Dave Barry's Money Secrets
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Funny money
REVIEW BY DEANNA LARSON Infomercial, shminfomercial: everything you need to know to get rich quick, or die laughing, is contained in Dave Barry's Money Secrets. Barry, the Pulitzer Prize-winning humor writer and former Miami Herald columnist, knows that most of us are completely overwhelmed by the glut of personal finance books and yakking economist-pundits. He dumbs it all down in the complete goofus guide to corporations ("the critical role of office furniture"), the U.S. economy ("Adam Sandler is involved") and personal finance topics such as teaching children about money ("let the little bastards starve"); health care ("you'll need some leeches"); starting your own business ("harness the awesome power of human stupidity"); and saving money on travel ("good luck"). Detailed charts and graphs and photo collages provide more hilarity, and a tiny picture of overbearing personal-finance guru Suze Orman pops up as a punch line throughout the book. Barry's explanations for his theories are the highlight of the ride, including why the back of the dollar has a pyramid and a giant eyeball (this replaced an owl standing on an elephant, which was too difficult to engrave); and why Presbyterians like himself can't negotiate with shark-like car salesmen without the help of people like Gene Weingarten, a friend who would "rather undergo a vasectomy with a WeedEater than purchase undercoating."
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