Dave Barry’s Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog was a very sweet simplistic humorous book of life lessons. The lessons learned were genuine motivations for a happy healthy life. Would definitely recommend this book.

I've been following Dave Barry for years and I've read all of his books. I even have my "Alert reader" certification card.

I tremendously enjoyed "Lessons From Lucy"-- and not only for the way Dave sneaked in his usual humor columns. I loved reading about a different type of Dave Barry, one which is (it's hard to say this with a straight face) surprisingly mature for a man of his age. I especially appreciated his notes at the ends of the chapters where he describes his attempts to follow Lucy's examples and make amends for his earlier behavior.

It's a great read, and it's going to make a wonderful holiday gift for a bunch of people in my family. Thanks.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This book had me from the very beginning. I love that it kept me engaged the entire time. I couldn't wait to see how it ended. I would highly recommend to all my fellow readers. Thank you for the chance to review this book!

Dave Barry's humor sneaks up on you—hidden, for example, in an otherwise nondescript list, or at the end of a serious sentence, or as a hilarious stand-alone comment. Most important, I appreciate how he mirrors my own thoughts as a person of the same age and level of grumpiness:

"I have a black belt in hating complete strangers."
"[S]cientific tests show that, in general, people are attracted to people who probably don't look like you."
"I don't want you to think I'm a sniveling whiner. (I am a sniveling whiner; I just don't want you to think so.)"

Lessons From Lucy is the first of Barry's books I have read, and I soon realized it is best approached as a series of essays, digesting one at a time, to savor Barry's wit and charming curmugeonry. More than one at once is too much to process comfortably.

So, as the reading of this book revealed, it’s been way too long since I’ve read some meaningful Dave Barry. When I lived in South Florida I saw his columns in the papers. I moved to the west coast of Florida, raised some boys, and stopped seeking out his observations. It’s obvious I’ve missed him. As a dog lover, this book is right on point. If you’ve had dogs, you know that they give way more than they get. Truly. Being a Florida resident, well, yes, the idiosyncrasies of the weather, geography, ebb and flow of red tide and people, it’s all so familiar. Laugh out loud is correct. Throw aging into the mix, and that it sucks, well, you’ve hit the trifecta. This was truly enjoyable, a reminder to enjoy more before we become the “get off my lawn” old man we always sneered at in our youth, and by youth I mean, up until last year! Enjoy!

Lessons From Lucy is a book about Dave Barry's dog. Not exactly - but Lucy is the star of the book. In his usual quirky, humorous, tongue in cheek manner, Barry brings us a sort of story, sort of memoir, sort of lessons in life book. He does an excellent job of taking the characteristics/traits of his beloved dog Lucy and turning them into self help bullet points. He continues by letting the reader in on the "secret" of whether or not he is himself successful at following Lucy's lead. The book is filled with some very funny anecdotes as well as some truly sweet moments. Truly and enjoyable read that will leave you smiling long after the final page has been read.

Lessons from Lucy was a lighthearted, cute, and amusing read. I am happy to report that this is not a sad book (looking at you, The Art of Racing in the Rain), but a touching one any dog lover will love.

Dave Barry details seven lessons that his happy dog, Lucy, already embodies and that we all can learn to incorporate into our daily lives a bit better. I love that Lucy is part boxer as her personality reminded me of our late boxer, Leila. These pups tend to have such a great attitude toward people, places, and things in their lives, I can see why Dave wrote this book. I enjoyed some of Dave’s stories more than others, and really identified with a few like the internet provider customer service frustrations. He was spot on in several of his examples nailing home the themes behind the lessons. Definitely worth a read!

Overall, this was a joy to read and many thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy.

If you are on my book receiving Christmas list, get ready...you're getting a copy of this wonderful book.

From the book's blurb:
"Faced with the obstacles and challenges of life after middle age, Dave Barry turns to his best dog, Lucy, to learn how to live his best life. From “Make New Friends” (an unfortunate fail when he can’t overcome his dislike for mankind) to “Don’t Stop Having Fun” (validating his longtime membership in a marching unit that performs in parades—and even Obama’s inauguration), Dave navigates his later years with good humor and grace.
Lucy teaches Dave how to live in the present, how to let go of daily grievances, and how to feel good in your own skin. The lessons are drawn from Dave’s routine humiliations and stream-of-consciousness accounts of the absurdities of daily life, which will leave you heaving with laughter and recognition."

