Not a fact to be found

Sometimes you just need a little junk food for your brain — what my dad calls “popcorn books” — and Dave Barry is always a good source for that kind of nonsense. You can read a few pages, set it down, and come back to it whenever.

I’ve reviewed Dave Barry collections here before, and there’s nothing really new to say. This one’s a collection of articles, no more than a couple pages each, published in 1993. He groups them by general categories: healthy habits, home maintenance, etc. The humor holds up pretty well, although he makes a lot of Reagan jokes. Like, a lot. But they’re funny, and he’s funny, and he provides a lot of good advice. For instance, we should all stop paying our taxes, because if the government had less money to spend, then they’d make better use of what they have. Just don’t call Barry for bail money when the IRS throws you in prison. Or how to fix that loud noise your car is making by turning up the radio (definitely my style of auto maintenance). Barry makes for a great break from the serious stuff, although I wouldn’t recommend leaving the book on your bedside table — that cover will give you nightmares.