Dave Barry Turns 50

Usually I prefer Barry's columns, but this is a terrific read. It's unexpectedly informative, because he includes some terrific history. I love thinking about how he'd react to hearing that the decade he grew up in is history to me. And guess what? I'm not young. But read this book anyway. It's fun and funny and will make you feel a little better about your inevitable decay.

Great fun for Baby Boomers! Barry starts with 1947 and reviews the "highlights" of each year until 1974, then continues with eight other chapters covering retirement, staying young, and other helpful hints for aging gracefully. Or not.

A bit of a disappointment; not nearly as funny as Dave Barry Turns 40. More a review of the years during which Dave grew u (if he can be said to have done so) than anything about turning 50. Some humorous observations about the sixties, but some of the material appears to be recycled. Not one of his better books.

Not Dave's funniest book: mostly a list of fads in the years when one born in 1947 was young. And sometimes he doesn't even try to be funny, like when he is on the theme of draft dodging during the Vietnam war; here he tries to be very unfunny and succeeds.
A few intermittent laughs is in there though, and a bit of sweet nostalgia for baby boomers too.

A light but entertaining read. I read this in snippets, but had a good laugh with it.

For Linda and Floyd, my
absolute closest personal friends-
All the best,
Dave Barry

p.s. Thanks for dinner.