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27th out of 39 books
—
33 voters
I'll Mature When I'm Dead: Dave Barry's Amazing Tales of Adulthood
by
Dave Barry
A brilliantly funny exploration of the treacherous state of adulthood by the Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist.
Some people may wonder what this subject has to do with Dave Barry, since Dave's struggled hard against growing up his entire life-but the result is one of the funniest, warmest, most pitch-perfect books ever on that mystifying territory we call "adulthood".
In hi...more
Some people may wonder what this subject has to do with Dave Barry, since Dave's struggled hard against growing up his entire life-but the result is one of the funniest, warmest, most pitch-perfect books ever on that mystifying territory we call "adulthood".
In hi...more
Hardcover, 254 pages
Published
May 4th 2010
by Putnam Adult
(first published 2010)
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I loved listening to Dave Barry's humor as I was doing the Wii game 'Walk it Out.' I lost track of time and took many more steps than I usually do. And I heard most of the jokes, because Dave Barry writes as he speaks, and reads as he writes, which is a good thing in this case.
Some original insights, a lot of clever phrases, a really neat piece on the need of politicians and other people to feel like VIPs at the Republican Convention - good - and a lot of stale 'men are ruled by their dicks' &...more
Some original insights, a lot of clever phrases, a really neat piece on the need of politicians and other people to feel like VIPs at the Republican Convention - good - and a lot of stale 'men are ruled by their dicks' &...more
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One of the back cover blurbs on my ARC of I'll Mature When I'm Dead by Dave Barry states that Dave Barry is "The funniest man in America." Now, I am not quite sure I agree with that, although Barry is quite hilarious. I'm not quite sure how to describe I'll Mature When I'm Dead, as there is no overarching plot and I don't think each piece is considered a short story. I guess one could call this book episodic. There were pieces which had me running to show everyone around me, and pieces which I t...more
It's been a while since I've read Dave Barry, and I'd forgotten how funny he can be when he's on target. His brand of humor may not be for everybody, but I like it. He skewers the current romanitic Vampire novel craze, the TV show "24", the psychological differences between men and women, fatherhood, and dog ownership, just to touch on a few of the high points. He gets serious when writing about colonoscopies and the wedding of his son (well, mostly serious). I'd recommend to anyone looking for...more
I can't lie. Dave Barry is pretty much the reason I wanted to be a writer when I was a kid.
This book was a lot of fun -- the first of his books I've read in years. He is retreading some of the same ground he did in his classic books from the late 80's/early 90's (and it's not as good the second or third time around), but he's still funny and he still writes great sentences. The Twilight satire had me in stitches, and I haven't even read any of Twilight.
This book was a lot of fun -- the first of his books I've read in years. He is retreading some of the same ground he did in his classic books from the late 80's/early 90's (and it's not as good the second or third time around), but he's still funny and he still writes great sentences. The Twilight satire had me in stitches, and I haven't even read any of Twilight.
Dave Barry's piece of literary genius has truly opened my eyes. Less than forty pages in, and I already feel compelled to express my feelings about it.
Firstly, he so clearly explains the concept of DNA. As a woman, I am obviously motivated solely by my naturally nurturing disposition, and I had no idea that men are so simplistically (and logically) driven by their dandelion-like urges. Since these urges, such as checking out the breasts of every woman they pass, and to copulate with absolutely e...more
Firstly, he so clearly explains the concept of DNA. As a woman, I am obviously motivated solely by my naturally nurturing disposition, and I had no idea that men are so simplistically (and logically) driven by their dandelion-like urges. Since these urges, such as checking out the breasts of every woman they pass, and to copulate with absolutely e...more
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Feb 16, 2012
Noreen Braman
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who needs a good laugh, especially babyboomers.
I love listening to Dave Barry read his own work, it makes me feel like I am swapping stories with an old friend. And, typical of those "old friend" conversations, topics will sometimes cover familiar ground. But also true of those "old friend" conversations, I laugh at the same stories and revel in the new ones.
