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Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Humor (2016)A brilliantly funny exploration of the Sunshine State from the man who knows it best: Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times–bestselling author Dave Barry.
We never know what will happen next in Florida. We know only that, any minute now, something will. Every few months, Dave Barry gets a call from some media person wanting to know, “What the hell is wrong with Florida?” Somehow, the state’s acquired an image as a subtropical festival of stupid, and as a loyal Floridian, Dave begs to differ. Sure, there was the 2000 election. And people seem to take their pants off for no good reason. And it has flying insects the size of LeBron James. But it is a great state, and Dave is going to tell you why. Join him as he celebrates Florida from Key West at the bottom to whatever it is that’s at the top, from the Sunshine State’s earliest history to the fun-fair of weirdness and gunfire (“Our motto: ‘Come back! We weren’t firing at you!’”) that it is today.
It’s the most hilarious book yet from “the funniest damn writer in the whole country” (Carl Hiaasen, and he should know). By the end, you’ll have to admit that whatever else you might think about Florida—you can never say it’s boring.
We never know what will happen next in Florida. We know only that, any minute now, something will. Every few months, Dave Barry gets a call from some media person wanting to know, “What the hell is wrong with Florida?” Somehow, the state’s acquired an image as a subtropical festival of stupid, and as a loyal Floridian, Dave begs to differ. Sure, there was the 2000 election. And people seem to take their pants off for no good reason. And it has flying insects the size of LeBron James. But it is a great state, and Dave is going to tell you why. Join him as he celebrates Florida from Key West at the bottom to whatever it is that’s at the top, from the Sunshine State’s earliest history to the fun-fair of weirdness and gunfire (“Our motto: ‘Come back! We weren’t firing at you!’”) that it is today.
It’s the most hilarious book yet from “the funniest damn writer in the whole country” (Carl Hiaasen, and he should know). By the end, you’ll have to admit that whatever else you might think about Florida—you can never say it’s boring.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2016
About the author
Dave Barry
168 books2,071 followersDave Barry is a humor writer. For 25 years he was a syndicated columnist whose work appeared in more than 500 newspapers in the United States and abroad. In 1988 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Many people are still trying to figure out how this happened.
Dave has also written many books, virtually none of which contain useful information. Two of his books were used as the basis for the CBS TV sitcom "Dave's World," in which Harry Anderson played a much taller version of Dave.
Dave plays lead guitar in a literary rock band called the Rock Bottom Remainders, whose other members include Stephen King, Amy Tan, Ridley Pearson and Mitch Albom. They are not musically skilled, but they are extremely loud. Dave has also made many TV appearances, including one on the David Letterman show where he proved that it is possible to set fire to a pair of men's underpants with a Barbie doll.
In his spare time, Dave is a candidate for president of the United States. If elected, his highest priority will be to seek the death penalty for whoever is responsible for making Americans install low-flow toilets.
Dave lives in Miami, Florida, with his wife, Michelle, a sportswriter. He has a son, Rob, and a daughter, Sophie, neither of whom thinks he's funny.
Dave has also written many books, virtually none of which contain useful information. Two of his books were used as the basis for the CBS TV sitcom "Dave's World," in which Harry Anderson played a much taller version of Dave.
Dave plays lead guitar in a literary rock band called the Rock Bottom Remainders, whose other members include Stephen King, Amy Tan, Ridley Pearson and Mitch Albom. They are not musically skilled, but they are extremely loud. Dave has also made many TV appearances, including one on the David Letterman show where he proved that it is possible to set fire to a pair of men's underpants with a Barbie doll.
In his spare time, Dave is a candidate for president of the United States. If elected, his highest priority will be to seek the death penalty for whoever is responsible for making Americans install low-flow toilets.
Dave lives in Miami, Florida, with his wife, Michelle, a sportswriter. He has a son, Rob, and a daughter, Sophie, neither of whom thinks he's funny.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 967 reviews
January 1, 2017
I have long been a fan of Dave Barry. Back when I was a young lad pondering what it was that made women so different from us male types I happened upon this cogent observation by Barry, then a columnist for the Miami Herald.
So when Barry’s publisher announced that he was going to write the definitive book on Florida aimed at correcting everyone’s misconceptions about the state that gave us Miami Vice and President George W. Bush, my immediate response was, ‘Count me it!’
Starting out with the sober dedication ‘To my fellow Floridians. Don’t ever sober up,’ Barry, a longtime resident of the Sunshine State, described how he has in recent years been receiving an ever-growing number of calls from journalists asking what is wrong with Florida. These calls have even been coming from states such as Indiana, the state with ‘people who cannot explain their nickname’ or even Kentucky, once known ‘for having a statewide total of 23 teeth’. And so, ‘without doing any research’ he set out to figure out why all the other states are now laughing at Florida. His answer was quick in coming. It was the presidential election of 2000, where for day after hellish day the nation’s eyes were focused on Florida’s apparent inability to decide who it voted for until finally the “U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a seven to two decision, that Florida should be given back to Spain.”
This event gave the rest of the nation, and may Floridians including Barry, the impression that Florida was a ‘subtropical festival of stupid’ prompting Barry to search, again without research, for a scientific explanation for Florida’s stupidity. He quickly realized that the answer lies in its climate and geography. The warm climate, with the assistance of Disneyworld, attracts millions of visitors each year to Florida. The smart ones usually find their way home but the stupid visitors, not realizing that Florida is surrounded on three sides by water, frequently find themselves unable to locate the exit, as it were, and end up settling in. As explanations go, I found this pretty plausible.
Of course, not all of the people who move to Florida are stupid and Barry takes pains to explain this phenomenon. His chief explanation is that, while states like California, New York and Illinois pay high taxes for their corrupt and inefficient governments, Floridians can enjoy its corrupt and inefficient government for a lot less money.
The last half of the book actually did require Barry to hit the road and do some research. In this section he travels the state visiting and reporting on all of the wonderful places that make Florida unique. These places include:
Tarpon Springs: The Sponge Capital of the World,
Cassadaga: the Psychic Capital of the World,
And, of course, Gatorland, ‘The Alligator Capital of the World’ and ‘home of the Screamin Gator Zip Line’.
With all of these world capitals, it’s surprising that Florida has any room left for any other attractions but Barry manages to find some. There’s Dave Shealy’s Skunk Ape Research Center, and the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, home of the World-Famous Weeki Wachee Mermaids .
For those who read this book and decide that Florida is the place to be, Barry also paid a visit to The Villages, ‘the world’s largest retirement community and the fastest growing city in the United States’. If what the stories Barry has heard are true, it is also a place where “you can lead a wild, carefree, and passionate lifestyle, possibly involving sex, even if you are a really, really old person, defined as a person my age.”
