Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
149th out of 820 books
—
1,021 voters
Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up
You can't make this stuff up! Dave Barry would never lie--and here are the real life, laugh-out-loud stories from across America to prove it: a U.S. Supreme Court justice shares his remedy for preventing gas ("I had not realized that this was a matter of concern in the highest levels of government"); a newspaper headline in Ohio announces the combustibility of strawberry P...more
Paperback, 244 pages
Published
February 27th 2001
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1994)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
This book is a collection of Dave Barry's best and funniest columns. They range from hilarious to quite serious and cover every subject imaginable.[return][return]He talks about a science fair project with ants for his son's school, snakes and other animals coming out of toilets, loud passengers on airplanes, pop-tarts blowing up toasters and setting houses on fire, boating trips to Bimini, UFOs in Florida, circumcision, Zebra mussels in bras, burglar alarms, criminals in New York, worst songs a...more
This book is a collection of Dave's columns based around real-life things and events. Naturally it's largely humour, but has a few serious moments--an exploration of the Elvis phenomenon, a visit to Hong Kong before its reversion to China's rule, and Dave's twelve-year-old son being hit by a car.
I was interested to find that this somewhat tied into the last book (The Mothman Prophecies)--one article was about a rash of UFO sightings in Florida, with some direct quotes from some of John Keel's bo...more
I was interested to find that this somewhat tied into the last book (The Mothman Prophecies)--one article was about a rash of UFO sightings in Florida, with some direct quotes from some of John Keel's bo...more
Incredibly funny—Dave Barry is Not Making This Up—Dave Barry is the sort of person you’d love to sit close enough to eavesdrop on at a dinner party, but not close enough that you’d end up being in one of his stories. I particularly enjoyed invasion of the money snatchers: a story of a bunch of old guys trying to do the right thing by declaring income from a lottery win and ending up being sued by the government for money well in excess of what was won. The chapters are different 2-4 page article...more
I came away from this book more convinced than ever that with DB, it's simply a matter of "the shorter the funnier". The REALLY LONG chapters (Elvis fans, and Trip to China, for example) = major snooze fest. The Lawn Rangers bit, also pretty nap-worthy. However I think I just should've put it down and come back to it a few more times rather than just go hell for leather and knock the whole thing off in one go. Because his formula can get boring if you don't take it in short, clean breaks.
In my...more
In my...more
You can't read this book and wonder why Barry is one of the leading humor writers in the world; his writing is riddled with laugh-out-loud gems. It usually takes a lot to make me laugh, but this book had me quaking with giggles so often I had to stop reading it at night, so I wouldn't wake my husband. The two longer chapters - one on UFOs and the other Elvis fans - aren't as funny, but show off Barry's talent as a more "serious" writer, and are still entertaining in their own right.
This book is...more
This book is...more
A friend gave us tickets to hear Dave Barry speak at a Celebrity Forum in May. In anticipation of the event, I got this audiobook from the library so we could listen during our drive to Lake Tahoe. The introductions are read by Dave Barry and the stories themselves are read by Arte Johnson (remember "Laugh-In"?). The stories vary, but some are laugh-out-loud funny. Even my reticent husband was really laughing at some of the stories, especially those we could relate to like the airplane passenger...more
Would I Lie To You?
Dave Barry tells it like it is…kind of.
Dave Barry
Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up
Ballantine Books, 1994
Dave Barry draws from his experience as a Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist and extracts the humor from everyday life. He counts on his readers to assist him in gathering any news or events of great importance: UFO sightings, Elvis giving tours of Graceland, and high-top sneakers with air pumps. One can’t forget the invention of Beano, either. Although presumably silly, each o...more
Dave Barry tells it like it is…kind of.
Dave Barry
Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up
Ballantine Books, 1994
Dave Barry draws from his experience as a Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist and extracts the humor from everyday life. He counts on his readers to assist him in gathering any news or events of great importance: UFO sightings, Elvis giving tours of Graceland, and high-top sneakers with air pumps. One can’t forget the invention of Beano, either. Although presumably silly, each o...more
I remembered Dave Barry as being more funny (lol funny) recalling when I read him as a kid. But I also recall thinking that comics were amusing as well. He is a good writer but sad to say I cannot avoid comparing him to David Sedaris. I was looking for that funny-but-more-than-a-clever-chuckle kind. My wife and I would crack up at David Sedaris. But alas, Barry's stories were fairly interesting but more clever and amusing than really funny that I was looking for.
I just needed to laugh and nod my head, and this is one I hadn't read. There are a few Barry collections out there like that, but I don't make any effort to get at them. Like with David Sedaris, I'm scared to be all done.