Barry hits some high points here, with his vampire love story parody and his too-near-the-truth tale of the state of American health care. He includes here his previously-published colon...more
Barry hits some high points here, with his vampire love story parody and his too-near-the-truth tale of the state of American health care. He includes here his previously-published colon...more
I did a lot of driving over the last three days, and wanted something light to listen to. So I selected this book by Dave Barry. It was a great choice. I laughed out loud so many times I can't count them. I had to drive through a particularly bad stretch of road during a snow storm which just happens to be a place where I was once in a bad wreck (in a snow storm). Yeh, I slowed down, and my knuckles were white, but I kept on laughing at Dave. I made it through the scary part of the Interstate an...more
This is the first book from Dave Barry I've read, and it will most likely be the last. From reading the reviews of the book on this website and always seeing this book displayed at bookstores, I expected some really funny writing. Sadly, while Dave Barry can turn a few witty phrases (I did enjoy reading the jacket cover; it made me excited to read the book), overall he did not impress me.
The biggest problem I had with the book is that it felt unoriginal. Barry's stories about his life were fille...more
The biggest problem I had with the book is that it felt unoriginal. Barry's stories about his life were fille...more
I miss Dave Barry's regular columns. Here he is in extended chapter version, which is even more fun, though is a little more PG-13 than the newspaper column. I didn't enjoy his opening gender chapters as much, but some of the others -- on colonoscopy, on kids' soccer, on the newspaper industry a brilliant parody of the Twilight series -- had me laughing out loud. Good, good, good for the soul.
And my very favorite quote is from his technology chapter, where he vamps on social networking:
"In the o...more
And my very favorite quote is from his technology chapter, where he vamps on social networking:
"In the o...more
After reading a lot of heavy duty crime and espionage fiction, I wanted to take a break with something a little lighter, and the new book by humorist Dave Berry was just the ticket. Collecting the short pieces he has written since leaving the Miami Herald, he is in top form skewering everything from male-female relations to the "wedding-industrial complex." Every story in this book has laugh-out-loud moments (don't read it at a coffee shop like I did if you don't want people giving you dirty loo...more
He holds obstinately to male hegemony, itching on rationalizing every behavior of men. Seriously? Men don't put down the cover of toilet because their acclaimed ancient prodecesor have to look around to stay alert of any skirmish attack? Feel so sad for his wife who always ends up being the teasing material for his writing. I bet he would hur hah, sniff and say I am too timid to embrace the wife's code. Well, no, I take it back - his wife is a heroine to bear with his treating-everything-as-funn...more
Mar 04, 2012
Josh
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Dave Barry, anyone with a sense of humor.
Recommended to Josh by:
Brad and Pam Benzing
I've pretty much been a lifelong fan of Dave Barry. My father was the purchasing manager for a major regional bookseller in Miami for many years, and as a result, we had a HUGE library of promotional copies. Barry was one of the more prolific names on the shelves. Whenever Dave wrote a new book, we knew Dad would be bringing home a copy. So I literally grew up reading about exploding toilets. And other humorous, zany things, but the exploding toilets left a lasting impression on me, and I subseq...more
I am a fan of Dave Barry I love his humor while he did and awesome job at most of this book spending 3-4 chapters re-telling (humorously)the twilight series left me scratching my head especially since I have no love for the series to begin with. Not even to make fun of it. However, I loved his humor with most of the book. Warning **** this book will most likely offend a lot of people who take themselves too seriously. My only advice if you get offended is to reread the offensive section as he is...more
There. I added the much-needed "rereading" shelf to my options. If I were a true nerd, I'd have "re-rereading" and "re-re-rereading" shelves; but I've never been one of those people who knows exACTly how many times I've read a book. When it comes to keeping track of that kind of thing, I'm like one of those tribes who only have the numerical concepts of "one," "two," and "many." I know if I've only read a book once, and I generally remember if I've read it twice. After that, it falls into the "m...more
One of the best Dave Barry books in a long time. He is no longer using his newspaper column for book material and even he admits that not being constrained to space limits gives him a bit more freedom. The stories are topical and in some cases, endearing and thoughtful. His faux script for the action series "24" is a must read for any Jack Bauer fan!