After scouring Florida to in search of a smorgasbord of non-Disney-owned attractions to delight and amaze his readers, Barry returned home to Miami to “man up and do something manly”. For him, that could only mean a visit to Lock & Load Miami, south Florida’s ‘premier machine gun experience and state-of-the-art shooting range, offering the nation's greatest variety of fully automatic firearms with over 25 fully automatic machine guns available for use in packages and a la carte,’ (gift certificates available). He hoped that his wife would want to join him on this part of his research but she declined, leaving him to muse that “I am a huge fan of females as a gender, but they tend to display a baffling lack of enthusiasm for violent destruction.” ( I told you Barry’s insights regarding the differences between the sexes are first rate.)
Barry ends up his tour of Florida with a trip to Key West, or at least the fifty some-odd bars that make up the southernmost tip of the eastern seaboard. Fun fact. All but three had musicians hired for their ability to play Jimmy Buffet songs.
Bottom Line: Dave Barry is a master of making the most ordinary scenario hilarious. Take that skill and apply it to a topic that is already strange and you have a book that is guaranteed to entertain. This review is based on the audio recording ably narrated by Dick Hill.
*Quotations are cited from an audio recording and may not be the same as appears in the final published print edition. The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher and the fine folks at LibraryThing in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.
FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base.Wow! How could I not make the source of such wisdom one of my go-to guys when it comes to the subject of, well, just about anything.
So when Barry’s publisher announced that he was going to write the definitive book on Florida aimed at correcting everyone’s misconceptions about the state that gave us Miami Vice and President George W. Bush, my immediate response was, ‘Count me it!’
Starting out with the sober dedication ‘To my fellow Floridians. Don’t ever sober up,’ Barry, a longtime resident of the Sunshine State, described how he has in recent years been receiving an ever-growing number of calls from journalists asking what is wrong with Florida. These calls have even been coming from states such as Indiana, the state with ‘people who cannot explain their nickname’ or even Kentucky, once known ‘for having a statewide total of 23 teeth’. And so, ‘without doing any research’ he set out to figure out why all the other states are now laughing at Florida. His answer was quick in coming. It was the presidential election of 2000, where for day after hellish day the nation’s eyes were focused on Florida’s apparent inability to decide who it voted for until finally the “U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a seven to two decision, that Florida should be given back to Spain.”
This event gave the rest of the nation, and may Floridians including Barry, the impression that Florida was a ‘subtropical festival of stupid’ prompting Barry to search, again without research, for a scientific explanation for Florida’s stupidity. He quickly realized that the answer lies in its climate and geography. The warm climate, with the assistance of Disneyworld, attracts millions of visitors each year to Florida. The smart ones usually find their way home but the stupid visitors, not realizing that Florida is surrounded on three sides by water, frequently find themselves unable to locate the exit, as it were, and end up settling in. As explanations go, I found this pretty plausible.
Of course, not all of the people who move to Florida are stupid and Barry takes pains to explain this phenomenon. His chief explanation is that, while states like California, New York and Illinois pay high taxes for their corrupt and inefficient governments, Floridians can enjoy its corrupt and inefficient government for a lot less money.
The last half of the book actually did require Barry to hit the road and do some research. In this section he travels the state visiting and reporting on all of the wonderful places that make Florida unique. These places include:
Tarpon Springs: The Sponge Capital of the World,
Cassadaga: the Psychic Capital of the World,
And, of course, Gatorland, ‘The Alligator Capital of the World’ and ‘home of the Screamin Gator Zip Line’.
With all of these world capitals, it’s surprising that Florida has any room left for any other attractions but Barry manages to find some. There’s Dave Shealy’s Skunk Ape Research Center, and the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, home of the World-Famous Weeki Wachee Mermaids .
For those who read this book and decide that Florida is the place to be, Barry also paid a visit to The Villages, ‘the world’s largest retirement community and the fastest growing city in the United States’. If what the stories Barry has heard are true, it is also a place where “you can lead a wild, carefree, and passionate lifestyle, possibly involving sex, even if you are a really, really old person, defined as a person my age.”
After scouring Florida to in search of a smorgasbord of non-Disney-owned attractions to delight and amaze his readers, Barry returned home to Miami to “man up and do something manly”. For him, that could only mean a visit to Lock & Load Miami, south Florida’s ‘premier machine gun experience and state-of-the-art shooting range, offering the nation's greatest variety of fully automatic firearms with over 25 fully automatic machine guns available for use in packages and a la carte,’ (gift certificates available). He hoped that his wife would want to join him on this part of his research but she declined, leaving him to muse that “I am a huge fan of females as a gender, but they tend to display a baffling lack of enthusiasm for violent destruction.” ( I told you Barry’s insights regarding the differences between the sexes are first rate.)
Barry ends up his tour of Florida with a trip to Key West, or at least the fifty some-odd bars that make up the southernmost tip of the eastern seaboard. Fun fact. All but three had musicians hired for their ability to play Jimmy Buffet songs.
Bottom Line: Dave Barry is a master of making the most ordinary scenario hilarious. Take that skill and apply it to a topic that is already strange and you have a book that is guaranteed to entertain. This review is based on the audio recording ably narrated by Dick Hill.
*Quotations are cited from an audio recording and may not be the same as appears in the final published print edition. The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher and the fine folks at LibraryThing in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.
FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
June 30, 2019
Before joining Good Reads, I had read a few Dave Barry books – most of them had me laughing out loud, almost to the point of crying. When we were at Miami International Airport recently, my daughter and I headed to the bookstore as soon as we could. We were waiting to board our flight back to the small island where we live, an island where there are no proper bookstores. Whenever we get to travel, we shop as much as we can and crave bookstores like you wouldn’t believe. Anyway, I digress. I saw this book and knowing that it’s about Florida and that Dave Barry lives there, well, I just had to get it. I love associating books with specific bookshops and traveling. I started reading it while on the plane back home.
It was a quick and fun read. It was funniest at the beginning of the book, yet I found it enjoyable throughout. I don’t think that this book was intended to be a humor book, probably more of a travel guide. As for Florida, I have only visited Orlando and Miami, but reading this makes me want to visit the state further, even though there are certainly some odd tourist attractions!
My favorite description:
“Cassadaga’s nickname is The Psychic Capital of the World. As you drive into town on Cassadaga Road, you pass house after house with signs that say PSYCHIC.
This is a place where you might have trouble getting a plumber on the weekend, but if you need an emergency tarot card reading, help is only seconds away.”
Two other interesting tourist attractions:
Weeki Wachee is a state park with underwater mermaid shows.
