still works (check in again in twenty years to see if that's still so).

I'm not sure whether I really recommend this, because it offers nothing (beyond an introduction) original. On the one hand, a fan of Barry could scour the internet and download all of his columns to save himself the purchase price. But on the other hand, Barry would probably prefer that you generate some extra royalties by buying the book.

I purchased this particular book because I wanted the articles about Grand Forks, North Dakota. When I received it and read those specific ones first, then I went back and started at the beginning...and could barely put it down. Mr. Barry is one of our favorite writers and always has us in stitches about some of the things he comes up with.
I wish I had his quick wit and fantastic humor. : )

Dave Barry has written and selected an extremely humorous collection of his articles from The Miami Herald. There is a huge margin in difference of quality in Boogers are My Beat than in his initial non fiction books such as Dave Barry's Bad Habits. Boogers are My Beat is one of those rare books that once you start turning the pages you don't want to put down until the back cover. Dave Barry educates his fellow man on a diverse range of topics such as why you can't use the towels hanging in the bathroom, the Salt Lake City Olympics, babies on airlines, North Dakota, Bear in the Big Blue House and cell phones to name just a few.

His article written the day after September 11 and one written a year after, about the Philadelphia crashed plane are also included which prove Barry could have been a serious writer if he had pursued that career. Thankfully he didn't because the rest of the book is hysterically funny as is his Carl Hiaasen style fiction novel Tricky Business. Big Trouble isn't bad either. Check them out along with his other non fiction novels as well.

I've been reading Dave Barry for years, and have developed my own impression of Dave's comic voice. It is laid back, dry, a little slow-witted and beer-addled, maybe. But it is not the bozo-clone, wacky-happy voice that was chosen to read this compilation of Dave's work. I can only assume that Dave was ball-gagged and duct-taped to his office chair when the auditions were going on. *My* Dave would never have allowed his work to be so hokily performed.

Anyway, "Boogers Are My Beat" is another workmanlike effort from the master of modern comedy. Dave uses his standard comedic formulae (suggesting phrases as good names for rock bands, using outrageous numerical exaggerations and making self-deprecatory remarks about his lack of masculine skills) to actually write some decent material. In spite of Bozo the Narrator, it is still possible to get a few laughs from these columns, which is a testament to the quality of Dave's wit. Dave covers the 2000 Democratic and Republican conventions, where he beats up on silly demonstrators who shout on behalf of "the people.". He climbs a Florida trash heaps with Tenzig Norgay's son, samples the fine products of Grand Forks, ND (a baggie filled with peat) and describes life with his 2-year old Barbie-loving daughter. His piece on driving a new Hummer pokes fun at the price tag and at its hyper-macho gadgetry, including self-inflating tires. Dave avoids direct analysis of politics -- though his endless Bill Clinton jokes (Clinton is a philanderer! Ha! Ha!) seem dated and got on my nerves. But the Office of Homeland Security made a horrible faux-pas (literally, weasel poop) when it picked him, his wife and toddling daughter for an extensive airport screening. What better way to show the ludicrous nature of our screening procedures than to force the 2-year-old child of a famous humor columnist to crawl alone through a metal detector.

Anyway, there are worse ways to experience the comic stylings of Dave Barry. Just kidding -- short of special rendition, this audio CD *is* the worst way. Get the book and record it yourself, even if you are just learning to read. Or just read it the old-fashioned way from the printer page. You'll thank me later.
______________________________
On a more somber note, Dave ends of volume with two of his 9/11-related columns. While he's not a master of global nuance, his columns were full of heartfelt emotions for those who had lost loved ones in the attacks. His evocations of the spirit of Gettysburg (in his reflection on the experience of Flight 93, which crashed into Shanksvillee, PA) were somber and actually quite profound. Not bad for a guy who normal jokes about bodily effusions.

I always trust Dave Barry to provide me with some quality laughs, and this book does not disappoint. He covers the 2000 presidental campaigns and conventions, the Florida election counting debacle, the winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and a bunch of regular weekly columns from that time period.

Barry concludes with two amazing columns about September 11th. These are stunning. When I was searching for reading material/commentary in those days immediately post-9/11, I wish I had found these columns. His ability to write to Americans in the face of tragedy proves his true depth and talent as a columnist. (Yes, he actually writes about moore than just boogers.)

I've been a Dave Barry fan since he was writing columns about his (now twenty-something) two-year old son doing embarassing things in public places. Now Barry is on a new wife and has a brand new two-year old to write columns about. And he still thinks the word (and presumably the concept of) "booger" is funny.

