Book Review: Dave Barry's Money Secrets
Fans of Dave Barry were left out in the cold a year ago when the popular humor writer retired from his weekly syndicated column. (Well… technically he went “on hiatus,” but it’s been over a year and there’s no buzz of a return. Until I hear differently, he's retired.) Devotees of Barry’s particular brand of offbeat wit would have to wait for him to return to the bookstore shelves for their latest fix… which he’s finally done with Dave Barry’s Money Secrets (Like: Why is There a Giant Eyeball on the Dollar?).
People who turn to this book for actual advice on investments or tax preparation will find themselves broke (and possibly indicted). People who turn to the book for a few laughs will find themselves pretty well satisfied.
Barry’s book lampoons the entire economic system, with chapter titles like “How Money Works (Or: Everybody Clap for Tinker Bell!)” and “Planning For Your Retirement (The Financial Advantages of Early Death)”, and tackling every topic in-between. How do you provide for your child’s college education? Encourage low grades and get them into the school with the longest name. Want to start your own business? Use the stupidity of the bottled water industry as your template.
Barry similarly tackles subjects like running your own business, investing in the stock market, buying a home and saving money while traveling. With advice like gathering information on the best performing stocks of the last 25 years and then building a time machine to go back and invest in them, it’s not a book that will make you rich… but it will make you laugh.
Barry has ventured into the realm of fiction in recent years, with his novels Big Trouble and Tricky Business, and even into children’s fiction with Peter and the Starcatchers - a prequel to Peter Pan co-written with Ridley Pearson. While Barry’s fiction is entertaining and fun, pure humor is where he made his mark, and where he really shines. While this isn’t quite as good as some of his greatest works, like Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys, it outshines some of his other recent efforts (Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway, for instance).
Bottom line - if you’re a fan of Dave Barry, this book will make you laugh. If you’ve ever dealt with money and you still have a sense of humor about it, this book will make you laugh too.
People who turn to this book for actual advice on investments or tax preparation will find themselves broke (and possibly indicted). People who turn to the book for a few laughs will find themselves pretty well satisfied.
Barry’s book lampoons the entire economic system, with chapter titles like “How Money Works (Or: Everybody Clap for Tinker Bell!)” and “Planning For Your Retirement (The Financial Advantages of Early Death)”, and tackling every topic in-between. How do you provide for your child’s college education? Encourage low grades and get them into the school with the longest name. Want to start your own business? Use the stupidity of the bottled water industry as your template.
Barry similarly tackles subjects like running your own business, investing in the stock market, buying a home and saving money while traveling. With advice like gathering information on the best performing stocks of the last 25 years and then building a time machine to go back and invest in them, it’s not a book that will make you rich… but it will make you laugh.
Barry has ventured into the realm of fiction in recent years, with his novels Big Trouble and Tricky Business, and even into children’s fiction with Peter and the Starcatchers - a prequel to Peter Pan co-written with Ridley Pearson. While Barry’s fiction is entertaining and fun, pure humor is where he made his mark, and where he really shines. While this isn’t quite as good as some of his greatest works, like Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys, it outshines some of his other recent efforts (Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway, for instance).
Bottom line - if you’re a fan of Dave Barry, this book will make you laugh. If you’ve ever dealt with money and you still have a sense of humor about it, this book will make you laugh too.