Skunk Ape Research Headquarters (Florida’s version of Bigfoot)
It was a quick and fun read. It was funniest at the beginning of the book, yet I found it enjoyable throughout. I don’t think that this book was intended to be a humor book, probably more of a travel guide. As for Florida, I have only visited Orlando and Miami, but reading this makes me want to visit the state further, even though there are certainly some odd tourist attractions!
My favorite description:
“Cassadaga’s nickname is The Psychic Capital of the World. As you drive into town on Cassadaga Road, you pass house after house with signs that say PSYCHIC.
This is a place where you might have trouble getting a plumber on the weekend, but if you need an emergency tarot card reading, help is only seconds away.”
Two other interesting tourist attractions:
Weeki Wachee is a state park with underwater mermaid shows.
Skunk Ape Research Headquarters (Florida’s version of Bigfoot)
January 23, 2018
"So we have an apparent contradiction: On the one hand, the national consensus is that Florida is a stupid weird insane dysfunctional hellhole that is also – I forgot to mention this earlier – a hurricane zone that is soon going to be largely submerged when global climate change causes the seas to rise to the point where vast heards of lobsters roam what is now Interstate 95. On the other hand, people keep coming here. And most of them – even the non-stupid ones – decide to stay here. The question is: Why?I choose anonymity here on goodreads, but I can share that I have experience with living in the state of Florida. When some friends mentioned how funny this author was, I knew this particular title was for me. Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland is self-deprecating, informational, and flat out hilarious. It pokes fun at absurd but true headlines that go viral throughout our nation and reveals some behind-the-scenes craziness witnessed first hand by the author himself. It also thoroughly discusses the very question raised in the above quote. The "defending" part consists of the fact that most of the perpetrators of said craziness are not native to Florida. Florida is indeed a melting pot that attracts a lot of good, bad...and yes, crazy, but you'll find some long-term loyalty for sure. From experience, the theme parks are overrated, the #floridaman hashtag is underrated, and the beaches are spot on. Check out this book...and Florida. It's the perfect winter for some sunshine!
My favorite quote:
"...wherever you live in Florida, you have easy access to the number one family theme resort in the world. My family can get into our car in Miami and, in just three and a half hours, we can be in the Magic Kingdom, standing in a four-hour line to get into Space Mountain. You cannot put a price tag on a family theme experience like that."
September 5, 2016
4.5 stars
Dave Barry is hilarious. In Best. State. Ever., he focuses his brilliant comedic mind on his home state of thirty years, Florida. In order to write this book, he travels around the state, sometimes alone and at other times with a friend, seeking out Florida’s most interesting locales. As the book begins, Barry states that he believes Florida has gotten a bad rap ever since the 2000 election and the whole “hanging chad” incident. As a result, he decided to write this book to help change people’s opinions about Florida by taking readers to the various highlights of the state.
My favorite story by far was the one about Cassadaga, a town known for its ghosts and spiritual encounters with the nickname The Psychic Capital of the World. The way Barry relays his visit to that town from the hotel in which he stayed to the two psychics he visited to the spirits that “visited” his room is a riot. His visit to Judy the medium is hysterical, and his subsequent visit to Rev. Janet, the psychic, is equally funny especially as he continues to reference her predictions regarding his dog and mother. I also enjoyed The Villages, his essay about the huge retirement community in Florida, and Weeki Wachee and Spongeorama, the section he wrote about an amusement park with swimming mermaids that preceded Disney World and is still trapped in the 1950s and Tarpon Springs, the U.S. Sponge Capital.
The photos included by Barry really enhance his stories. It was great fun to see the notes the psychic gave him, pictures of the various eccentric individuals he met, the hotel in Cassadaga, and the houses at The Villages. The other great addition to the book is his rating system using Mold-A-Matic machines. After encountering the machines at various tourist stops (usually in non-working order), he adopts a rating scale for each place he visits and includes a graphic with the proper number of Mold-A-Matic machines based on his rating for that venue. It was very clever.
I highly recommend Best. State. Ever. Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Dave Barry is hilarious. In Best. State. Ever., he focuses his brilliant comedic mind on his home state of thirty years, Florida. In order to write this book, he travels around the state, sometimes alone and at other times with a friend, seeking out Florida’s most interesting locales. As the book begins, Barry states that he believes Florida has gotten a bad rap ever since the 2000 election and the whole “hanging chad” incident. As a result, he decided to write this book to help change people’s opinions about Florida by taking readers to the various highlights of the state.
My favorite story by far was the one about Cassadaga, a town known for its ghosts and spiritual encounters with the nickname The Psychic Capital of the World. The way Barry relays his visit to that town from the hotel in which he stayed to the two psychics he visited to the spirits that “visited” his room is a riot. His visit to Judy the medium is hysterical, and his subsequent visit to Rev. Janet, the psychic, is equally funny especially as he continues to reference her predictions regarding his dog and mother. I also enjoyed The Villages, his essay about the huge retirement community in Florida, and Weeki Wachee and Spongeorama, the section he wrote about an amusement park with swimming mermaids that preceded Disney World and is still trapped in the 1950s and Tarpon Springs, the U.S. Sponge Capital.
The photos included by Barry really enhance his stories. It was great fun to see the notes the psychic gave him, pictures of the various eccentric individuals he met, the hotel in Cassadaga, and the houses at The Villages. The other great addition to the book is his rating system using Mold-A-Matic machines. After encountering the machines at various tourist stops (usually in non-working order), he adopts a rating scale for each place he visits and includes a graphic with the proper number of Mold-A-Matic machines based on his rating for that venue. It was very clever.
I highly recommend Best. State. Ever. Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2022
Having laughed through "Insane City" I'd hoped for a similar experience since the state of FL has been the butt of jokes for years. That plus the fact my best friend moved there years ago and for the life of me, I can't figure out why he remained..go figure.
That said, with the exception of the History chapter, Dave takes the reader on a tour of oddball tourist attractions complete with photos, etc. And while quirky, I found it dull, repetitive and snickered a couple of times. Not at ALL what I'd expected from an author known for his hilarious insights.
Regardless, I've decided to DNF this since its dull and read his fictional books instead with hopes there as funny if not funnier than Insane City. Enough said.
That said, with the exception of the History chapter, Dave takes the reader on a tour of oddball tourist attractions complete with photos, etc. And while quirky, I found it dull, repetitive and snickered a couple of times. Not at ALL what I'd expected from an author known for his hilarious insights.
Regardless, I've decided to DNF this since its dull and read his fictional books instead with hopes there as funny if not funnier than Insane City. Enough said.