I picked up this book with mixed feelings. He seems to rely more and more on silly humor (boogers, exploding toilets, hilarious names for rock bands) rather than the classic columns of Dave Barry's Bad Habits (my favorite Barry book). And the jackets of his books always have him in some ridiculous pose. I keep saying, "This will be my last Dave Barry book."

But Dave Barry always comes through. I read this latest book cover to cover. His comments on the Republican and Democratic conventions were scathing, his observations at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City were deadly, and the serious columns at the end reveal that there is more to Barry than adolescent humor. (His essay from an earlier collection, written after the death of his mother, is a masterpiece.)

So I will ignore the goofy cover photos, the inane titles, and the wacky cartoons, and just read what Barry writes -- solid, mostly humorous, essays.

Dave Barry's Bad Habits has comedy fiction writer Dave Barry trying his hand at the non fiction market. Although he achieved quality work in this genre with later attempts such Homes and Other Black Holes, this book was clearly just cashing in on the success of his fiction with little effort put in whatsoever. There's lots of references to Commies which either means Barry was extremely paranoid and brainwashed by his government of the time or he is retelling the same joke over and over again throughout the book, a joke that isn't that funny the first time and is really irritating when repeated and repeated and repeated. Barry also insists on telling us his personal stories in this book, obviously the publishers had a word in his ear with future non fiction books as these stories are hardly evident in those books but unfortunately they are here and aren't that interesting.

Dave Barry can write some really good stuff, both fiction and non fiction. Dave Barry's Bad Habits unfortunately is not one of those occasions.

I didn't have a clue who Dave Barry was when I checked this book out of a library in 1984. I just saw the disclaimer, "A 100% Fact-Free Book," and was attracted by that kind of truth in advertising. There were three adults living in the house, and you could always tell, day or night, when somebody had picked up "Bad Habits" by the sounds of choking laughter. We spend two blissful weeks periodically resuscitating each other. Quintessential Dave. Read it.

Although definitely not as good as his later collections, this one is worth at least four stars. I would have given it 4 1/2 if it were possible on Amazon.com. Recommended, but if you're strapped for cash, I suggest purchasing a later work first, as you will probably enjoy it more. Also, the typeface (font) used in this edition is annoying, though quickly gotten used to.

Washington Post humor columnist Dave Barry dedicates this book "To Mom and Dad, who never made me go see Santa Claus." Perhaps he avoided that trauma, but as the book attests, he has encountered other horrors including housework, pet ownership, taxpaying time, child raising, traveling, and gift giving. My favorite is the school section, in which Barry dissects the American educational system, why we don't read (blame Dick and Jane), as well as the sections on culture and health. He may not be making these things up, but they are as hilarious as if he had.

I hardly think Dave Barry needs yet another "He rocks!" review. It's fairly clear that Dave Barry is the wittiest writer to come along in a generation (if not longer). However, Amazon will stalk me until I write this review so here it is - This book is hysterical. It's vintage Barry and a wonderful collection to have laying about the house for when you need a "hit" of Dave. I highly recommend it.

Arte Johnson does a great job as narrator with Dave Barry's offbeat sense of humor. Dave Barry can be read in so many ways, most of them wrong. Arte Johnson does a strong job with this text.

Dave Barry's humorous look at the world of business is strong throughout, but occassionally dated, especially when he talks about computers. Dave Barry could easily update this book and make it even more funny. That being said, this one is still worth a look.

This is one of the funniest books I've ever read. I'm surprised that some of the other readers below didn't find it as humorous as later Dave Barry works, because I end up on the floor whenever I reread this. the sections on meetings, on resumes, on office attire--all brilliantly funny. I guess it helps to have been a disenchanted office employee at least once in your life. But if you've tried climbing the corporate ladder and have decided that there's no worse fate, this book is for you!

...amusing, occasionally laugh out loud funny, but ultimately as memorable as a Debbie's Snack Cake. I'm a diehard Barry fan, and highly recommend Big Trouble. This one, though - buy it used, read and sell.

This is not the funniest book written by Dave Barry, although it is funny in spots. He lampoons the current business world, the absurdities and incongruities that are a daily part of the life of so many people. As is the case with the best satire, there is a great deal of truth in the exaggerated nonsense that Barry writes. Meetings do dull the mind to the point where you flap your lips with your fingers, the terminology used in corporate America is often the lowest quality double-speak and resumes and press releases are often works of fiction.
"Dilbert" by Scott Adams is considered the bible of corporate misfeasance; it always seems to hit the business world right in the privates. This book is not as good as the Dilbert comic strip; I smiled rather than laughed my way through it.

