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Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up
by
Dave Barry
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Dave Barry wouldn't 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 combus...more
YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Dave Barry wouldn't 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 combus...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
April 11th 1995
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1994)
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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 Joh...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 Joh...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 ...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.
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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,...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,...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 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!
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.
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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!
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.
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.
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 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.
Good (mostly) clean fun. Slows 3rd quarter but great fun to be had in the rest.
"MISS!!!! CAN WE HAVE SOME BEVERAGE SERVICE?!?1 MISSSSSSS!!!!" A+
His humor is so contiguous, will read more of his work.
dave barry is always funny! and i can always use a laugh!
I have read many of his books. Very funny.
My absolute favorite Dave Barry offering.
Funny bits from Dave Barry.
Although this book is roughly fifteen years old, it's still pretty hilarious. I particularly loved the series of articles on the Worst Song Ever competition and on sailing to the Bahamas. Actually, though, the best essay in the book may be Barry's mostly serious piece about people who love Elvis.
The man cracks me up.
Syndicated columnist and novelist Dave Barry is quite simple one of the most hilarious people in the English speaking world. I picked this book at random, but could have put any of his stuff up, as they're all good for a hearty gut laugh. Not what you'd call terribly deep, but freakin' hilarious and thoroughly entertaining!
I don't really remember which of these books is which, but most of the ones I read are both genuinely amusing and appropriate to admit to being amused by in most settings. I remember his formula becoming boring after a while though. Or maybe his books went downhill over time.
A sentimental favorite because my mom bought it and got it signed by Dave Barry while I was at home recuperating from having my wisdom teeth pulled--and all my friends were celebrating senior week and college graduation. But then it made me laugh, which hurt.
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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 u...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 u...more
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