Dave Barry, a bestselling author and a syndicated humor columnist based in Miami, is a significant player in the great American tradition of humor writing. Like Finley Peter Dunne, social satire is a mainstay of Barry's work—e.g., on the limitations of free speech: "[Y]ou can't shout 'FIRE!' in a crowded theater. Even if there is a fire, you can't shout it. A union worker has to shout it." Like Mark Twain, Barry explores the pomposities of life in the mid-to late twentieth century: describing the "grim" looks of a group of rich people in an ad, Barry remarks: "[It is] as if they have just received the tragic news that one of their key polo ponies had injured itself trampling a servant to death and would be unavailable for an important match." And like Will Rogers, Barry provides commentary on...