Dave Barry materializes like a ghost out of retirement with a new anthology of works about such diverse topics as parenthood, and colonoscopies, with parodies of 24 and Twilight (one of my favorites) thrown in for good measure.
Even though I love Dave Barry, and he's hilarious to the highest degree there were times during the book that he's too clichéd for me. This book is a ideal balance of what Barry does best. Barry is retired from newspaper column writing, so he has freedom to make these essa...more
Even though I love Dave Barry, and he's hilarious to the highest degree there were times during the book that he's too clichéd for me. This book is a ideal balance of what Barry does best. Barry is retired from newspaper column writing, so he has freedom to make these essa...more
Nobody makes me laugh like Dave Barry. I read most of this book either on the train or at a coffee shop, and I got a lot of strange looks and two inquiries as to what could possibly be so funny. (Answer: Everything this man writes, ever.) The fake script for 24 and the fake chapter of Twilight offer hilarious breaks from his usual topics (why men and women do not understand each other, why dogs are awesome and/or stupid, why Miami is weird).
I do understand why people have beef with his assorted...more
I do understand why people have beef with his assorted...more
When I reviewed the last Dave Barry book, I agreed with the suggestion on the cover that you should not read the book in airports. Like walking around talking to no one, which seems to happen more and more these days, sitting in the waiting area laughing, wiping your eyes and trying to breath could attract unwanted attention.
For this book, I would add that if you read it around near a friend or loved one, they may get tired of your constant need to interrupt them to tell them what was so funny....more
For this book, I would add that if you read it around near a friend or loved one, they may get tired of your constant need to interrupt them to tell them what was so funny....more
a mixed bag. while some of barry's essays did make me laugh, several of the jokes on this one just seemed...tired. differences between men and women, first time parenthood, expensive weddings, dog ownership...i feel like i've heard variations on his observations several times before. i skipped "24: the ultimate script" because i've never seen 24 and i got bored. on the other hand: "solving the celebrity problem" (export the kardashians!), "fangs of endearment" (hilarious twilight mockery), and e...more
This is one of the best of Dave Barry's books; almost as good as "Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up" and "Dave Barry's Greatest Hits" and slightly better than "Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need". As such, it's his best book in years.
It's somewhat different than most of his books; while most of his books are reprints of newspaper columns, this book is (except for one piece) previously unpublished material, and as such isn't subject to the length limitations imposed on newspaper colum...more
It's somewhat different than most of his books; while most of his books are reprints of newspaper columns, this book is (except for one piece) previously unpublished material, and as such isn't subject to the length limitations imposed on newspaper colum...more
Aug 18, 2010
Dolly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Dave Barry fans
Shelves:
2010,
christmas,
humor,
pets,
nonfiction,
other-usa,
washington-dc,
short-stories,
poetry-song-music,
parenting,
thanksgiving,
relationships
I love Dave Barry's books. They are snarky, insightful, immature and fun. This book is comprised of a series of stories, most of which are longer than his normal newspaper column, but short enough to read, say, while waiting for the cable lady to fix your cable. The span of topics varies greatly, but they are wildly funny and genuinely speak to his amusement over the quirks of American society. I thought the parodies of the television show 24 and the Twilight franchise were pretty good. And whil...more
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It pains me to give Dave Barry two stars. I mean, he's DAVE BARRY. But I just found this one ... tired. His columns were (for the most part) hysterical because they were fresh and because columns have a sort of impermanent quality that allows lots of room for forgiveness. But a compilation of essays needs to be solid. Really solid. The colonoscopy one was my fave, but I already had read it. (It was the only one that was a reprint.) The rest seemed formulaic.
This one did have one of the best line...more
This one did have one of the best line...more
Dave Barry's I'll Mature When I'm Dead is a laugh-out-loud look at adulthood that is sure to entertain young and old alike. Barry's funniest moments seem to center on the differences between men and women, passages that literally had me in stitches. Another particularly funny essay laments his tendency to be mistaken for Carl Hiaasen. This collection contains all-new content except for one oldie-but-goodie piece on a colonoscopy. Barry makes nods to popular culture with a take on 24 that I found...more
I had, surprisingly, never even heard of Dave Barry before this book. But I was listening to my morning radio station and they interviewed him and he was hysterical. So I decided since his eBook was only $10, why not. He book lived up to his personality.
