Dave Barry Turns Fifty

By Dave Barry

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist comes a celebration of the aging process. Not just Dave's, but that of the whole Baby Boom Generation--those millions of us who set a standard for whining self-absorption that will never be equaled, and who gave birth to such stunning accomplishments as Saturday Night Live!, the New Age movement, and call waiting. Here Dave pinpoints the glaring signs that you've passed the half-century mark:

- You are suddenly unable to read anything written in letters smaller than Marlon Brando.
- You have accepted the fact that you can't possibly be hip. You don't even know if "hip" is the right word for hip anymore, and you don't care.
- You remember nuclear-attack drills at school wherein you practiced protecting yourself by crouching under your desk, which was apparently made out of some kind of atomic-bomb-proof wood.
- You can't name the secretary of defense, but you can still sing the Mister Clean song.

So pop open a can of Geritol®, kick back in that recliner, grab those reading glasses, and let the good times roll--before they roll right over you!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Dec 29, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307778048

Dave Barry

Dave Barry is the author of more bestsellers than you can count on two hands, including Lessons from Lucy, Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys, Dave Barry Turns Forty, and Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up. A wildly popular syndicated columnist best known for his booger jokes, Barry won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for commentary. He lives in Miami.

Reviews for Dave Barry Turns Fifty

[shabacus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Make no mistake -- this is not a book about turning 40. This is a book about Baby Boomers turning 40. The generation aspect is rife throughout the book, drowning out any reflections that might be more timeless. In fact, when Barry does attempt to find something that applies to all generations, it often is more typical of his generation than his age. I read this upon turning 40 myself, and I couldn't help but remark at how little really felt familiar.One thing to be aware of -- the typical hyperbolic humor holds for 95% of the book, but a section of the penultimate chapter gets unexpectedly real, dealing with his mother's depression and suicide. It was out of place, but an utterly beautiful passage that is worth the price of the book.Recommended for Boomers who want to remember the glory days of their forties, not for Gen X'ers or Millennials reaching that age.

[sharonk21 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I lived in a three-story apartment building when I read this book. I cannot think of another book that literally made me laugh out loud so uproarously or for so long. I couldn't put it down so kept reading far into the night, cackling and screaming throughout the entire Saturday night. The neighbors above, below, and on each side thereafter looked at me dubiously, wondering, I could tell, just *what* had been going in my apartment that night.