Friday, August 12, 2011

Dave Barry’s Money Secrets

"A great read that sums up our relationship with money, but..."

Like most people, I have rather peculiar relationship with my income. From asking the classic, rhetorical question of "where does it all go" despite knowing the answer to paying those annoying things that come in the mail each month called bills, there is no doubt that money makes the world go round. Outside the fact one never seems to have enough of it, it's certain that there are certain money-related situations we've all faced. It’s these near-universal experiences that Dave Barry tackles in "Money Secrets" with a sarcastic whit that unapologetically shows how silly our material-fueled existence really is.

While pointing at all the stupid things we do with our money and how dumb it is for little slips of paper to hold so much theoretical value that we would lie, cheat or blindly run onto a busy freeway for it, there's something brutally honest about Barry's observations. From the stupefying effects an excess of wood furniture has on the executives of a failing corporation to the differing priorities men and women have concerning the various aspects of married life, there’s rarely a moment were he doesn't hit the nail on the head.

CONCLUSION:

Unfortunately, as high as "Money Secrets" climbs, it comes does come with a sense of disappointment. Given that I was so smitten over this release, I was more than eager to check out additional works by Barry. Sadly, I would end up somewhat dissatisfied with "History of the Millennium" and "Boogers are My Beat," giving me the impression that "Money Secrets" is the exception not the standard when it comes to Barry's writing and has made me wary of purchasing any additional books. Despite such uncertainties, I can’t recommend this one enough and it’s easily a highlight amongst the books on my shelf.

Overall Score: 10/10

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