March 22, 2017
Good humor as always from Dave Barry, as he takes us through much of Florida. 7 of 10 stars
July 14, 2016
From my days as a spring chicken to now, when I'm officially an old hen, one thing has been a constant: I love to laugh. And one person on whom I can count to make me yuck it up - whether via a syndicated newspaper column or one of his books - is Dave Barry. So when the publisher offered me the chance to read and review an advance copy of his newest effort, I said bring it on.
It is, thank goodness, rather short - I finished the whole thing in a couple of hours. Had it been much longer, I'm sure I'd have been banished to the basement while I read. Almost from page one, my chortles and guffaws started - annoying the heck out of my husband, who sat in his easy chair across from me trying to watch TV or read a book of his own.
This time, Barry takes on Florida, where he's lived for 30 years. Much of that time, he says, he's been getting calls asking what's wrong with the Sunshine State, and the laughing has grown even worse since the 2000 Presidential election fiasco. So, he's decided to clear things up, taking himself - and now readers - to the best that Florida has to offer. He includes a brief but enlightening history ("...nothing much happened in the seventies, unless you count disco, which sucked as much in Florida as it did everywhere else," he writes).
Actually, one big event did happen in the '70s - Walt Disney World - and tourism hasn't been the same since as visitors began heading straight to the Orlando paradise, skipping the once-popular roadside attractions. Now, though, we learn what we've been missing lo these many years: Places like Cassadega, known for ghosts and all things spiritual; The Villages, the world's largest retirement community that's chock full of tricked-out golf carts; and Gatorland, the Allligator Capital of the World (no further explanation needed).
The places on the list are almost as offbeat as his humor, which is sometimes tongue-in-cheek and often irreverent - just the way I love it. Put another way, Dave, you've still got it - it's been 24 hours since I reached the end and I'm still chuckling.
It is, thank goodness, rather short - I finished the whole thing in a couple of hours. Had it been much longer, I'm sure I'd have been banished to the basement while I read. Almost from page one, my chortles and guffaws started - annoying the heck out of my husband, who sat in his easy chair across from me trying to watch TV or read a book of his own.
This time, Barry takes on Florida, where he's lived for 30 years. Much of that time, he says, he's been getting calls asking what's wrong with the Sunshine State, and the laughing has grown even worse since the 2000 Presidential election fiasco. So, he's decided to clear things up, taking himself - and now readers - to the best that Florida has to offer. He includes a brief but enlightening history ("...nothing much happened in the seventies, unless you count disco, which sucked as much in Florida as it did everywhere else," he writes).
Actually, one big event did happen in the '70s - Walt Disney World - and tourism hasn't been the same since as visitors began heading straight to the Orlando paradise, skipping the once-popular roadside attractions. Now, though, we learn what we've been missing lo these many years: Places like Cassadega, known for ghosts and all things spiritual; The Villages, the world's largest retirement community that's chock full of tricked-out golf carts; and Gatorland, the Allligator Capital of the World (no further explanation needed).
The places on the list are almost as offbeat as his humor, which is sometimes tongue-in-cheek and often irreverent - just the way I love it. Put another way, Dave, you've still got it - it's been 24 hours since I reached the end and I'm still chuckling.
November 14, 2017
This guy is soooo funny. To really appreciate this book it is best if you are from the north and have lived in Florida for awhile. However, it's funny no matter what. He talks about some silly places in Florida. Of course not places I take people who visit.
April 29, 2020
Best. State. Ever. by Dave Barry is a very humorous and delightful look at the state of Florida. One of the advantages of retirement has been the ability to travel. We have been able to spend a lot of time in Florida for the last few years, and what can I say? I love our time here. The dedication by Dave Barry may say it all:
Barry begins with a brief history of Florida, which still continues to fascinate me. He discusses when the Spanish explorers discovered Florida in the sixteenth century and the impact on the native Americans. He then starts near Miami and explores very strange myths and areas such as The Skunk Ape and the campground where this phenomenon, and others, can be explored. Barry's trek through Florida continues with such areas as Weeki Wachee Springs and Spongeorama complete with mermaids and Florida tourism. As bizarre as these attractions, we were then informed about his trip to Cassadaga described literally as a ghost town with many mediums and psychics. But a trip to Florida would not be complete without a visit to The Villages, the world's largest retirement community. No, we do not live there. . . and that is a good thing! Then Barry takes us on to Gatorland and, a shooting range in Miami boasting the nation's greatest variety of fully automatic machine guns available. Not a place I would endorse or ever be. But while in Miami, Dave Barry and his wife tried to score admission to LIV, the hottest nightclub in Miami Beach in the iconic Fontainebleau Hotel.
Best. State. Ever. concludes with a visit to Key West, one of my favorite places in this beautiful state.
While this was a humorous look at the weirdness of Florida, it is clear that Dave Barry loves this state that he has called home for some time. He brings out a lot of the unflattering coverage of the state culminating in the debacle of the "hanging chads" in Broward County in the presidential election of 2000, finally leading to the United States Supreme Court ruling in favor of Bush.
To my fellow Floridians:
Don't ever sober up.
Barry begins with a brief history of Florida, which still continues to fascinate me. He discusses when the Spanish explorers discovered Florida in the sixteenth century and the impact on the native Americans. He then starts near Miami and explores very strange myths and areas such as The Skunk Ape and the campground where this phenomenon, and others, can be explored. Barry's trek through Florida continues with such areas as Weeki Wachee Springs and Spongeorama complete with mermaids and Florida tourism. As bizarre as these attractions, we were then informed about his trip to Cassadaga described literally as a ghost town with many mediums and psychics. But a trip to Florida would not be complete without a visit to The Villages, the world's largest retirement community. No, we do not live there. . . and that is a good thing! Then Barry takes us on to Gatorland and, a shooting range in Miami boasting the nation's greatest variety of fully automatic machine guns available. Not a place I would endorse or ever be. But while in Miami, Dave Barry and his wife tried to score admission to LIV, the hottest nightclub in Miami Beach in the iconic Fontainebleau Hotel.
"Walk past the Bugattis parked out front, through the
glass sliding doors and veer right across the marble-
floored lobby of Miami's Fontainebleau hotel, and
--voila!--you're there. Welcome to chic, celebrity-
infested LIV."
Best. State. Ever. concludes with a visit to Key West, one of my favorite places in this beautiful state.
"Key West is Florida's Florida--the place way down at the bottom where the weirdest of the weird end up; the place where the abnormal is normal."
While this was a humorous look at the weirdness of Florida, it is clear that Dave Barry loves this state that he has called home for some time. He brings out a lot of the unflattering coverage of the state culminating in the debacle of the "hanging chads" in Broward County in the presidential election of 2000, finally leading to the United States Supreme Court ruling in favor of Bush.
