Humor Theory

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The definitive, behind-the-scenes look at the most popular sitcom of the last decade, packed with all-new, exclusive interviews with the producers and the entire cast—from journalist and the host of The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast, Jessica Radloff. The...

The latest installment in the lively and deliciously charming 44 Scotland Street series finds all our favorite residents of Scotland’s most celebrated address navigating their enchanting and eventful lives Settle in and take a trip back to Scotland’s favorite fictitious street with Bertie...

"A masterly book" —Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan "A classic" —Simon Kuper, Financial Times An economist explores the five laws that confirm our worst fears: stupid people can and do rule the world Throughout history, a powerful force has hindered the growth of human welfare...

A landmark in women’s empowerment—as relevant as ever after a year marked by unprecedented political protest—that honors female sexuality in all its complexity. "I was worried about vaginas. I was worried about what we think about vaginas, and even more worried that we don't think about...

Abridged for audio. Read by the author, Clive James. With fascinating essays on towering figures from Anna Akhmatova to Stefan Zweig, via Charles de Gaulle, Hitler, Thomas Mann and Wittgenstein, Cultural Amnesia is one of the crowning achievements in Clive James's illustrious career as a critic...

Inspiration for the TV series Living Biblically streaming now! From the New York Times bestselling author of The Know-It-All comes a fascinating and timely exploration of religion and the Bible. A.J. Jacobs chronicles his hilarious and thoughtful year spent obeying?as literally as possible?the...

Meet the Female Chauvinist Pig - the new brand of "empowered woman" who wears the Playboy bunny as a talisman, bares all for Girls Gone Wild, pursues casual sex as if it were a sport, and embraces "raunch culture". If male chauvinist pigs of years past thought of women as pieces of meat, Female Chauvinist Pigs of today are doing them one better. They think they're being brave, they think they're being funny, but in Female Chauvinist Pigs, Ariel Levy asks if the joke is on them.

Grab your beverage of choice, we’re going back on the road! Bringing you A Haunted Road Atlas: Next Stop, from the New York Times bestselling authors of true crime/supernatural podcast And That’s Why We Drink! From the truest crimes to the spookiest supernaturals, this guide will have even...

What Harry Potter did for magic, Max Einstein does for kids' imaginations! Max leads a group of kid geniuses in this #1 New York Times bestseller officially approved by the Albert Einstein archives. Max Einstein is not your typical genius. She ... Hacks the computer system at NYU to attend...

Ever feel like the whole world is conspiring against you? Jonathon Fairfax can’t even get on the London Underground without bumping into someone he’s desperate to avoid – like Rachel, his first love, who demolished his heart eleven years ago. She tells him that her terrifying uncle (a man...

Make America Great Again? Donald Trump is an asshole is a fact widely agreed upon—even by his supporters, who actually like that about him. But his startling political rise makes the question of just what sort of asshole he is, and how his assholedom may help to explain his success, one not...

Of all human qualities, humor is perhaps the most puzzling. In this very first history of humor, author and humorist William Hartston looks at every aspect of the evolution of humor and our attitudes toward it with a view to developing a proper theory of everything humorous.

Perfect for fans of Mona Awad and Maria Semple, this gripping, offbeat journey through modern-day Los Angeles is a genre-blending, darkly humorous exploration of suburban life, conspiracy theories, and spiritual awakening. A page-turning psychological trip for anyone who’s ever wondered if all...

New York magazine's "Science of Us" editor explains the compelling psychology of awkwardness, and asks: what if the moments that make us feel most awkward are actually valuable? Have you ever said goodbye to someone, only to discover that you're both walking in the same direction? Or had your...

The fictional world of Will Self is unlike any other. In The Quantity Theory of Insanity, we learn, amongst other things, the dark and terrible secret of Ward 9, why you are right to think that London is full of dead people and that each and every human being is caught up in a colossal balancing...

Basie Wenger, a 24-year-old trained percussionist from Philadelphia, impulsively takes on a sudden posting as choir director for a church in Kansas City. Trying to adjust to small town life is difficult enough.

Multi-award winning and USA Today bestselling crime writer Lou Berney returns to his critically acclaimed thriller series starring former mob wheelman Shake Bouchon, who finds himself dragged into a high-stakes hostage rescue, among the mighty temples and shadowy underground of Cambodia. During...

Journey from fantasy mountains to super-cities, through piratical seas and across space without missing any must-see sights – or putting a foot wrong with the locals! Whether you’re Lord of the shoestring-budget or Luxe Skywalker – Notes from Small Planets is your pastiche passport through...

With The Rosie Project, “Graeme Simsion achieved the impossible and created an entirely new kind of romantic hero” (Jojo Moyes, New York Times bestselling author). Now Don Tillman returns in the hilarious and charming sequel to the international sensation. Get ready to fall in love all over...

From the beloved comedian, writer, and director of Fantasmas and Problemista Julio Torres, a hilarious and whimsical journey through the art of giving. In this beautifully illustrated book from a brilliantly absurd mind, Julio Torres, cult comedian, filmmaker, and former Saturday Night Live...