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Indlæser... Homes and Other Black Holesaf Dave Barry
Indlæser...
Bliv medlem af LibraryThing for at finde ud af, om du vil kunne lide denne bog. Der er ingen diskussionstråde på Snak om denne bog. Dave Barry's short, humorously useless 1988 guide to home-buying and home-ownership. I find Dave Barry less side-splittingly funny now than I used to back in the day. Maybe that's just because having read approximately a gazillion of his books, his humor has become a little over-familiar. Still, this one did make me chuckle out loud a few times. And it made me remember how glad I am not to be buying a new house and moving any time soon. Or, if I can help it, at all. Ever. The author has experience purchasing, owning, and selling a home but puts none of it in this book, instead using his experiences as a flimsy tent for airplane food jokes. "Rap music makes you dumb" (paraphrased from page 150) - jeez, that joke was bad even in 1995 when this book was written, and it certainly hasn't aged well. This books is an illustrated close look at many aspects of homeownership, from looking at houses to lawn care. Dave Barry mercilessly distorts very familiar situations you will recognize, for the sake of amusement. With a useless "Index". (Under "Death, Penis" you discover that a rock band provides T-shirts to your workmen festooned, with photographs, of Death Penis? Who knew?) First words: "The desire to own a home of one's own has been a part of human nature ever since that fateful moment, millions of years ago, when our earliest ancestors climbed down out of their trees and moved into their very first caves. It was a major moment in history, and its glory was dimmed only slightly by the fact that their furniture did not arrive for another 250,000 years." Sample quote: "If God had wanted us to spend all our time fretting about the problems of homeownership, He would never have created beer." Illustrated by Jeff MacNelly (creator of "Shoe" and "Skyler"): Drawing of homeowner in the aisle of a hardware store gazing at the labels on parts on sale racks--"Friggins", "Nibben Rims", "Barfits", "Weasel Pins", "Narndle bolts", "Metric Fimble Dampers", and of course, "Crudgins". ingen anmeldelser | tilføj en anmeldelse
"Mr. Barry is the funniest man in America and we should encourage him." --The New York Times Book Review THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME--EXCEPT IN A SELLER'S MARKET At long last, Dave Barry, the dean of everything, lets you in on the deepest, darkest mysteries of life and answers your hysterical home purchase questions like they've never been answered before: What's the best way to determine a realistic price range? Take your total family income, including coins that have fallen behind the bureau, and any projected future revenue you have been notified about via personalized letters from Mr. Ed McMahon stating that you may already have won 14 million dollars. Then, multiply by something other than six. Can you recommend a good mortgage? There are several kinds: Fixed Rate, Variable Rate, and the bank's secret weapons, the Party Hat Mortgage and the Mortgage of the Living Dead. How can I avoid spending money on do-it-yourself homeowner's projects? Find a contractor. Their silent motto is "We Never Show Up." The Romans lived among the ruins. You must too. Is there a secret to having a beautiful lawn? Yes and no. If you fail to feed, fertilize, and water your lawn, it will die. However, if you feed, fertilize, and water your lawn, it will die. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Indlæser... GenrerNo genres Melvil Decimal System (DDC)818.5407Literature English (North America) Authors, American and American miscellany 20th Century 1945-1999LC-klassificeringVurderingGennemsnit:
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That said, this book is very brief. It has some funny, laugh out loud moments. Not that many, but some. It's not especially original or creative or anything, but if you like Dave Barry it's a fun little read. He's written better.
One of my favorite passages is one where Barry makes fun of Architectural Digest where he claims a typical article reads as follows:
"The owners - he, a prominent industrialist neurosurgeon and president of four major investment firms: she, a bestselling novelist and Queen of Belgium - knew exactly what they wanted when they decided to build the Villa de Mucho Simoleons. "We wanted," they said, in unison, "the kind of informal and inviting home where we could entertain our friends, and if we felt like it, play polo in the foyer."
And on moving being harder than bearing children:
"You take Couple A, who just had a baby, and Couple B, who just moved their household, and if you keep track of them, you'll find that years from now, when Couple A's baby has grown up, left home, and started a family, Couple B will still be rooting through boxes full of wadded-up newspaper, looking for the lid to their Mr. Coffee. Also, during childbirth, when things go wrong, trained professionals give you powerful drugs. Nobody is ever this thoughtful during a move."
So amusing (to me and probably anyone who has actually moved a household). ( )