Homes and Other Black Holes

This is one of the funniest Dave Barry books that I've ever read, and I've read most of them. The experiences of looking for, purchasing, outfitting, and maintaining a home are described in accurate and hilarious detail. If you want a book to lift your spirits, this one will do very well.

Dave Barry is always funny, but in this book, he is mind-bogglingly hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing, and when I tried to read my favorite parts to friends, I couldn't get the words out for all the hilarity. If you've ever had to go through a move, you will appreciate Barry's insights and observations. This book is classic Dave Barry. I've had my copy for at 20 years, and I still laugh at the jokes. Money well spent for the decades of enjoyment.

If you have ever moved, chances are that you never want to do it again. And Dave Barry is quite willing to remind you why moving is such a hideous experience, and why if you ever get the urge to do it again, you should lock yourself in a broom closet until your fit of insanity passes.Among other things, Dave explains why your furniture takes so long to arrive (it involves primitive harvesters in the jungle) and why you will hate it when it arrives; what is and is not a good neighborhood ("I [heart] my Pit Bull" is bad); the horrifying thing called a mortgage; home repair and why you should not do it yourself; making enemies with your neighbors and their big savage dogs; garage sales; moving stuff out of your old house ("Tropical fish should be individually wadded up in newspaper") and into your new house ("... which will give your possessions an opportunity to scurry, giggling, back out to the truck so that you may carry them inside again").Basically, if the idea of moving doesn't scare you before you read the book, it definitely will afterwards. Dave explains in horribly, humorously accurate descriptions, just what will happen when you try to move from one house to another. His viewpoint is only warped by the bizarre mindset of one who has tried to move and is still scarred by the experience. So if you ever look around your house and think that you need more space, or a chance of scenery, have the doctor prescribe you something. But only after you've read this book.

If you've ever bought a home or you work in real estate, you will find this especially funny because it hits so close to....uh, home. And it's a short book too, so it'll be a nice quick read to fit into your busy schedule.

This is one of Dave's funniest books, and, as always, it's well worth the money. Read it. Because where else could you find an auther who writes about plumbing and gorilla nests in the same book??!