Steven King said, "I laughted until I fell off my chair." My reaction was, 'yeah, sure, Steve.' But now I believe him. I laughed so hard, I almost choked to death, several times. I think Dave Barry has been stalking me and then writing about this old lady. It was all so honest and spot on for those of us in Dave's age group.

If you love dogs, you'll love this book. I can just see all the dog lovers in my family smiling and thinking 'yep, that's my dog.'

If you have trouble with today's technology, you'll you love this book. I truly believe Dave watched me trying to take photos with my phone and then rushed home and wrote about it. My grandchildren are going to roll their eyes and think, 'that's Mimi' when reading this chapter.

If you've lost touch with so many old friends and don't care to make the extra effort to make new ones, you'll nod with understanding and some nostalgia as you read about Dave's friendships.

If you've ever tried to order refills of your medications, or unsubscribe to something, or get help from a cable company, you will be shouting your agreement with Dave when he tells of his experiences along that line.

You get my drift. This is a book we can ALL relate to. And I'm not exaggerating, all my families with get a copy of this book for Christmas. Even the 'non'readers.

Thank's for the laughs, Dave. Sometimes we all need to laugh at ourselves and know that we are not alone in our misery.

I received my copy of Lessons From Lucy through Net Galley. Thank you so much. Book is not available until late October but you can preorder as I am. Now if only I can catch up with Dave when I get my box full and have him autograph them for me. But no one comes to Tally for book signings. Not even Dave!

Like many of us, Dave Barry has begun aging, to the point that it has begun to affect daily lives in many and substantial ways. To get through this aging, Dave Barry has penned a book filled with the wisdom and insight she has learned over the years from his faithful dog Lucy. In addition to discussing and listing the many lessons and ideas Lucy has taught him, he has interspersed many humorous and interesting anecdotes about his life and work in the book. The results give the reader a book filled with laughter, reflections on life’s ups and downs, insights about life and how to live it (especially according to Lucy), while, at the same time, prompting one to ponder what has gone right and wrong in his/her own life as well as what he/she might do to change things. This is a good book for the current aging population, for dog lovers, for anyone else who is a fan of Dave Barry or for anyone looking for a quick delightful read about life and aging. It is obvious, from the book, that Dave can write—he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988. I myself read the book with no small amount of laughter and introspection, all the while wondering what I could have done and can do better based on what Lucy’s unique perspective on life can teach about life. I recommend this book to anyone looking for something to break up his/her day or for something a bit different from the usual mysteries, romances, sci-fi, westerns, etc. readers normally find out there on book shelves or in stores. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Lessons From Lucy is a joy to read. Dave Barry is both funny and witty. As a dog owner (2 currently and several that have crossed the Rainbow Bridge) I could relate to Lucy and Mr Barry. Mr. Barry does a good job at keeping his self-help book from becoming too preachy. As he says, most is just common sense, but common sense that we need to be reminded of as we go through our lives day to day. Lucy, as dogs do, has a way of reinforcing how humans should be living their lives....in the moment and not worrying so much about *stuff*. Thank you for inspiring me to shut off the electronic devices and be more aware of the people around me.

I will most definitely be rereading this one and keeping it close by. This book has also peaked my interest in reading other books by Dave Barry so I am off to search for those....

This is classic Dave Barry. I found myself laughing out loud while on a flight and had to stop reading for awhile in order to not disturb the other passengers. His experience with “Bomcast” is especially funny and oh so relatable. Even though the book was humorous there was a theme of looking at your life past and future in order to make your days count which was the real point of the book. I would definitely recommend this book - it makes you look at your life, encourages you to change and makes you laugh all at the same time.

Love love love. First, its about dogs, so right off the bat I am a fan.
Second, its by Dave Barry, a truly gifted writer, funny guy and most excellent chronicler of absurdity.
Third, its both of them together. Jut great.

If you love dogs more than most humans, you will love this book.
There are so many parallels. so many opportunities for laugh out loud (none of this LOL nonsense) that this book will make you happy, make you love and appreciate your dog- if you don't massively already- and get a better perspective on the dumb shit we have to address every day.
Recommend, without reservation.

Lots of Barry's trademark humor here, with a warm underlayer about his love for his dog and the lessons he's learned from her. The book's organized by each lesson, supported by things his dog does, and interactions Barry has with her and with humans. A follow-up section reports on his progress in improving on these lessons. A great read for dog lovers.

