Work Humor

Can jokes win a hostile room, a hopeless argument, or even an election? You bet they can, according to Cicero, and he knew what he was talking about. One of Rome's greatest politicians, speakers, and lawyers, Cicero was also reputedly one of antiquity's funniest people. After he was elected commander-in-chief and head of state, his enemies even started calling him "the stand-up Consul". How to Tell a Joke provides a lively new translation of Cicero's essential writing on humor alongside that of the later Roman orator and educator Quintilian.

Join professional comedy writer Joel Morris on a hilarious journey into the hidden world of shared laughter, where he reveals the mechanisms that make jokes work and what comedy can teach us about ourselves. Offering astute analysis of everything from stand-up to slapstick and sitcom to spoof, Morris examines comedic patterns, rhythms, and dynamics to uncover the algorithms that secretly underpin comedy.

Pat Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history and bestselling author of Reach for the Summitt and Raise The Roof, tells for the first time her remarkable story of victory and resilience as well as facing down her greatest challenge: early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Pat...

Somewhere on the French Riviera, tucked between glitzy Monte Carlo and Cannes' red carpets, lies the sleepy town of Bellevue-Sur-Mer. Sheltered from the glittering melee, it is home to many an expat - although it hasn't proved as peaceful as expected. Now an enterprising band of retirees has resolved to show it's never too late to start afresh and open a restaurant.

Charlotte Mitchell is determined to put Hedgelord Garden Centre at the heart of the community where it belongs. All she needs is the perfect festive season—lights, decorations, Santa, and the biggest Christmas display in town. But there’s just one problem: Jack Hartigan, her infuriatingly charming rival from Bloomers Garden Centre, has the same idea.

Rafe feels like a caged lion at his summer job at the zoo—until a real lion desperately needs his help. Rafe Khatchadorian is days away from sweet, sweet summer freedom until bad grades threaten to land him in . . . SUMMER SCHOOL. It’s impossible to fail out of a summer job, right?...

Called “our finest black-humorist” by The Atlantic Monthly, Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Now his first and last works come together for the first time in print, in a collection aptly titled after his famous phrase, We Are What We Pretend To Be.

Als Schweinehundi bei Familie Bauer-Mati einzieht, sind alle begeistert: Der süße sprechende Hund mit dem treuherzigen Blick entspannt sie total. Seine Argumente fürs Blaumachen sind aber auch zu überzeugend – Kita, Schule, Job einfach mal sein lassen, Lieferservice statt kochen: Endlich tun alle, worauf sie Lust haben! Sogar Mamas berüchtigte LISTE, auf der alle Aufgaben für jedes Familienmitglied stehen, gerät völlig in Vergessenheit.

Welcome to "The Art of Doing Less at Work," the ultimate survival guide for anyone who’s ever stared at the clock waiting for 5 PM, wondered how long they could survive without answering emails, or muttered, “That’s not in my job description.” This book is your roadmap to navigating the workplace with minimum effort and maximum cleverness—a tongue-in-cheek manual for mastering the art of quiet quitting without anyone catching on.“

Are you tired of being the bigger person? Do you yearn to master the fine art of passive-aggressive revenge? Look no further! The Art of Being Petty At Work is your hilarious (and toxic) guide to becoming the office prankster everyone secretly fears. From expertly timed “Per My Last Email” zingers to the masterful placement of 'Official' signs, this parody guide will teach you how to reach the level of petty most people can only ever aspire to achieve.

Bernd Stromberg ist zurück! In einer von Work-Life-Blending, Genderdebatten und Chatbots bestimmten Welt kehrt der Chef der Schadensregulierung bei der CAPITOL-Versicherung zurück, um ordentlich aufzuräumen. »Zehn Jahre nach dem ersten Film fragen mich immer noch so viele Leute nach dem Bernd, dass ich irgendwann auch wissen wollte, was aus ihm geworden ist, in der neuen Arbeitswelt. Und aus den ganzen anderen Graupen. Vielleicht ist Chef ja wie Corona: Die neuen Varianten sind angeblich harmloser.

In this hysterical, astute book, HR industry expert Jim Dunn explores how humor can improve our professional environments and personal development by exploring questions like: How is humor a superpower for fostering collaborative environments? Are funny employees more effective? How can laughter turn crisis into connection and opportunity? How can instituting a culture of levity shape team dynamics and improve job satisfaction?

Lilly is finished with school and all grown up. She takes an internship with the Capital City Watch, the first step in making her dream job a reality. But her new boss isn’t a fan, and there’s definitely something fishy about him, as well! Even if she makes it past him, there are more dangers waiting around the corner. Demon-worshipping cults and cursed neighbors are just the beginning. But when an old acquaintance turns up, looking for help against a bitter enemy, Lilly’s life really takes a turn for the worse.

Julia Einstein knew that being a stay-at-home mom had a lot in common with her former job as a celebrity publicist - endless, irrational demands, little to no appreciation, and constant hustle. But it isn't until her husband is laid off from his job and she's forced to go back to work and resurrect screen legend Mary Ford's career that Julia realizes how very much she prefers an actual child to a formerly famous client.

Meet the girl who’s “Most Likely to Make Everything Worse.” TV writer Ellie Jenkins worked her butt off to put her nerdy, outcast teen years behind her. So there’s a certain delicious irony in that she works for a hit show about popular high school kids when she was So. Not. Cool. And...

A wild ride through the dark heart of American health and health care, plus sex, drugs, and stem-cell wars. PHYSICAL is the story of a hard-living, happily married, middle-aged American (the author) who gets a three-day "executive checkup" at the Mayo Clinic and is thereby forced to confront his...

Ian Whitworth built national companies from nothing. Coronavirus hammered some of them flat. Yet he's fine with that. Because when the chaos is swirling and shit is getting real, there's opportunity. Now is the time to put yourself in control - where no boss or virus can take you down. So many...

This guide gives you the tools to handle life's annoyances with humor and dignity. Have you ever replayed a rude comment long after it happened? Wondering why someone’s snarky remark can derail your day? Are you struggling to stay composed when a colleague cuts you off mid-sentence or when a stranger’s glare feels like an attack?

Andrew Martin’s serio-comic debut audiobook, Early Work, follows an aspirational author desperately seeking his muse in all the wrong places—only to find it in an adventurous woman with a unique perspective on life and love. For young writers of a certain temperament—if they haven’t had...

Life of Right depicts the dramatic conflict between pro-choice and pro-life protesters in Washington, DC in the days leading up to the landmark 1992 Supreme Court decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey that upheld Roe v. Wade. Ultimately, Justices Sandra Day O'Connor, Anthony Kennedy, and David Souter find the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment protects a woman's right to choose abortion. Meanwhile, deep in the heart of Texas, a virgin named Mary finds herself with child, but not by her mate Joseph.