Comedian Steve Harvey Signs Books and Doles Out Laughs at Barnes & Noble

Clad in a crisp blue suit, crocodile shoes and armed with jokes, comedian and relationship guru Steve Harvey didn’t disappoint on Friday evening.  

By 5:50 p.m., a largely female and mostly African American group of fans crowded the back of the Carrollwood Barnes & Noble clutching his latest book, Straight Talk, No Chaser.

Harvey promised to get everyone home in time for dinner.

“I’m going to get all of y’all out in good time, so y’all can go home and eat,” he quipped.

By 6 p.m., Harvey was signing books and greeting fans by their first names and with an enthusiastic "Hey!" - as if he’d known them for years.

Straight Talk, No Chaser is the follow up to his first book Act like a Lady, Think like a Man. Both books are  New York Times bestsellers that provide Harvey’s insight into what motivates men and advice on how to find and keep a partner.

Niko Ajayi hasn’t read either books, but plans to crack open Straight Talk, No Chaser this weekend at Clearwater Beach. Though happily single, she’s hoping the book provides some tips she can use in the future.

“Men have literally taken the back burner,” she said. “I’m looking for inspiration.”

Dominique Williams enjoys the fact that Harvey’s books have forced her to evaluate her dating habits.

“He really makes you think about what you do, and how you act,” Williams said. “It puts a light on things.”

The book club Reading for the Empowerment of  African Americans (REAP) helped make sure the line moved quickly and managed the crowd. The group has read both books, said REAP member Adrian McGee.

McGee said she enjoyed both books, but admitted that neither book provided her with new information on the dating scene. McGee’s favorite advice that Harvey shares with women is to listen to everything a man says - and stop overanalyzing.

“If a man says he doesn’t want to get married, then he doesn’t want to get married,” McGee said.

Sylvia Green is in town from Chattanooga, Tenn. visiting relatives, and described the book signing as an added blessing. She too thinks that Harvey’s books offer a new spin on sage advice.

“Act like a lady and think like a man," Green said of Harvey's first book. "That’s something my grandmother would say.”

Harvey addressed the crowd with a final piece of advice before he signed the last book at about 7 p.m.

“Men don’t get better," he said. "They just get older.”

Steve Harvey is in town for the Steve Harvey and Kirk Franklin Comedy Gospel Tour. The event will be held on Saturday, March 26 at the St. Pete Times Forum. Tickets are available at the St. Pete Times Forum box office, Ticketmaster locations or at www.ticketmaster.com.