by Dave Barry
First published 2019
Dave Barry hits seventy and feels miserable about getting older. His dog Lucy faces the same aging process but radiates joy every day. She makes friends easily, worries about nothing, and finds fun everywhere. Barry decides to study Lucy's approach to life and apply her methods to his own existence. He reaches out to old friends and attempts to make new ones, though this proves difficult since Lucy enjoys people far more than he does. Barry reconnects with two absurd groups from his past: the Lawn Rangers, who march in parades pushing lawnmowers and twirling brooms while drinking, and the Rock Bottom Remainders, an all-author band notable for being both ancient and terrible. Through each experiment in Lucy-inspired living, Barry explores questions about friendship, honesty, and finding joy. He discovers that learning happiness from a dog requires embracing simplicity and connection while maintaining his signature humor about the ridiculous aspects of human behavior.
Genres: humor, non-fiction, biography-memoir, personal-development
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
240 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster