Comedians Jokes

The Big Bang Natural Selection E = mc2 All pretty decent theories, that beg one question: why has no-one discovered a fully unified theory for what makes jokes funny? Well, comedy director Amanda Baker, comedy writer Abi Grant and stand-up comedian Jimmy Carr have done just that. In this book, in case that's not obvious. From how to identify the families of jokes, to decoding the building blocks of comedy, to the real - and brand new - secret to comic timing, On Jokes does for comedy what decoding the genome did for designer babies.

In The Comedians, comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff brings to life a century of American comedy with real-life characters, forgotten stars, mainstream heroes and counterculture iconoclasts. Based on over 200 original interviews and extensive archival research, Nesteroff's groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and changed American culture over the past 100 years.

In early 1970, artist Ralph Steadman went to America in search of work and found more than he bargained for. At the Kentucky Derby he met a former Hell’s Angel, one Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson wrote later that “The rest of that day blurs into madness. The rest of that night, too. Steadman...

Brought to you by Penguin. Three men meet on a ship bound for Haiti, a world in the grip of the corrupt 'Papa Doc' and the Tontons Macoute, his sinister secret police. Brown the hotelier, Smith the innocent American and Jones the confidence man - these are the 'comedians' of Graham Greene's...

Three men meet on a ship bound for Haiti, where corruption and terror reign under the dictatorship of Papa Doc and the Tontons Macoute, his sinister secret police. Disillusioned and noncommittal, they are the “comedians” of Greene’s title. Brown is a disenchanted English hotel owner; the...

David Mitchell, who you may know for his inappropriate anger on every TV panel show except Never Mind the Buzzcocks, his look of permanent discomfort on C4 sex comedy Peep Show, his online commenter-baiting in The Observer or just for wearing a stick-on moustache in That Mitchell and Webb Look...

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A “whip-smart” (USA TODAY) exploration of the dangers of binary thinking and how it threatens to take over our institutions, relationships, and freedoms—alongside hilarious and illustrative personal stories from New York Times bestselling author Kat...

This entertaining and sharply written guide - for both beginners breaking into comedy and professionals seeking to improve their sets and advance their careers - examines the work of great comedians such as Louis C. K., Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Izzard, Moms Mabley, Hannibal Buress, Sarah Silverman, Richard Pryor, and more as a means of illustrating the most important techniques of performing and writing stand-up.   

'Really funny & engaging. A breeze and a pleasure to read' Katherine Ryan 'As hilarious and outrageous as you might expect' Rosie Ramsey 'Funny. Poignant. Fascinating. Just the sort of hilarious, disrespectful, ribald book I love to get stuck into' Jo Brand *** How did little Jenny Hargreaves...

With laugh-out-loud funny parenting observations, the New York Times bestselling author and award-winning comedian delivers a book that is perfect for anyone who has ever raised a child, been a child, or refuses to stop acting like one. "Mike Birbiglia and Jen Stein are the best collaborators...

This program is read by the author. “You’re Doing Great! is your no-nonsense go-to collection of essays to get you through the increasing noise and chatter of self-doubt and confusion in the new millennium. Tom Papa is a funny, empathetic guide and your new best friend." — Patton Oswalt...

Four comedy writers transform classic joke setups into sharp commentary about the everyday and structural sexism that pervades all facets of life. Jokes to Offend Men arms listeners with humorous quips to shut down workplace underminers, condescending uncles, and dismissive doctors, or to share with their exhausted friends at the end of a long day. A cutting, cathartic spin on the old-fashioned joke book, Jokes to Offend Men is a refreshing reclamation of a tired form for anyone who's ever been told to "lighten up, it's just a joke!"

If you want to know how to do stand-up comedy, then get the How to Be a Stand Up Comedian guide now. You will discover simple step-by-step secrets on how to succeed at improv stand-up comedy.

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.  

AUDIOBOOK INCLUDES TWO EXTRA STORIES AND A CAREFULLY CURATED LIST OF EXQUISITE BABY NAME SUGGESTIONS...! Once upon a time, in a land far away (in fact, in an entirely different tax bracket), there lived some perfectly privileged children... In Fairytales for Privileged Children: Little Red...

Comedy is king. From multimillion-dollar TV specials to sold-out stand-up shows and TikTok stardom, comedy has never been more popular, democratized, or influential. Comedians have become organizing forces across culture—as trusted as politicians and as fawned-over as celebrities—yet comedy as an art form has gone under-considered throughout its history, even as it has ascended as a cultural force.

Bloomsbury presents Thatcher Stole My Trousers, written and read by Alexei Sayle. 'Enlightening … Funny, smart, original and provocative ... It is hard to imagine the stalwarts of Mock the Week recognising the Druze militia leader Walid Jumblatt in a London cinema' NEW STATESMAN 'Few standups...

'As if Succession was turned into a series of Ladybird books' - THE TIMES 'A terribly funny book from an absolutely disgraceful person' -JOE LYCETT 'Daniel's writing is hilarious, although it makes me worry about how I'm bringing my children up' - JOSH WIDDICOMBE 'Finally! Some stories to shut...

Barry Friedman, a veteran of 30 years on the comedy road, delivers another punchline on stand-up. Filled with garden-variety kleptomaniacs, large, rum-drinking Bahamians, bitter, glorious, troubled, and sex-addicted women with ankle monitors, loquacious drug addicts, first-time Vegas lesbians, and tall, neurotic Jews in sweaters - and these are the sane people - The Joke Was On Me is the story, his story, of laughs and love, and almost fame. It’s all true - as much as comedy will allow anyway.

Five-time Emmy award winner Dennis Miller takes on the current climate like no other can in Fake News, Real Jokes! From selfies and airline travel to Trump and journalists, he delivers his signature critical assessments in his low key style that has been deemed by The Hollywood Reporter as "the most cerebral, astute and clever standup ever”.