Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys (Mass Market Paperback)

by Dave Barry (Author) "GUYS HAVE PLAYED an important role in history, but this role has not been given the attention it deserves, because nobody wrote it down..." (more)
Key Phrases: guy behavior, loose objects, Smart Woman, Larry Bird, Mother's Day (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"[A] laugh-out-loud book."
--People

"AN AVERAGE OF THREE TO FOUR LAUGHS PER PAGE . . . DAVE BARRY IS ONE FUNNY HUMAN."
--San Francisco Examiner -- Review

Review
"[A] laugh-out-loud book."
--People

"AN AVERAGE OF THREE TO FOUR LAUGHS PER PAGE . . . DAVE BARRY IS ONE FUNNY HUMAN."
--San Francisco Examiner

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345440633
• ISBN-13: 978-0345440631
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,322 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like Bringing a Doctor's Note to Your Boss, March 14, 2001

By	Kevin Barrack (San Mateo, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As has been noted in many reviews, this book is stuffed full of incredibly funny stories, and even if you rarely laugh out loud (like me), you probably will a few times during this book.

There are also some passages that are so eerily realistic, and so intimate, in their depiction of the guy psyche, that they read more like a documentary than a humorous editorial. You can almost imagine David Attenborough crouching down in the corner of the men's room, whispering, "Here we see the males of the species gathering to dispense of liquid waste at a row of urinals, but if you think their choice of urinal location is careless, you'd be wrong...." There really is a detailed explanation of urinal etiquette that is dead on the mark for accuracy, and part of the humor was sharing it with my incredulous wife, who had no concept of this hidden facet of male society.

There are also parts of the book that I cannot empathize with at all, such as the sections talking about sports fanaticism. Nonetheless, just as my wife laughed at the inanity of urinal etiquette that she had no experience with, I found the unfamiliar topics just as funny as the anecdotes I could directly relate to. Dave's story of his rivalry with opposing fans at a Celtics game is one of my favorites in all his writing.

As always, the foibles are presented in a good-natured way which both the guilty and innocent should equally enjoy. This book can also be a good ego booster, since every man should be able to find at least one passage where he can say "At least I never did that!"

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps The Funniest Book I've Ever Read, May 30, 2002

By	Noel (Ch'ville, VA USA) - See all my reviews

Dave Barry's Complete Guide To Guys is, quite possibly, the most hilarious book I have ever read. Basically, Barry sums up all the stereotypes involving guys, not men, guys. Every page made me laugh out loud. I never got tired of it. I found myself nodding in recognition at almost everything written while I laughed until I cried. One of my personal favorite things that Dave Barry does in this book is his spectacular use of footnotes. He will have a sentence followed by a number corresponding to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It is always something hilariously random with very funny shock value. Dave Barry also includes many wonderful anecdotes on actual experiences with guy behavior, such as a bizarrely idiotic club initiation and an organization known as the Chicagoland Corvair Enthusiasts just to list a few. Anybody who is a fan of gender-related humor, either a guy or a gal, is sure to get a kick out of this fantastically entertaining work of literature.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gut-busting laughs, August 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dave Barry's Guide to Guys (Unabr) (Audio Cassette)

This book had me CRYING at times, it was so funny! My husband has had this book for a few years and let me read it to "explain" how it wasn't his fault that he does braindead things...because he's a guy. After reading this book, I still think that he's clueless most of the time, but I enjoy it more. =) This book is the funniest thing I have ever read...make sure you don't read it with someone in your home or they'll get mad at you for laughing so hard! Seriously, ya gotta buy this book...I've never thought male stupidity could be so entertaining!!