Much of this was written back before Dave Barry was a name brand humorist. I can remember buying copies of the babies book years ago to give to all of my pregnant friends. This is typical Barry-- pointed, free-wheeling, funny and immediately recognizable as pieces of truth that most people are too polite to mention. Written as books, these are often more sustained than the column collections, and written Back In The Day, they don't have to live up to any rep or expectation. These books are part of what MADE Dave Barry's national following.