"And the nation did not forget. The nation had formed a negative, stereotyped image of Florida as being a subtropical festival of stupid."
September 19, 2016
This may be the best non-fiction book Dave Barry has ever written. No, I am not making that up. And I'm not just saying it because I read it in two days.
Barry, who won a Pulitzer for commentary back when he was a Miami Herald columnist, wrote this book to defend the state he's lived in for 30 years against all the slings and arrows of people in other states who are always laughing at Florida. He starts off by explaining why the other states shouldn't sneer at Florida, and why he loves it, and then sets out to visit some of the odder places around the Sunshine State.
Barry's visits to such roadside attractions as Weeki Wachee Springs, the Tarpon Springs Sponge-O-Rama and Gatorland are hilarious, especially his rating system for how entertaining they are. He takes a surprisingly serious tone with the hokey Skunk Ape Museum, and then wanders off the path with visits to a gun range in Miami, an upscale nightclub in Miami Beach and various drinking emporia in Key West. Instead of the Miami and Miami Beach stops, I would have liked to have seen him visit some more old roadside attractions, but otherwise I have to say this was a fun ride, far better than just about anything at Disney. Well, maybe not Space Mountain. But certainly better than It's a Small World.
Barry, who won a Pulitzer for commentary back when he was a Miami Herald columnist, wrote this book to defend the state he's lived in for 30 years against all the slings and arrows of people in other states who are always laughing at Florida. He starts off by explaining why the other states shouldn't sneer at Florida, and why he loves it, and then sets out to visit some of the odder places around the Sunshine State.
Barry's visits to such roadside attractions as Weeki Wachee Springs, the Tarpon Springs Sponge-O-Rama and Gatorland are hilarious, especially his rating system for how entertaining they are. He takes a surprisingly serious tone with the hokey Skunk Ape Museum, and then wanders off the path with visits to a gun range in Miami, an upscale nightclub in Miami Beach and various drinking emporia in Key West. Instead of the Miami and Miami Beach stops, I would have liked to have seen him visit some more old roadside attractions, but otherwise I have to say this was a fun ride, far better than just about anything at Disney. Well, maybe not Space Mountain. But certainly better than It's a Small World.
August 21, 2016
ARC for review. EPD September 6, 2016.
Reasons this book gets five stars:
1. It made me laugh out loud. Twice. Books hardly ever make me laugh out loud.
2. The dedication: "To my fellow Floridians: Don't ever sober up."
3. The beginning: "Every few months I get a call from some media person wanting to interview me about Florida where I have lived for three decades. The tone of the interview is never positive, or even neutral. The interviewer never asks: Why do you live in Florida? Or: "What do you like about Florida? No, the tone is always: "What the hell is wrong with Florida?"
I should note that these interviewers are not always calling from states that have a lot of (sic) brag about. I have been interviewed on the wrongness of Florida by people who live in, for example, Illinois. Not to be picky, but there are a few things wrong with Illinois. For one thing, the voters there keep electing criminals to high office. Illinois constantly has to build new prisons just to hold all of its convicted former governors, who form violent prison gangs and get into rumbles with gangs of convicted former state legislators. If Charles Manson ever gets out on parole and needs a job, he can move to Illinois and run for governor. The voters would say, "Looks like gubernatorial material to me!"
Also, Illinois has done a poor job of handling its finances, which is why its official credit rating, as determine by Moody's Investors Service, was recently lowered from "Meth Addict" to "Labrador Retriever." And this is the state from which a media person called to ask me what is wrong with Florida.
4. Some great photographs.
5. I'm a Florida native, born in Orlando, and since I was in college my parents have always kept a residence in Florida, spending years on both the east and west coasts (but not the panhandle. I'm not sure I can defend the panhandle). If my husband and I ever retire away from here, it's likely to be in Florida....we both agree on this. I feel comfortable there, but I also get why Barry feels like he has to defend his state - it can be trashy and corrupt, but it's also beautiful and the weather is great and, well, hell, just read the book....there's all kinds of interesting stuff there!
6. Skunk apes!
Reasons this book gets five stars:
1. It made me laugh out loud. Twice. Books hardly ever make me laugh out loud.
2. The dedication: "To my fellow Floridians: Don't ever sober up."
3. The beginning: "Every few months I get a call from some media person wanting to interview me about Florida where I have lived for three decades. The tone of the interview is never positive, or even neutral. The interviewer never asks: Why do you live in Florida? Or: "What do you like about Florida? No, the tone is always: "What the hell is wrong with Florida?"
I should note that these interviewers are not always calling from states that have a lot of (sic) brag about. I have been interviewed on the wrongness of Florida by people who live in, for example, Illinois. Not to be picky, but there are a few things wrong with Illinois. For one thing, the voters there keep electing criminals to high office. Illinois constantly has to build new prisons just to hold all of its convicted former governors, who form violent prison gangs and get into rumbles with gangs of convicted former state legislators. If Charles Manson ever gets out on parole and needs a job, he can move to Illinois and run for governor. The voters would say, "Looks like gubernatorial material to me!"
Also, Illinois has done a poor job of handling its finances, which is why its official credit rating, as determine by Moody's Investors Service, was recently lowered from "Meth Addict" to "Labrador Retriever." And this is the state from which a media person called to ask me what is wrong with Florida.
4. Some great photographs.
5. I'm a Florida native, born in Orlando, and since I was in college my parents have always kept a residence in Florida, spending years on both the east and west coasts (but not the panhandle. I'm not sure I can defend the panhandle). If my husband and I ever retire away from here, it's likely to be in Florida....we both agree on this. I feel comfortable there, but I also get why Barry feels like he has to defend his state - it can be trashy and corrupt, but it's also beautiful and the weather is great and, well, hell, just read the book....there's all kinds of interesting stuff there!
6. Skunk apes!
October 30, 2016
An interesting and funny book about Florida best appreciated by those of us who live here. Having lived in South Florida for way longer than I like to think on, a lot of it resonated with me and some of the anecdotes had me either smiling or laughing at how true they were. That being said, this is a book that is written by and for an older demographic (baby boomers); a generation that can relate better to the author and some of the anecdotes. Overall, it was a fun quick read that read like a very good commentary about what makes Florida so quirky, unique, and weird.
October 24, 2022
As someone who grew up in Florida, escaped, and now thankfully has no reason to go there ever again (yes, I still have family there, and no, I don't count that as a reason to go), I picked this up hoping for something witty and funny and just got something trying really hard to be those things but falling pretty flat, in my opinion.
