Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States

I bought this book years ago before a plane trip to Boston. I was glad I was on a prop plane that was very noisy, because I was laughing out loud and no one could hear me. This book is an absolute riot, even if you don't know American history well (although it's definitely funnier if you do). I used to have a large collection of Dave Barry's books and stopped collecting after his "Dave Barry Does Japan" flop, but this is easily... Read Full Review

Pulitzer Prize winning humor columnist Dave Barry set out to write a American history book that would be accessible to lay people. How did he accomplish this? For one thing, there are no dates to memorize, unlike the ones that menaced us in school. Or rather there is a single date (Oct. 8) for all important events, so chosen because it's his son's birthday. Another way, this book is different is that it has left out the... Read Full Review

Although American history is not a book, everyone and anyone who fancies themself a buff on the subject should take the time to read Dave Barry's tome, which quite possibly remains the funniest book he has written to date. Barry's aim is to eliminate the "boring method" of eternally droning textbooks and replace it with a simplified system, in which every critical event occurs on October 8. (He arrived at this date after "considering... Read Full Review

I love American History and the more you know about it, the funnier this book is. Dave Barry's at his finest in this book and it's a must have for any Dave Barry fan or U.S. History buff. I read this book when I was taking AP US History in high school and laughed my head off. If you love history you'll appreciate it. If you think that it's the most painfully boring subject ever, this book making fun it will help you endure... Read Full Review

For sheer gut busting laughs, this is the funniest book I've read. You do need some knowledge of American history to appreciate a lot of the satire, but it's a riot on any level. "Science Made Stupid" (not by Dave Barry) comes in a close second.