Dave Barry's Greatest Hits [Mass Market Paperback]

Dave Barry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 1997

WHEN DAVE BARRY IS ON THE LOOSE, NO ONE IS SAFE!

What Dave Barry did for the men's movement in his Complete Guide to Guys and for foreign relations when he did Japan he now does for . . . everything in America. The rapacious observer of Tupperware ladies and leisure concept salesmen sounds off on:

Football--Football is more than just a game. It is a potential opportunity to see a live person lying on the ground with a bone sticking out of his leg, while the fans, to show their appreciation, perform "the wave."

Sailing--There's nothing quite like getting out on the open sea, where you can forget about the hassles and worries of life on land, and concentrate on the hassles and worries of life on the sea, such as death by squid.

Gambling--Off-Track Betting parlors are the kinds of places where you never see signs that say, "Thank You for Not Smoking." The best you can hope for is, "Thank You for Not Spitting Pieces of Your Cigar on My Neck."

"The good news: he's funny as ever. The bad news: the book is only 304 pages."
--Los Angeles Daily News

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A Greatest Hits package to die for, in which the inimitable, Pulitzer-packing humorist applies himself to taxes, toilets, airbags, baseball, beer commercials, and numerous other American artifacts. A typical bit, from a piece on legalized gambling: "Off-Track Betting parlors are the kinds of places where you never see signs that say, 'Thank You for Not Smoking.' The best you could hope for is, 'Thank You for Not Spitting Pieces of Your Cigar on My Neck.'" Happy? There's plenty more where that came from. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Miami Herald syndicated columnist Barry has a captivatingly zany sense of humor, shown off to advantage in this collection of his pieces, which range from a report on his rock band, "The Urban Professionals," noted for their song about Tupperware, to one about the stupidity of his pets. He writes of our inability to forget the most embarrassing moments of our past, the anguish of teaching his son to fish, dealing with the irrational elements in some religions, and the differences between men and women in both playing and observing sports. The funniest essay is "Can New York Save Itself?" written in response to a New York Times article, "Can Miami Save Itself?" Anyone who has ever had misadventures in the Big Apple will find this on the mark.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (April 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345419995
• ISBN-13: 978-0345419996
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Humor > Political
  • #14 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Humor > Essays
  • #28 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Humor > Parodies

More About the Author

The New York Times has pronounced Dave Barry "the funniest man in America." But of course that could have been on a slow news day when there wasn't much else fit to print. True, his bestselling collections of columns are legendary, but it is his wholly original books that reveal him as an American icon. Dave Barry Slept Here was his version of American history. Dave Barry Does Japan was a contribution to international peace and understanding from which Japan has not yet fully recovered. Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys is among the best-read volumes in rehab centers and prisons. Raised in a suburb of New York, educated in a suburb of Philadelphia, he lives now in a suburb of Miami. He is not, as he often puts it so poetically, making this up.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of his best., October 19, 2000

By 

James Yanni (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dave Barry's Greatest Hits (Mass Market Paperback)

In spite of the fact that it does not seem, to the best of my knowledge, to conform to the usual format of "Greatest Hits" collections, ie it does not seem to be a gathering of excerpts from other books, this does truly seem to justify its title; this is in fact one of the best collections of Dave Barry's humor columns, and I've read almost all of his books and as many of his columns as I've been able to find.

On a par with "Dave Barry Talks Back", "Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up", and "Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need".

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frickin' Hilarious, October 9, 2002

By 

Jesse Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dave Barry's Greatest Hits (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm only 14. Maybe a weird 14 year-old, but still only 14. And even I can see that this guy is absolutely hilarious. Not for everyone, but for most people. He takes all the things in life that are stupid but that we sort of ignore and exposes them. He exaggerates everything about them completely, but at the same time isnt far from the truth. He covers everything from commercials to wine experts. If youve ever read a Dave Barry column and liked it you should get this for sure.

Closing comments:I would like to hear Daves old rock band.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great laugh in store, August 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Dave Barry's Greatest Hits (Paperback)

Barry's observations are the funniest I have ever read. These selections were first published in the Miami Herald. I usually don't laugh out loud when I read, but this had me howling. All the articles are short and sweet. I was also impressed that he could write about the death of his father in a humorous, yet touching way. Truly a gifted humorist.