Showing results by publisher "Phoenix Books" in Comedy & Humor

Sick of working your way to the top? America's most popular humorist, Dave Barry, shows you the alternate route, giving you tools to become the head of a major corporation in roughly a week. His surefire tips, from what shirt to wear to how to deal with pesky subordinates, will keep you laughing all the way up the corporate ladder.

Mort Sahl has been described as one of the greatest political and social satirists of the 20th century. In Mort Sahl's America, the sophisticated political satirist exposes the grand follies of the powers that be. Deflating celebrity pretensions, he skewers liberals and conservatives alike. From Bill Clinton to Bob Dole, from Al Gore to Jesse Jackson, no one is spared.

From basic training to World War II to the Gulf War, America's veterans share their funniest stories in this collection of Reader's Digest's popular "Humor in Uniform" column. Beneath the horror of war lies a rich tradition of comedy and satire, and these anecdotes have entertained fans for decades.

The victim of a painful past and a fatherless childhood, Dinah is searching for love that will last—or at least—a reasonable facsimile that comes with a warranty. Two years after the breakup of her marriage to the award-winning playwright, Dinah remains in limbo, not genuinely wanting him back but lacking a satisfying stand-in. She finds it hard to relinquish the "pink" girlish fantasy that a man will secure her happily ever after. When she fights to hold on to that now-extinct romance, Dinah finds herself in a variety of wild predicaments.

Picking up where her successful autobiography Enter Talking left off, Joan Rivers delivers a searing and funny account—as only she can—of private tragedy, a public fall from grace, and triumph against all odds. In Still Talking, Joan opens up about her rise to the top, dishes on fellow celebrities, and recounts the end of her treasured friendship with mentor Johnny Carson. Still Talking details Joan's courageous battle with life's obstacles and how she overcame the terrible circumstances that plagued her, surviving it all through laughter.

Eleven-time Emmy Award winner and icon of American comedy, Carl Reiner, performs a sweet, wry, and whimsical collection of two dozen multi-dimensional short stories—some true and others merely tales. Included in this collection are stories about a man too handsome for his personality, a lifetime bond that is created by a football accident, and a widower's nostalgic trip to the live chicken market. Together they represent the poignant, nostalgic, and laugh-out loud funny genius of this comedic superstar.

From the minds that brought you The Official Politically Correct Dictionary and Handbook comes a wickedly funny send-up of the most dangerous trend ever to strike love, romance, and relationships—sexual correctness. In the be-sensitive-or-else era, everyone needs a guide to the essential don'ts and don'ts of sexual behavior and courtship. If a man compliments his date on her dress, should she go to the police? If a businesswoman licks her lips during a meeting, should she be fired without pay? Is a girlfriend just another unpaid sex worker?

Former Golf Digest editor Don Wade has collected literally hundreds of anecdotes from some of the greatest names in the sport and delivers those stories in a series of captivating volumes. This particular collection assembles not only golf legends like Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Amy Alcott, Lee Trevino, and Jack Nicklaus, but other notables such as Bing Crosby and Jack Lemmon—not to mention Howard Hughes and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

"Take my wife—please!" Henny Youngman, the king of one-liners, delivers a classic collection of jokes. For more than sixty years, Henny Youngman provoked giggles, roars, and belly laughs for audiences on stage, in nightclubs, and on radio television. In his famous style, Henny delivers rapid-fire jokes in succession. He adds even more zest to this recording with a variety of anecdotes featuring the greatest names in show business. From funny bone ticklers to groaners, these jokes and stories are delivered the way only Henny Youngman, the Master of Comedy, can.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, bestselling author, and failed Wheel of Fortune contestant Dave Barry has questions—lots of them—and sets out to find the answers. If you've ever wondered things such as, “Just how does Oprah have the power to turn a 1957 Hotpoint toaster manual into a #1 bestseller?” or “What makes people want to eat animals they would never consider petting?”, then this book is for you. Dave Barry proves that one man even in this incredibly complex global society using only his mind and the power of information can make a difference.

More than once, friends of Carl Reiner said, “You ought to write those things down.” And at the age of eighty, Carl finally did. In this funny and engaging memoir, Reiner recounts his show business life in short comic takes....

An elite plan is afoot, a plan so secret and dangerous that its existence is known only to a tiny group of specialists within the innermost core of the CIA. There is virtually no paper trail—but somehow the plan has sprung a leak, and the plotters must urgently plug it—or face deadly consequences. As clandestine worlds collide, the present faces the past, and disturbing moral choices are weighed against a shining patriotic dream. What is the truth? Whose truth should be believed?

Sebastian Zollner's failure as a journalist is matched only by his personal failures. Searching for redemption in the eyes of his peers, he heads off into the mountains to interview the eccentric, legendary painter Manuel Kaminski with the hope of writing his biography. Going blind and living in seclusion with his daughter, Kaminski could be working on his next masterpiece or easing into his final days. His artistic reputation hinges on any number of factors, but most prominently on a definitive biography.

In this brilliant retelling of the classic tale about the transcendent power of love, author Stephen Mitchell writes, "There are two kinds of women: those who marry princes and those who marry frogs.” While the frogs never become princes, over the course of an ordinary marriage, a prince may turn into a frog. However, Mitchell tells of a different kind of love story. This adult fairytale is the story of a meditative frog's love for a rebellious princess, how she came to love him in spite of herself, and how her refusal to compromise helped him become what he was truly meant to be.

From the brilliant comic mind of Jonathan Winters, this recording features some of his most memorable comedic work. Famous for his impersonations, Winters takes on Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robin Williams, Groucho Marx, and Saddam Hussein. And treat yourself to more laughs as Winters transforms into some of his most famous characters including Grandma Frickert and Chester Honeyhugger.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich continues to be a polarizing figure in America. But fear not! The coauthor of Contract with America is always good for another tale or two, regaling youngsters with “The Three Little Pigs and the Perils of Subsidized Housing,” “Cinderella and the Glass Ceiling,” and “Hillary the Snow Queen"—to name just a few.

Better than CliffsNotes, funnier than Monarch Notes, and shorter than the originals—comes a hilarious spoof of the blockbuster hits you love, not to mention many books you've come to despise.

Though celebrated playwright Wendy Wasserstein was firmly rooted in New York's cultural life, her appeal is universal. Shiksa Goddess collects her urbane, inspiring, and deeply empathetic essays, all written when she was in her forties, and all infused with her trademark irreverent humor. The full range of Wasserstein's mid-life obsessions are covered in this eclectic collection— everything from Chekhov, politics, and celebrity to family, fashion, and real estate.

The disastrous banjo-playing of Bertram "Bertie" Wooster has driven the otherwise steadfast gentleman's gentleman Jeeves to give notice—because even butlers have limits. In anger, Bertie disappears to the country with his new valet Brinkley as a guest of Lord “Chuffy” Chuffnell, who has employed the services of the recently resigned Jeeves. Bertie soon finds himself in no shortage of trouble as he encounters his ex-fiancée Pauline, her formidable father, and the eminent looney-doctor Sir Roderick Glossop.

Entranced by romantic tales of heroism and chivalry, Don Quixote—self-proclaimed knight errant—embarks on a delusional quest for fame and adventure. The eccentric Spanish country gentleman and his companion Sancho encounter an array of unforgettable characters and undertake some of the most famously foolhardy exploits in literature. Listeners will delight in following their chivalrous misadventures to right wrongs and punish evil in this timeless, laugh-out-loud tale.