Now, for needing to just laugh, I go to Barry. For liking some grittiness and touched-ness in there, I go to Sedaris. But damned if Dave Barry didn't almost make me cry.
These humor people, they get me.
Now, for needing to just laugh, I go to Barry. For liking some grittiness and touched-ness in there, I go to Sedaris. But damned if Dave Barry didn't almost make me cry.
These humor people, they get me.
I have to include this because Dave Barry actually taught me how to be a satirist. Yeah...not Jonathan Swift, Dave Barry. My English teacher introduced me to him when I was in high school and asked me to start imitating his style. From essentially directly biting off of him, I was able to shape my own writing style and become an effective (and in some circles, popular!) satirist in my own regard. Thanks, Dave!
This was a rather average read. There were some absolutely laugh-out-loud parts, but by and large, he was only mildly amusing, and, during his longer essays, completely boring. I skipped tracks for his longer articles because he completely loses his humour in them. But, then there were parts where my guffaws filled every space in my car. Overall, a mediocre read.
I have this one on my nightstand for nights when I am too worried to go to sleep. The short essays in the book are perfect for giving me something to read to make me laugh and relax me. Yet they are not the long story that will keep me reading until the wee hours of the morning. I have read this so many times I practically have it memorized. Love it.
I love Dave Berry. He makes me smile. He makes me laugh so hard I cry. And sometimes he makes me think. He can be tender and serious, as this book proves out. But mostly he just makes me happy. Sometimes I just can't take another heavy book, and I need a little fun and lightness in my life. That is the time to turn to Dave Barry.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Loved the way Dave Barry can take a mundane thing like driving a boat to an island and turn it into a hilarious experience.
This book was written over 20 years ago, so it is also interesting to read his insights into topics such as mainland China and compare it to what I see today.
This book was written over 20 years ago, so it is also interesting to read his insights into topics such as mainland China and compare it to what I see today.
Laughed out loud in MANY places in this collection of essays. My mom checked it out for me while home, and it was a great thing to read during slow times. Definitely think reading funny essays is a good way to become a better writer. We'll see though!
Dave Barry is funny, as usual, in this collection of his columns. I skipped the longer chapters--just wasn't in the mood. However, the rest of the book had me laughing out loud. I love the way DB starts a thought, and gives it an unexpected comic twist at the end. Love when he writes about his moronic dogs.
This is my least favorite Dave Barry book I've read so far, but it's still good. He had some longer articles in here that weren't funny, but he made up for it in the last 3rd of the book with some good stuff. This is some of his earlier work. I believe '94 was the publication year.
I love Dave Barry-- he cracks me up! I will actually laugh out loud while reading. He's not profane or lewd, just funny to the max! If you've never had the pleasure of reading his work, you should!
About half of the essays were funny enough to make me laugh out loud. Half were okay. Oh, and the pages of the book stunk. I think that's an International Literary Convention violation. Come on, APL!
Fun. My parents read him a lot when I was a kid. It's silly, but cute. This book has a piece that is a description of Hong Kong before the hand over. Interesting in retrospect.
Somewhat outdated, due to its publication date, but still, some things never change. Very clever in his observations of the world and its foibles and exceptionally adept with hilarious turns of phrase. I've read a couple of his novels, too, and I'd recommend his books to anyone with a working sense of humor.
As always Dave Berry makes me laugh. I would give it a 4 as there is not much depth but since I am from Florida stories about how crazy it is there are dear to my heart.
a collection of Dave Barry's newspaper articles and essays. Very humorous. I didn't find it as 'laugh out loud' funny as I find his novels though.
Another audio book for a long trip. This book was entertaining and made me chuckle a few times...easy listening and a nice distraction.
I just don't find this guy funny. Simple as that. I started to wonder if I just didn't have a funnybone while reading this book.
I laughed myself sick (again) reading his worst songs ever articles. I still miss him in the Sunday papers. signed, an Alert Reader
I love Dave Berry - SO funny. A good read in pieces, but got a little repetitive reading it straight through.
Aug 16, 2012
Natalie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
funny-zany-satirical-wild
Written by Dave Barry, read by the legendary Arte Johnson. Listened to it a billion times.
Hilarious anti-journalist. Full of great non-sequiturs and entertaining psychobabble.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Dave Barry is a humor columnist. 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 a total of 30 books, although virtually none of them contain useful information. Two of his books were used as...more
More about Dave Barry...
Dave has also written a total of 30 books, although virtually none of them contain useful information. Two of his books were used as...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