I'm in the middle of reading the Enron story, "The Smartest Guys in the Room", and decided to take a brief intermission. And what should I find on the shelf but "Claw Your Way to the Top" by Dave Barry. It's one of the few Barry books that I've missed, and very appropriate while I'm in "Let's Try to Dissect the Corporation" mode. Except that maybe I shouldn't have sat down to read it right there in the Public Library, since it was work trying to stifle my laughter and not disturb other patrons.

Because "Claw Your Way to the Top" was written in 1986, before the rise and fall of Enron, there are no references to Kenneth Lay and his cronies, though Lee Iacocca's name does come up a few times. Similar to Scott Adams ("Dilbert"), Dave Barry's insights into corporate BS are right on the $$$ money, as truthful as they are hilarious. Of course when all the hilarity destroys peoples' lives and livelihoods, it's not so funny, but Barry's book doesn't cover that. Instead it's comic relief from the sobering and sordid truth of such travesties as Enron. Take a timeout and treat yourself to some corporate humor, courtesy of Dave Barry. If you fail to find this book funny, you must be one of those psychopathic suits we should all fear...

Easily the most enjyable Barry book I have read. Coincidentally, it was my first as well.

Barry is a master at comedy, and this only proves it further.

Highly recommended!

I learn from my experience if only a handful of people rated 5 stars don't believe it. I only read 15% of this book, and it is really really borring. I didn't laugh one bit. This book say if I am not laughing than I don't have humor. That's a lame excuse for a boring book. If this is really 5 stars, I can write a 10 stars book for people to laugh at my intelligent and witty jokes, not stupid unlaughable jokes like this book. But, Amazon is way cool, 5 stars bookstore. I have bought quite a few books (> 50) at Amazon, and I will continue to buy it. Recommend: I did laugh with for better or for worst by Lynn Johnston. Clean and witty whole some family jokes. Judy Carter is also very funny. These two ladies are way cool !

Fortunately or unfortunately, Dave Barry and I are similar in age. I've lived through the eras of music, computers, child-rearing, and fads that he's been through. I have been exposed to double secret probation (a good name for a rock band)

In other words, I have first hand, up close and personal, and insider information that he is absolutely right in this analysis about what women really want.

They can have that remote over my dead body.

"Somebody has to be the grownups, and now it's our turn," writes Dave Barry in "Dave Barry Turns 40." Indeed, and this guide will provide some assistance as well as make you laugh. Barry provides a helpful quiz for Baby Boomers who, "defined hip. We set all kinds of world hipness records and we were sure they'd never be broken." Alas, growing older means becoming less cool, at least in the eyes of the younger generation. It also means dealing with "Your Disintegrating Body." Barry also takes a look at "Midlife (Yawn) Marriage," "Planning Your Male Midlife Crisis," "Sex After 40" and "Sports for the Over 40 Person (Or God Had a Reason For Creating the Barcalounger)", among other topics. He also provides quizzes like the "Standardized Psychological Maturity Scale," and charts like "Male Lifestyle Phases," and on a more serious note, dealing with your own aging parents. Lastly, he describes "How to Geeze," hint for men "wear Bermuda shorts, black knee socks, and wing-tipped shoes. Very amusing.

This was published back in 1990 and Barry has subsequently released Dave Barry Turns 50 (2000) and no doubt will do a turning 60 novel in 2010. What Barry achieves with these releases is not so much a look at everyone turning 40, 50 etc (although there are some hilarious observations everyone doing this can relate to) but more of a look at how his generation, the baby boomers (which could be your own generation, your kids or your parents depending on how you are) coped with the realisation they no longer were the revolution changing element of society, setting the bar of what is cool but instead are looked at in the same way they looked at their parents, ie "uncool" by the next generation/s. Reflections on the reality of what his generation (and the world) turned out to be today compared to the paths they thought their lives would follow. This book is very funny, a bit dated in parts if you are comparing it to someone turning 40 today but an excellent insight into understanding your parents generation or if you are from that generation to laugh at the humour of how your generation has turned out.

Barry tackles topics such as your disintegrating body, beauty tips, coping with midlife crisis, bedroom action after 40, ageing parents, sports and a lot of other topics. Barry also gives the reader a number of hilarious exams throughout so the reader will know if they are grown up yet and determining how bad their marriage is. He also provides tips on how to geeze covering topics such as fashion, dealing with your children and grandchildren, driving and announcing your intimate medical problems.