This book is so full of love, tenderness and humor. Been a dog person all my life this was a learning experience for me wherein Mr. Barry proves that you learn things from the people places animals around you.

I have always been a fan of Dave Barry and his latest book “Lessons From Lucy” did not disappoint. His book is entertaining , funny and an easy read. He parallels seven lessons we can all learn from his dog Lucy, He reminds us to take a fresh look at the way we interact with our family, friends and the world around us to be able to truly “let go” and embrace a fuller, yet simpler quality of life. “Lessons From Lucy” is a must read for all Dave Barry fans.

I’ve read most of Dave Barry’s books and, after reading “Lessons from Lucy,” I realize I know most of his jokes. He’s funny but apparently running out of new material. He’s still amazing and tells his stories, stale bread or not, in an original manner that makes me laugh.

In Lucy, Barry tells us a little about his beloved dog, but mainly rambles on about other aspects of life that we need to know about. Lucy is interesting, but a really minor part of the book. Hiding behind the inscrutable demeanor of a dog is a clever way to write about whatever you want.

I’m not going to fall for it. I know the dog’s a scam but I still want Barry’s humorous look at life. So what I gather from the book is that the author thinks, at long last, that he’s grown up a little, but still has an impish quality that will never go away. And that’s fine with me. Regardless of his claims to be a changed person, we all know the comedy of his mind is still there.

So read this book not as a dog story but as another funny look at life by one of the greatest humorists in print. And remember, he always has much more to come.

There is no greater delight than reading the writings of Dave Barry! Well, possibly hearing him speak. I do miss his column which we used to have in our local paper.

Lessons from Lucy is not only delightful, but heart warming and poignant. Barry has taken the life of his dog to give us all serious life lessons. This is a far cry from his usual books that produce “rolling on the floor laughing” reactions. However, true to himself, this one has plenty of ROFL moments!

It’s easy to give this one 5 stars and to recommend to everyone. There’s definitely something here for every person, every age, every stage of life.

This advanced reader’s copy was provided by Simon and Schuster via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for this opportunity.

This review will be published immediately on GoodReads and at Amazon, Books a Million and my library’s website when the book is released.

Age has not diminished Dave Barry's humor in any way! I love his comments about AARP and the speen harvesters! This is a great read

Barry, Dave. Lessons from Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old Happy Dog. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2018.

Marley and Me. The Art of Racing in the Rain. Old Yeller. I’ll begin by admitting I’ve learned to be a bit gun-shy when it comes to dog books. As a dog mom, cat mom, and guinea pig aunt, I love all things furry, fragile, and apparently, short-lived. I often judge movies and television shows based on how the directors and characters treat the non-two-legged life within. I’ve also driven by a car accident and hoped no pets were injured in the crash. (Don’t worry, I said a little prayer for the human occupants, albeit later down the road). It was not without some trepidation that I began reading Dave Barry’s Lessons from Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old Happy Dog. My biggest fear was it would be yet another sweet book extolling canine love, trust, and fidelity, ending with a body count. A heartwarming romp that ends with me doing the full-body Oprah-Style ugly cry on my sofa, shredding tissues, and generally scaring the bejeezus out of anyone within a ten-mile radius.

Thank God this is not one of those books.

Barry does not shy away from bringing up the truth all pet owners know: whatever time we have with our adopted family members is never quite enough. The same goes for our non-adopted family members, however. Barry’s take is we should remember to enjoy life while we are living it and love others while they are alive to know and feel it. Comparing Lucy’s modus operandi with his own, Barry shows how his old, happy dog Lucy teaches him how to be a better human simply by being unapologetically and unashamedly a dog. Every living being, regardless of their number of legs, teaches you something: the best teach you how to be a better you. How wonderful to recognize the lessons before the teacher is gone; to have the chance to feel, love, see, treat, and do better now. My beagle, drowsily licking his leg beside me on the couch, agrees. At least, I think he does. He stopped licking between his toes long enough to lick my arm, fart, then turn over and go back to sleep, his short legs beating staccato on my hip as he chases puppy dreams in the afternoon sun. That’s good enough for me.

I’ve always loved Dave Barry. I bet Lucy’s a lovely dog. Great stories, and great tips. We should all be like Lucy.

Also, if Dave wants to unload some of those camera lenses, heyyyy! lol