Granted, maybe Barry mistimed this - I'm sure he'd have MUCH more worthwhile material to work with now than he did back in 2016, but that's his problem, not mine.
I just listened to it, and there was something about listening to a guy with a distinctly NON-Floridian (or even an approximation of) accent reading this book that irked me more than was funny, and I tired of this pretty quickly. The book itself was just shy of 5 hours run-time at normal speed, and I was listening at 2x, so... Not a big endorsement.
Pass on this one - there's not much on offer. I expected better from Dave Barry.
Granted, maybe Barry mistimed this - I'm sure he'd have MUCH more worthwhile material to work with now than he did back in 2016, but that's his problem, not mine.
I just listened to it, and there was something about listening to a guy with a distinctly NON-Floridian (or even an approximation of) accent reading this book that irked me more than was funny, and I tired of this pretty quickly. The book itself was just shy of 5 hours run-time at normal speed, and I was listening at 2x, so... Not a big endorsement.
Pass on this one - there's not much on offer. I expected better from Dave Barry.
September 16, 2016
Interesting that this is published so soon after "Oh, Florida" discussing our weirdness and the effect on other states. That book took a higher tone but vulgar and sophomoric can do it for me now and then, especially in a book by a fellow boomer discussing my home state and places I know and love. Enjoyed his research into all the hot sex in "The Villages", the shark dying in a traffic accident, the exclusive club in the Fountainbleau, etc. But, especially as one who has enjoyed "a cool refreshing beer" as I hop from bar to bar in Key West, He hits the good ones and reminds me it is time to head back for a night or three. Check it out. It will either scare you away - not necessarily bad as we have 1,000 people a day moving here and over 100 million visitors a year - or make you want to come down and see what all the fun is about.
September 11, 2017
I loved being able to read his while Hurricane Irma is going over my beloved state right now. It took my mind off of what was happening and gave me good feelings about Florida. And I even recognized one of the landmarks that I have driven by quite a lot (the dinosaur). This book made me laugh out loud quite a bit and I was nodding at so many things he was saying as a fellow Floridian. Loved it!
November 8, 2019
Dave Barry uses his trademark wit to roast his home state. In this book, Barry visits Key West, a Miami club, a retirement community, and several roadside attractions in an attempt to figure out why Florida is considered to be so weird. The writing is funny, but there is also a sense of sadness as he encounters people who seem to be lost in a rapidly changing state.
March 10, 2020
Poor Florida. A state that has become synonymous with all things weird, daft, looney, loco, nutty, and just plain one-beer-short-of-a-six-pack crazy. Don’t believe me? Just Google “Florida Man” along with your birth month and day and ten times out of ten (or REALLY close to it), a corresponding headline will pop up. For example, on my birthday, this made the headlines: “Naked Florida man breaks into home, tries on woman’s clothes, police say”. See? Well let me tell you something. Dave Barry is S-I-C-K of people wrongfully labeling his beloved state and he’s set out to defend the good name of his hometown by showing us the lighter and brighter (and not necessarily saner) side of “The Sunshine State”. So, buckle up because you’re in for an interesting and unforgettable ride!
According to "Cosmopolitan" magazine, women are attracted to guys with a sense of humor. If that’s the case, then Dave Barry is one of the sexiest men alive. With "Best. State. Ever. A Florida Man Defends His Homeland", Barry gives us "Fodor’s" on laughing gas. His book contains countless (truly) laugh-out-loud moments that makes reading in public a somewhat perilous undertaking…unless you love awkward moments and getting suspicious side glances from complete strangers. Barry lovingly introduces us to real-life, overlooked treasures and he does so with the warmth, adoration, and pride as a parent would present his first-born to the world. Through wit and black and white photos, we meet Dave Shealy, operator of Skunk-Ape Research Headquarters in Ochopee; we delight in watching mermaids eat underwater (they get hungry, you know) and waving an American flag at Weeki Wachee Springs; and we get to know more than we ever thought imaginable at the Spongeorama in Tarpon Springs. Using a Florida Tourist Attraction rating system of Out-of-Order Mold-A-Matics, Barry ranks these unsung heroes on a scale from one to five (five being the BEST…and he even rates one attraction a six, but you have to read the book to discover this hidden gem) and offers valuable insights that only a native can appreciate and share.
Read "Best. State. Ever." and I promise (or at least hope) that you’ll laugh, you’ll cry (from laughing), and you’ll probably Google “Florida Man” and your birthday as soon as you finish reading this review. But mostly, you’ll have fun gaining a whole new perspective and appreciation for a state that was not only known as the birthplace of the “hanging chad”, but is also chockful of anything and everything that is weird, daft, looney, loco, nutty, and just plain one-beer-short-of-a-six-pack crazy.
(Reviewer’s Note: If you love the gloriously quirky, kitschy, and sometimes tacky roadside attractions that are a part of our unique culture, then I highly recommend you continue your journey with Betsy Carter’s book entitled "Swim to Me" about the mermaids of Weeki Wachee. I think Dave would approve.)
According to "Cosmopolitan" magazine, women are attracted to guys with a sense of humor. If that’s the case, then Dave Barry is one of the sexiest men alive. With "Best. State. Ever. A Florida Man Defends His Homeland", Barry gives us "Fodor’s" on laughing gas. His book contains countless (truly) laugh-out-loud moments that makes reading in public a somewhat perilous undertaking…unless you love awkward moments and getting suspicious side glances from complete strangers. Barry lovingly introduces us to real-life, overlooked treasures and he does so with the warmth, adoration, and pride as a parent would present his first-born to the world. Through wit and black and white photos, we meet Dave Shealy, operator of Skunk-Ape Research Headquarters in Ochopee; we delight in watching mermaids eat underwater (they get hungry, you know) and waving an American flag at Weeki Wachee Springs; and we get to know more than we ever thought imaginable at the Spongeorama in Tarpon Springs. Using a Florida Tourist Attraction rating system of Out-of-Order Mold-A-Matics, Barry ranks these unsung heroes on a scale from one to five (five being the BEST…and he even rates one attraction a six, but you have to read the book to discover this hidden gem) and offers valuable insights that only a native can appreciate and share.
Read "Best. State. Ever." and I promise (or at least hope) that you’ll laugh, you’ll cry (from laughing), and you’ll probably Google “Florida Man” and your birthday as soon as you finish reading this review. But mostly, you’ll have fun gaining a whole new perspective and appreciation for a state that was not only known as the birthplace of the “hanging chad”, but is also chockful of anything and everything that is weird, daft, looney, loco, nutty, and just plain one-beer-short-of-a-six-pack crazy.