Barry has written a substantial amount of humorous non fiction observation type books. If you love this genre also check out John O'Farrell and Wil Anderson. Barry has also written a few hilarious works of fiction (in the style of Carl Hiaasen, Bill Fitzhugh etc) the best being his masterpiece Tricky Business.

Although this short story does not contain either of the two great main characters Peter and Molly from the masterpieces Peter and the Starcatchers or the sequel to that prequel Peter and the Shadow Thieves and its length is only a fifth at most of either of those two books, it's still a great read.

Escape from the Carnivale allows a couple of the minor characters from the other adventures to have a bit of limelight and ultimately save the day. Teacher and the other mermaids, Fighting Prawn and the mollusk tribe, the Lost Boys and Black Moustache (now known as Hook) and other island residents do make appearances but this novel's pages belong mainly to youngest daughter of the Mollusk tribe, Little Scallop and James from the Lost Boys.

The adventure begins with a bored Little Scallop, envious of her older siblings who get to go on adventures spying on Hook and the other pirates disappointed her father spends his time worried about them and not giving her attention. When mermaid friends her age decide to break the rules and swim out in the open ocean to a cave so they can get some pearls to make necklaces, Little Scallop decides to go along. It is not long before their lost and one of the mermaids (Surf) trapped in a net is hauled onboard a ship called The Carnivale and thrown in a tank with a number of other "freak" prisoner marine animals. The captain of the ship Crookshank is determined to capture more mermaids and other exotic creatures to perform in his show and sees the island as a great place to acquire new slaves. With all the Mollusk tribe up in the mountains at a Sun ceremony it is up to Little Scallop and James to come up with a plan to rescue their friend with the help of some dolphins and the other mermaids. Hook however wants the ship for himself.

Escape for the Carnivale is aimed at a younger market than the Starcatcher Peter Pan prequel books but that doesn't mean it's not as good.

Mostly more of the same from the writers of the Peter Pan Prequel books. More fun reading but mainly for kids.

My daughter says Escape from the Carnivale is very exciting. She didn't want to put it down! She recommends highly! She loved getting to know the mermaids and Little Scallop. The Lost Boys are funny! She has moved on to Cave of the Dark Wind. It sounds exciting too!

My grandchildren and I are enjoying listening to this series together. Jim Dale is the best reader. He brings all the characters to life for even a grandmother!

Yolanda
Edmond, Ok

Please Help Fight Breast Cancer: http://cms.komen.org/komen/index.htm

Yesterday is the past Tomorrow is the future Today is a "Gift" That is why it
is called the "Present"

Have you ever wondered about Peter Pan? Where he came from? Why he's ageless? Just where did he learn to fly? Well Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry have filled in the blanks. A "children's book" that this adult enjoyed!

In one word: FUNNY! I've got all Dave Barry's books and love them all.
They make me laugh out loud. They all get five stars from me.

This is a collecton of his regular columns. They are funny, but not side-splitting. If you want to see what Dave can *really* do, try "Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide you will Ever Need".

Hilarious! Some references are a little dated now, but still tons of laugh-out-loud moments - I loved it! If you're a Dave Barry fan, don't miss this one.

"Question: Dear Mr. Language Person--What is George Bush's native tongue? Answer: He doesn't have one."

From "Ask Mr. Language Person" to the "Exploding Animal Institute" to Dave's classic announcement of his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States--his platform consists of a dramatic reorganization of the bureaucracy so that domestic affairs will all be handled by the Department of Louise, and foreign affairs by the Department of a Couple of Guys Named Victor ("Y'know, Victors, I wouldn't mind hearing that Fidel Castro had had an unfortunate accident...")--this collection of Dave Barry's weekly humor columns from the early 1990s still has the power to induce chortles, guffaws, and even the occasional cackle.

The audiobook version is well-delivered by Johnny Heller. Just don't listen to it in public unless you don't mind people seeing you grinning idiotically or hearing you laughing like a ninny.

"Weasel is a funny word. You can improve the humor value of almost any situation by injecting a weasel into it."

This book by Dave Weasel... er... Barry is an extremely funny read. It's a collection of his newspaper columns that will have you laughing over and over again, and annoying your family members with your constant quotations.

He covers almost every topic here, from exploding animals to traffic cops to reader suggestions to doctors to drug dealers to television. It's all here.

