The top floor of Borders bookstore on University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto was packed on Saturday with people waiting to hear notable humorist Dave Barry speak about his latest book, "Money Secrets."

Barry had the crowd laughing from the moment he began speaking.

"This is Palo Alto," he began. "This is where the internet came from, right? I thank you for the internet… It helps me waste time more effectively than ever."

Barry spoke about different topics covered in the book, especially highlighting chapters that focus on advice on parenting, taxes and travel. Barry’s book also has suggestions on investing.

"I have a system — three simple steps that I guarantee will make you money," Barry said. "One, research the market over the past 20 years to see which stocks outperformed. Two, get a time machine. And three, go back in time and purchase those stocks."

Barry spoke of his thoughts about money in general as well.

"If you took 18 million acorns for your house, people would think you were crazy," Barry said. "But accept 18 million pieces of paper and they’ll tell you you’ve done really well for yourself."

"I don’t understand our money system," Barry said. "The more I read about it, the more crazy I think it is. Why do we believe in our money system? The answer is, we just do."

After speaking for about 20 minutes, Barry responded to questions from the audience.

One crowd member asked about what Barry was like in high school.

"What was I like in high school? You’re not going to believe me when I say this, but I was kind of a wise ass," Barry said. "I remember being told, ‘That’s really funny Dave, but you can’t joke your way through life.’"

Barry also fielded questions about his work as a humor writer.

"I wrote my column for about 30 years, which is a long time when you have nothing to say," Barry joked. "I’ve always felt that enough people with really strong opinions write to convince you of things… I write to make people laugh."