Dave Barry is the Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass

The play is presented as a play within a play, with an initial 'induction' where a lord tricks a drunken tinker, Christopher Sly, into believing he is a nobleman. The main story revolves around the courtship of Katharina, the shrewish older sister, and Petruchio, who uses various tactics to tame her. Meanwhile, several eligible bachelors vie for the hand of Bianca, Katharina's younger sister. The play culminates in a wager where Petruchio proves Katharina to be the most obedient wife, and she delivers a sermon on wifely obedience.

In 'Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass', Dave Barry offers a humorous and sometimes meditative look at his life, from childhood adventures to his career as a writer. The book critiques modern society's shift towards safetyism and explores the darker aspects of his past with trademark humor.

This book by David McCullough chronicles the epic story of the Panama Canal's construction from 1870 to 1914. It explores the initial French attempt led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, which ended in failure, and the subsequent American takeover under President Teddy Roosevelt. The narrative delves into the immense engineering challenges, medical accomplishments, and political power plays that marked this monumental project. McCullough weaves together the stories of the men and women who fought against all odds to fulfill the 400-year-old dream of an aquatic passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, highlighting both the tragic failures and heroic successes of this grand enterprise.