This may not be his best book, but it's really funny and a must-have for any Dave Barry weasel. Er... fan.

A year or so ago I read one of Barry's fiction novels called Big Trouble which was pretty entertaining so when I came across this non fiction book as well as Dave Barry's Bad Habits I decided to check them out. Of the two non fiction books Homes and Other Black Holes is certainly the more entertaining of the two with Barry giving more tongue in cheek advice based on exaggerations of the real world. In Bad Habits he was prone to telling more of his life stories than dishing out advice which to be honest they weren't that interesting, so this much thinner book with most of the life stories filtered out is much more pleasurable a read and is also a lot less dated too.

In Homes and Other Black Holes Barry comments on and gives advice on all of life's big decisions such as purchasing and selling homes, having kids, having pets, security alarms, gardening and buying furniture. Definitely an interesting and entertaining read. Check out his fiction as well.

Look, how can you not love Dave Barry. The man is one of the touchstones of the '80s and '90s, standing among such comedic giants as PJ O'Rourke and holding his own.

This book cracked me up when I first read it as a non-homeowner, and cracked me up even more after I'd bought a house. While Dave has slown down slightly with success, this and his other early books (Babies and other Hazards of Sex, and Dave Barry's Guide to Marriage and/or Sex) are still uproarious.

Look, you need something to read on the john. This should be in the can at the Library of Congress.

If you've ever bought a home or you work in real estate, you will find this especially funny because it hits so close to....uh, home. And it's a short book too, so it'll be a nice quick read to fit into your busy schedule.

Its probably a good thing I wasn't drinking anything as I read this book, because I would have frequently sprayed the pages with my beverage if I had! Dave Barry takes aim at the trials and tribulations of home ownership, and hits the mark as accurately as he does any of his targets. This is funny stuff, best appreciated by those of us who have actually been there and done that. I had to read a number of passages to my wife, but her favorite was the bit about finding a pediatric group after moving. There is one piece of advice in here that I might actually follow when we finally are ready to move again: "Set fire to your household goods...and just walk away."

If you have ever moved, chances are that you never want to do it again. And Dave Barry is quite willing to remind you why moving is such a hideous experience, and why if you ever get the urge to do it again, you should lock yourself in a broom closet until your fit of insanity passes.

Among other things, Dave explains why your furniture takes so long to arrive (it involves primitive harvesters in the jungle) and why you will hate it when it arrives; what is and is not a good neighborhood ("I [heart] my Pit Bull" is bad); the horrifying thing called a mortgage; home repair and why you should not do it yourself; making enemies with your neighbors and their big savage dogs; garage sales; moving stuff out of your old house ("Tropical fish should be individually wadded up in newspaper") and into your new house ("... which will give your possessions an opportunity to scurry, giggling, back out to the truck so that you may carry them inside again").

Basically, if the idea of moving doesn't scare you before you read the book, it definitely will afterwards. Dave explains in horribly, humorously accurate descriptions, just what will happen when you try to move from one house to another. His viewpoint is only warped by the bizarre mindset of one who has tried to move and is still scarred by the experience.

So if you ever look around your house and think that you need more space, or a chance of scenery, have the doctor prescribe you something. But only after you've read this book.

I can't see reading this book over and over, but the "Mr. Dip Lip" is funny every time I imagine some poor, hungover fool waking up to, "Hello Bob, WELCOME TO HELL!"

A very good book of cool gifts.

Dave Barry's always fun, but never more so when he riffs on real stuff. This book is full of his take on some of the stupidest products available. The fact that I am one of the alert readers who sent him an idea (that he used in the book) has no bearing on my favorable review ;-)

Like several of the other reviewers, I try to read anything that I can find written by Dave Barry. Unlike most of the other reviewers, however, I would not list this book among his best. There were certainly a few moments when I had that standard "laugh out loud" response to Barry's wit. However, this book really read to me like an excuse to publish and sell a book without too much work. Most of his other books that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed included a lot more text and fewer pictures. The genius of Barry's writing is his ability to use everybody language in hysterical ways, and this "Gift Guide" doesn't allow him a platform for his usual linguistic shenanigans.

In short, it's a quick and easy read with a lot of pictures. It does offer a few good laughs. But given the body of his work, I would recommend his other books well ahead of this one.

Ever want an "Auto Security Spider," the cheap alternative to "The Club?" How about a game of "Roadkill Bingo" for the kids? Perhaps a "High-Tech Loudspeaker Hat" for your loved one who has it all? These are just a few of the items listed and described in detail in this wacky book.