The very first thing that you need to know about Barry is that his humor plays on stereotypes. If you're someone who gets really offended by stereotypes, you're not going to like him. He even admits at one point that he is stereotyping and he doe...more
The very first thing that you need to know about Barry is that his humor plays on stereotypes. If you're someone who gets really offended by stereotypes, you're not going to like him. He even admits at one point that he is stereotyping and he doe...more
Dave Barry returns with a new collection of humor essays. Written since his retirement from the humor column business, Barry is allowed to write on a subject for as long as he'd like. And, for the most part, it works. Some of the essays overstay their welcome like most SNL skits, these days, but when Barry is on a roll, he's still one of the funniest guys alive.
His parodies of "24" and "Twilight" are perfect, though it's a bit sad to think we'll not see more of Jack Bauer.
The best essay is one...more
His parodies of "24" and "Twilight" are perfect, though it's a bit sad to think we'll not see more of Jack Bauer.
The best essay is one...more
2 likes · like · see review
I may not be literature, but I have always had a soft spot for Dave Barry. His columns, after all, are my main lens for understanding 1980s politics (my parents had a collection of his best hits that was heavy on Lee Iacocca and Iran Contra).
This collection is especially good, because the essays were written for the book rather than for a column, so they are longer and less formulaic.
The pieces are probably for an audience that's more my parents' age than mine, but I still enjoyed them. Especia...more
This collection is especially good, because the essays were written for the book rather than for a column, so they are longer and less formulaic.
The pieces are probably for an audience that's more my parents' age than mine, but I still enjoyed them. Especia...more
Most of the chapters/sections were feeling like they'd been done by Dave times before. And this book is more PG-13 than some of his other books just so you know.
The best part of this one was "Fangs of Endearment: A Vampire Novel"(Twilight parody). Do NOT, under any circumstances, drink anything while reading this. Do not attempt to read this aloud to family members/friends/strangers, as you will be laughing too hard to get the words out. You will ultimately be rolling on the ground, convulsing,...more
I've been reading his books for more than a decade. Since Barry mentions his family now and then, sometimes I feel like I know them. Like a distant relative or something.
Now he's in his 60s. And... WHAT! Rob, his son, is married now? Gosh, soon he'll write about being a granddad! How time flies! His daughter goes to dance recitals now? Whoa!
And I really, really enjoy his parody of Twilight. Well written and true to the original, with tons of adverbs and adjectives.
He might not be your cup of tea...more
Now he's in his 60s. And... WHAT! Rob, his son, is married now? Gosh, soon he'll write about being a granddad! How time flies! His daughter goes to dance recitals now? Whoa!
And I really, really enjoy his parody of Twilight. Well written and true to the original, with tons of adverbs and adjectives.
He might not be your cup of tea...more
During the recent power outage caused by Hurricane Irene, I needed something to take my mind off the fact that I was utterly miserable, which set me to thinking about which authors, in the past, have made me literally lol! I came up with three names: James Thurber, David Sedaris, and Dave Barry. Since I've read all of the Sedaris and Thurber books, I downloaded this one to my Kindle and I was not disappointed. If you've never read Dave Barry, try him. It's observational humor at it's best! His G...more
I love Dave Barry. All in all, he's probably the funniest humor writer that I've read, which isn't saying much because anytime I'm in the mood to read humor I pretty much always read Dave Barry. At any rate, I thought this was an absolutely hilarious book. My absolute favorite part was his spoof of Twilight, which was spot on perfect. The only downside of this book was that I was listening to it on the bus, and it was awkward having everyone watch me while I laughed out loud every minute or two....more
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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 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
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“You would think that, by sheer chance, there would come a time when you daughter's two dances would be close together, ideally near the beginning. But the dance studio makes sure this never happens, using the same computer scheduling program that the cable-TV company uses to make sure that the technician, for whom you have been waiting eleven hours, rings your doorbell only when you have just commenced pooping.”
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