Dave Barry's Money Secrets: Like: Why Is There a Giant Eyeball on the Dollar?

Written by Dave Barry

Narrated by Dick Hill

Did you ever wish that you really understood money? Well, Dave Barry wishes that he did, too. But that hasn’t stopped him from writing a book about how to understand money. In it, Dave explores (as only he can) such topics as

· How the U.S. economy works, including the often-overlooked role of Adam Sandler.
· Why it is not a good idea to use squirrels for money.
· Strategies that will give you the confidence you need to try for a good job, even though you are, let's be honest, a no-talent loser.
· Why corporate executives, simply by walking into their offices, immediately become much stupider.
· An absolutely foolproof system for making money in the stock market, requiring only a little effort (and access to time travel).
· Surefire tips for buying and selling real estate, the key one being: Never buy, or for that matter sell, real estate.
· How to minimize your federal taxes, safely and legally, by cheating.
· Why good colleges cost so much, and how to make sure your child does not get into one.
· How to reduce the cost of your medical care by basically not getting any.
· Estate planning, especially the often-overlooked financial benefits of early death.

But that's only the beginning! Dave has also included in this book all of the important points in a book written by Donald Trump, so you don't have to read it yourself. Plus he explains how to tip; how to negotiate for everything, including bridge tolls; how to argue with your spouse about money; and how much allowance to give your children (three dollars is plenty). He also presents, for the first time in print anywhere, the Car Dealership Code of Ethics ("Ethic Seven: The customer is an idiot"). Also there are many gratuitous references to Angelina Jolie naked. You can't afford NOT to buy this book! Probably you need several.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jan 17, 2006
• ISBN: 9781597371698

Dave Barry

Dave Barry is a Pulitzer-Prize winning columnist and author who wrote a nationally syndicated humor column for the Miami Herald for more than twenty years. Barry has written several best-selling books of humor and parody, as well as comic novels and children's books, including Claw Your Way to the Top, Dave Barry Is from Mars and Venus, Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up, and Dave Barry Talks Back.

Reviews for Dave Barry's Money Secrets

[estellechauvelin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dave Barry is funny as always, but this book seems to lose focus and get (really far) off the topic on a regular basis. Good material, doesn't always go with the theme.

[kyuuketsukirui · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Dave Barry. This book had me in tears of laughter nearly the whole time.

[Josh Noyes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Humorous and adroitly observant, Barry continues to be funny and helpful. Well, helpful-ish.

[treebeard_404 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Standard Dave Barry fare. The narrator for this version does an excellent interpretation.

[wdwilson3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of Barry's funniest books, all original material.

[unreachableshelf · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dave Barry is funny as always, but this book seems to lose focus and get (really far) off the topic on a regular basis. Good material, doesn't always go with the theme.

[davidssa_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dave Barry puts out two kinds of books. The first being collections of previously written columns, the second (which this books falls under) is original material. I seem to enjoy his original work better than his columns. Maybe it's because he's allowed to go all out with no restraints. Nonetheless, this book doesn't disappoint. With the economy like it is today, it is a great relief to be able to laugh about it (and you may actually learn a little bit, too!). Highlights for me are the sections on the history of money as well as the constant references to our favorite financial guru, Suze Orman.

[libmhleigh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am not a fan of Dave Barry, I really have no knowledge of Dave Barry (sorry!) so I picked up this book with no idea what it was going to be like except that 1) it was about money and 2) it was probably comedic, judging from the cover. Well, I found it to be completely hysterical- laughing out loud, rolling on the floor, and fairly relevant to real life (such as, what AM I going to do with the thousands of pennies that have been collecting in that jar since the dawn of time in the hopes that they would one day pay for a trip to Disney World). The ratio of funny to actually true was not exactly what I was expected (there was so little that was actually true that when I stumbled across something I BELIEVED to be true, it immediately forced me to reconsider whether I actually knew it to be true at all), but that’s not the point. The point is, if you want to read a book actually about economics that is also vaguely entertaining, read Freakonomics. If you just want a good laugh, the occasional picture of Donald Trump, and the frequent reference to Angelina Jolie (occasionally naked), stick with Money Secrets.

[ursula_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I remember enjoying Dave Barry's columns, and this book reminded me of why I did. However, reading this in only a couple of sittings is probably not the best method, as the humor becomes a little predictable.