Dave Barry is one of the funniest writes of all time, but he is usually at his best when it comes to him poking fun at the truth. This book, slightly dated written in 1994, is a virtual catalogue of items that you can actually purchase. Trust me. These gifts are better given than received.

It's a really fast read, and Dave Barry is truly at his best. It 's just non-stop laughter, and there are some decent gift ideas in the book. If fact, Dave Barry's Gift Guide to End All Gift Guides would make a pretty nice gift itself.

This is typical Barry. Free flowing narrative, always funny, always consistent, never crosses the line by too much, a book you wouldn't be ashamed to have your mother catch you with...

My only complaint - it's too short! 96 pages?!!! If you're going to sell a book of that length, you had better give it to us at a reduced price. Please!

This is a funny book, but I can't fully recommend it because of the length. Instead I'd say by Money Secrets. Dave Barry's Money Secrets: Like: Why Is There a Giant Eyeball on the Dollar?

This book is funny, don't get me wrong. But it's from VERY early in Dave Barry's career, (copyright 1983) and while subtlety has never been Dave's hallmark, (even his later work generally has the subtlety of a trainwreck) this book has significantly less of it than his later and better work, hard as that is to believe. It's similar in style to "Homes and Other Black Holes" and "Dave Barry's Guide to Life", if not quite as funny. But it can't hold a candle to any of his later works, such as "Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up", "Dave Barry Turns 40", and "The Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need".

In 15 hilarious chapters Dave Barry takes on the DIY topics of Tools, Wood, Electricity, Plumbing, Walls, Heating and Cooling, Insulation and Weatherproofing, Masonry, Easy Projects, Impossible Projects, Household Pests, The Lawn and Garden, Car Repair, Home Redecoration, and Building Your Own House.

He defines a tool as "an object that enables you to take advantage of the laws of physics and mechanics in such a way that you can seriously injure yourself."

Barry has the following to say about wood. "Wood has been the preferred building material for thousands of years, because it is one of the few materials that will rot as well as burn."

On electricity, Barry defines alternating current as "electricity [that] goes in one direction for a while, then goes the other direction. This prevents harmful buildup in the wires."

Mr. Barry says the first step in fixing a broken pipe is to "go down to the dankest corner of the basement and locate the valve that turns off all the water in the house. This will be the valve that is covered with slime and a spiderweb containing a spider and the festering bodies of dead insects."

According to Barry, walls "keep the roof from falling down and damaging your television set."

Barry on solar energy: "The easiest way to heat your house with solar energy is to move it to Central America, which is located directly under the sun."

Barry on Masonry: "Any kind of building material that can fall on you and kill you."

Barry on cockroaches: "The only surefire way to get rid of roaches is to remove all the liquor from your house. Roaches can mate only when drunk. Can you blame them? Would you mate with a roach if you were sober?"

Finally, a DIY book for people who don't know anything about the subject and don't want to learn. You can read this book and it's totally frivolous Index without learning anything about home repairs. You will have a good laugh and never be tempted to do any home projects. So relax and enjoy the outlandish humor of Dave Barry safe in the knowledge that this book has no socially redeeming value.

I remember getting he original version of this book in the 80's, with the fanged screw on the cover. This book screamed 'read me', and this is for a woman yet! I found it quite funny. The play on words, and the hilarious depiction of tools was just precious. It's a book with a certain amount of toilet humor, but not overly done, and is still one of the finest humor books for its uniqueness. It also hits a nerve for many homeowners - anyone who has done home repairs themselves can instantly identify with it, and with a good laugh. This will always be one of my favourite books. It's great to read when you're having a bad day, a really bored day, and need laughs for whatever reason.

Yes, the title of my review (and the the title of the last chapter in the book) pretty much sums up this book. The Time-Life series on home repair has absolutely nothing on this book.

Dave Barry is easily one of the top humor writers in the world, and this hilarious book surely shows why. In this book, he explains how to avoid the pitfalls of everyday home-maintenance tasks. His helpful tips, such as flushing a lit cherry bomb to clear up those tougher toilet clogs, are outright hysterical, and somewhat useful in the most extreme situations.

Jerry O'Brien, once again, is the perfect compliment to Barry's book with his remarkably funny illustrations. The illustrations in the chapter on Walls are beyond hilarious.

On the whole, this book is tremendous. Dave Barry makes the most difficult task seem easy, mainly because it is physically impossible to perform them, but it still makes for great reading. This book is a can't miss, and sure to make you laugh.