Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need (Dave Barry) - Fawcett Columbine - 1991 - 171 pages

Mr. Barry's travel guide may be helpful to some of you if you plan to travel to tourist spots in North America or Europe.  Although he admits that some of his information was derived from an old set of Encyclopedia Britannicas, he also adds much of his personal experiences to the book.  For example, Mr. Barry warns that travelers to Europe may be "... taken on a tour bus through a country the members later described as 'either France or Sweden' and subjected to three days of looking at old, dirty buildings in cities where it was not possible to get a cheeseburger."  Mr. Barry also provides some helpful foreign phrases that you will not find in other travel guides.  When in France you may want to tell a local vendor: "Attemptez-vous a yanquer ma chaine, boudet? (Are you trying to yank my chain, buddy?)"  Also, a very useful Spanish phrase is: "Mi esposa es been tramplado por toros.  (My wife has been trampled by bulls.)"  However, he defends English food for those who enjoy "... severely overcooked livestock organs served in lukewarm puddles of congealed grease."  Although he recommends hotels for travelers, he does devote seven pages to camping plus an illustration of the proper method of attaching a tourniquet to a snake.  All things considered, this is the best travel guide I have ever read since I consider a stay at Motel 6 to be roughing it. [JAM 12/2/2010]