(Reviewer’s Note: If you love the gloriously quirky, kitschy, and sometimes tacky roadside attractions that are a part of our unique culture, then I highly recommend you continue your journey with Betsy Carter’s book entitled "Swim to Me" about the mermaids of Weeki Wachee. I think Dave would approve.)
February 13, 2024
23 Sept. 2017 - What a hoot!
I must admit that I have been a Dave Barry fan for a very long time. But for some reason, I have not enjoyed the pleasure of reading much by him lately. As a long-time Cato supporter, a friendly development fella there sent me a signed copy of the book, since they had a few extras after Dave spoke at the Cato 40th Anniversary Gala. This book revived my interest in Dave because it was such fun, and had a bunch of great little libertarian inside jokes. I chuckled and belly-laughed out loud more often while reading this book than any I can remember.
His explanation of how so many strange people end up in Florida is classic. How he added in a great reference to so many Illinois Governors going to jail was just perfect - totally off the wall, but perfect.
Since I just returned from a week in Miami, the book could not have been more timely for me. Wish I had more time to spend touring some of the places and sights he described in the book. But then I think about the heat and humidity I just experienced there.... and I think, Nah, I can pass on that.
If you like Dave Barry humor, treat yourself again. You won't be sorry.
If you don't know Dave Barry humor, check out some of his columns, for free, on the internet, then get this book.
Highly recommended to put a smile on your face and a chuckle or much bigger laugh in the air. And who doesn't benefit from some good hearty laugh?
I must admit that I have been a Dave Barry fan for a very long time. But for some reason, I have not enjoyed the pleasure of reading much by him lately. As a long-time Cato supporter, a friendly development fella there sent me a signed copy of the book, since they had a few extras after Dave spoke at the Cato 40th Anniversary Gala. This book revived my interest in Dave because it was such fun, and had a bunch of great little libertarian inside jokes. I chuckled and belly-laughed out loud more often while reading this book than any I can remember.
His explanation of how so many strange people end up in Florida is classic. How he added in a great reference to so many Illinois Governors going to jail was just perfect - totally off the wall, but perfect.
Since I just returned from a week in Miami, the book could not have been more timely for me. Wish I had more time to spend touring some of the places and sights he described in the book. But then I think about the heat and humidity I just experienced there.... and I think, Nah, I can pass on that.
If you like Dave Barry humor, treat yourself again. You won't be sorry.
If you don't know Dave Barry humor, check out some of his columns, for free, on the internet, then get this book.
Highly recommended to put a smile on your face and a chuckle or much bigger laugh in the air. And who doesn't benefit from some good hearty laugh?
January 23, 2020
One never knows with humor for others, but Dave Barry is a reliable source for me.
A couple of highlights:
● One-stop shopping at the Florida Citrus Center. For all your wind chime and gator-head needs!
● Trying out machine-guns at Miami's Lock & Load. A Package Deal for around $200 includes 100 rounds of ammo. Dave adds 25 shots with a Glock for an extra $29.
● Many, many refreshing beers with an old pal in Key West. Jimmy Buffet tunes are big there.
Second read, I think.
A couple of highlights:
● One-stop shopping at the Florida Citrus Center. For all your wind chime and gator-head needs!
● Trying out machine-guns at Miami's Lock & Load. A Package Deal for around $200 includes 100 rounds of ammo. Dave adds 25 shots with a Glock for an extra $29.
● Many, many refreshing beers with an old pal in Key West. Jimmy Buffet tunes are big there.
Second read, I think.
October 5, 2016
“Best State Ever” by Dave Barry, published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Category – Humor Publication Date – September 06, 2016.
Since the 2000 election, and maybe before that, the State of Florida has become a State of the weird, impossible, unbelievable, and downright crazy. Dave Barry who lives in and loves the State will even admit to this but also tries to defend Florida in his latest book.
Dave doesn’t deny the fact that Florida tries to hide its cockroaches by calling them Palmetto Bugs. He also travels to the place s of interest that has been a part of Florida history. He visits the home of the skunk ape, an ape/man that has been seen by few but has become a legend and a source of income to a local resident. How about the mermaids of Weeki Wachee, and how they came about and survived the arrival of Disneyland. Dave and his wife also ventured into the scene at South Beach by going to LIV, probably the best known nightclub with celebrity DJ’s. Dave, without his wife, also checked the scene at Key West where just about anything goes, even a clothing optional bar.
One also must never leave Florida unless they have been to an alligator farm where men defy belief by wrestling inanimate alligators.
A must for Floridians, those who want to be Floridians, those who were Floridians, and those who just want an easy and fun read.
Category – Humor Publication Date – September 06, 2016.
Since the 2000 election, and maybe before that, the State of Florida has become a State of the weird, impossible, unbelievable, and downright crazy. Dave Barry who lives in and loves the State will even admit to this but also tries to defend Florida in his latest book.
Dave doesn’t deny the fact that Florida tries to hide its cockroaches by calling them Palmetto Bugs. He also travels to the place s of interest that has been a part of Florida history. He visits the home of the skunk ape, an ape/man that has been seen by few but has become a legend and a source of income to a local resident. How about the mermaids of Weeki Wachee, and how they came about and survived the arrival of Disneyland. Dave and his wife also ventured into the scene at South Beach by going to LIV, probably the best known nightclub with celebrity DJ’s. Dave, without his wife, also checked the scene at Key West where just about anything goes, even a clothing optional bar.
One also must never leave Florida unless they have been to an alligator farm where men defy belief by wrestling inanimate alligators.
A must for Floridians, those who want to be Floridians, those who were Floridians, and those who just want an easy and fun read.
October 21, 2016
Classic Dave Barry. I remember as a teenager sitting at my parents' table eating dinner and my Dad reading Dave Barry's column about the exploding whale. If you haven't read it, then you need to find it online. Then go to youtube and watch the video. Dave Barry hasn't changed a bit in almost 30 years. This is one of his many non-fiction (loosely applied here) books. His adult fiction is, well, pretty adult. His juvenile fiction is awesome: the Peter and the Starcatchers series, Science Fair, etc. They're all great. Everyone in my family has read Science Fair at least twice. The introduction to this book is laugh-out-loud, tears-rolling-down-your-cheeks funny. The chapters have lots of funny stuff too, but they also have some - dare I say it? - serious passages. It's almost as if Dave's pride in Florida's weirdness crosses over from making fun of it to defending it. But it doesn't last. Dave can't stay serious for more than a paragraph. And that's why I love him.
October 12, 2016
I lived in Florida for a few years on the Space Coast. I loved that it never snowed. I could get good Italian food at my choice of a crazy number of Italian restaurants, and the people watching was Olympic level awesome. I prefer Gatorland to Disney, and the sunsets are incredible. This book is a laugh out loud homage to all the crazy of Florida while retaining why people seem to love its quirky charm. And I really did laugh out loud several times. However, I wish Barry had included a few more FL spots from around the state. This book felt too short...not finished or complete. It would make a great gift for someone moving to FL.
December 30, 2020
Dave Barry always cracks me up. As a fellow native Floridian (or maybe he's not native?), I related to a lot of his stories. Florida is quirky, but wonderful, and I hope it stays that way and is not overly influenced by all the folks who migrate here from Somewhere Else.
Funny book, only wish it had been longer!
Funny book, only wish it had been longer!
August 12, 2024
Hilarious! Dave Barry never disappoints.
October 15, 2018
Barry has always been a writer who can make the reader laugh out loud regardless of the subject but when the subject is Florida -- well, he's a master. I lived in Florida and he absolutely nails the way that people from elsewhere react to the crazy stuff that happens in Florida by saying "what is wrong with people down there? or how can you live there?" Trust me when I say that the same thought crosses the minds of most people particularly when a new arrival first becomes a resident, but after awhile the new Floridian just accepts the craziness as part of the deal made for living in south Florida with its mild climate and basically 360 plus days of nice weather -- barring an occasional hellish hurricane. The new residents even adapt to the mostly daily rainstorms and living in the lightening strike capital of the US. Dave's book is funny, witty, clever, and will make you laugh out loud in addition to making you smile when not laughing out loud. Barry isn't "mean" about Florida, Floridians, or people who move in and become Floridians, he's just factual plus when he takes on specific subjects like Weeki Wachee's mermaid show, Gatorland, The Villages, Key West, his visit to a Miami firing range -- he's funny but he also gives an accurate portrait of what they are, represent,and what to expect and he's also a quite fond of it all which means he can laugh at and with his subjects at the same time the details about all of them may make you laugh and cringe simultaneously.
It's a funny book and a fast read. Give your brain a break and take this trip with Dave Barry as your guide. Think of it as mind candy. Highly Recommend.
It's a funny book and a fast read. Give your brain a break and take this trip with Dave Barry as your guide. Think of it as mind candy. Highly Recommend.
September 6, 2016
“Best. State. Ever. A Florida Man Defends His Homeland,” is Dave Barry’s paean to his adopted state of Florida. Dave Barry is always funny, but this book is a masterpiece of hilarity. I giggled, laughed out loud, and even guffawed my way through it. It is not a long book, but it is chock-full of oddities, interesting eccentric people, Florida-specific sights, and it almost makes the reader want to rush down there and partake in the fun.
Barry travels around his state visiting authentic Florida attractions such as “Gatorland,” and “Weeki Wachee and Spongeorama,” (he swears that these are actual places and I, for one, am inclined to believe him) and recounts his experiences. He stays up past his bedtime to get into a popular nightclub, and tours Key West with a friend. I don’t want to give away any of his jokes, but you will enjoy reading his accounts. Really enjoy them.
One place he does not visit is theme park heaven in Orlando, which is a pity in its way as it would have been fun to hear his opinions, but you can’t have everything. In his joking around Dave Barry is never cruel or mean-spirited, and he pokes as much fun at himself as he does anyone else.
If you are in the mood for something funny, or need something to cheer you up, you won’t find anything better than “Best. State. Ever.” If you love Florida, or hate it, this is the book for you. If I could give it six stars I would.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest opinion.
Barry travels around his state visiting authentic Florida attractions such as “Gatorland,” and “Weeki Wachee and Spongeorama,” (he swears that these are actual places and I, for one, am inclined to believe him) and recounts his experiences. He stays up past his bedtime to get into a popular nightclub, and tours Key West with a friend. I don’t want to give away any of his jokes, but you will enjoy reading his accounts. Really enjoy them.
One place he does not visit is theme park heaven in Orlando, which is a pity in its way as it would have been fun to hear his opinions, but you can’t have everything. In his joking around Dave Barry is never cruel or mean-spirited, and he pokes as much fun at himself as he does anyone else.
If you are in the mood for something funny, or need something to cheer you up, you won’t find anything better than “Best. State. Ever.” If you love Florida, or hate it, this is the book for you. If I could give it six stars I would.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest opinion.
May 15, 2020
As someone who lived in Florida for six years (Naples for two, Fort Lauderdale for four), I can attest that it is a weird, sometimes trashy state filled with folks whose hometowns wouldn't claim them. Although there are nice areas (Sarasota, pretty much), most of it is filled with identical neighborhoods of cookie-cutter Spanish-styled homes and large, scary insects.
I could go on (and on) about my bizarre experiences Florida (these include, but are not limited to, living in an apartment complex with its own alligator, being picked up at a country bar by a just-released-from-jail dude who used to own a country bar that he'd been using to run drugs, and that time a former member of Sha Na Na asked me to join him as a backup singer after hearing me — poorly — warble through "Summer Lovin'" at a Bennigans' happy hour), but this is Dave Barry's book, so I'll turn it over to him.
With his inimitable wit, Barry visits and writes about various attractions and landmarks that could only be found in Florida. These include a gun range, a Miami nightclub, and the Villages, a planned senior community where line dancing is on the menu every day. The chapters are short and the prose is funny although sometimes Barry sounds like one of many senior citizens with his old-white-guy commentary. This is a great palate cleanser of a book when you just want to laugh.
I could go on (and on) about my bizarre experiences Florida (these include, but are not limited to, living in an apartment complex with its own alligator, being picked up at a country bar by a just-released-from-jail dude who used to own a country bar that he'd been using to run drugs, and that time a former member of Sha Na Na asked me to join him as a backup singer after hearing me — poorly — warble through "Summer Lovin'" at a Bennigans' happy hour), but this is Dave Barry's book, so I'll turn it over to him.
With his inimitable wit, Barry visits and writes about various attractions and landmarks that could only be found in Florida. These include a gun range, a Miami nightclub, and the Villages, a planned senior community where line dancing is on the menu every day. The chapters are short and the prose is funny although sometimes Barry sounds like one of many senior citizens with his old-white-guy commentary. This is a great palate cleanser of a book when you just want to laugh.
December 3, 2016
Hilarious. Laugh out loud funny. Classic Dave Barry. I do love my adopted state. Even if mullets and scrunchies and reptile stores abound.
Read
June 13, 2020Really funny! This book made me happy. Most of it is Dave Barry traveling around Florida, and these are the best bits! <3
March 22, 2022
4 stars because it's a fun read that had me (a former Floridian) laughing out loud, and was made even better by the audio performance.
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