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 enlarge | Author: Jim Holt
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy New: $8.99
You Save: $6.96 (44%)
New (43) Used (8) from $7.98
Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 24233
Format: Illustrated
Media: Hardcover
Edition: illustrated edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.7 x 0.7
ISBN: 0393066738
Dewey Decimal Number: 809.7
EAN: 9780393066739
ASIN: 0393066738
Publication Date: July 14, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Hardcover, with dust jacket. Dust jacket has slight shelf wear. Ships the next business day, with tracking and delivery confirmation sent to your email.
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-7 of 7 | | « PREV | | |
 Kalamazoo! July 25, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This is an erudite and clever book, hence the five stars. I'd expect nothing less from author Jim Holt, whose work I've enjoyed immensely before. But as much as I liked Stop Me If You've Heard This, my enjoyment was, of necessity, short-lived.
At less than 7-by-5 inches in size, this is a smallish book. It's also a slender one. If you subtract the index, credits, and bibliography, it has 126 pages of material. Now subtract the 24 illustrations and you're down to 102 pages of text.
At this point, one notices the book's colossal margins, and how humankind's entire "history of jokes" is covered in 41 pages. In fact, this section is as much about joke collectors throughout the ages as the jokes themselves.
But all is forgiven in the book's second half ("Philosophy"), wherein Holt really shines. In addition to providing a variety of jokes types, there are also a number of worthy theories regarding their origins, classifications, and ramifications. In short, this is the part of the book where you'll laugh.
To sum up, while I anticipated a hardcover book, what I got was a bound copy of two essays. These were, respectively, good and most excellent. But imagining a bookstore shopper paying this book's list price of $15.95 makes me a little uneasy. While I was happy to avail myself of the on-line discount, perhaps the publisher could have taken this book's price point more... seriously?
*Finally, as to "Kalamazoo!", it is Holt's submission for the shortest joke in the world. (You'll have to read his explanation on pp. 79-80.)
Stop Me? No way! Here's how to get started on understanding jokes July 18, 2008
8 out of 12 found this review helpful
The joke begins with the title which offers a "philosophy of jokes" -- surely "philosophy" suggests seriousness -- does this presume a reader should not laugh in order to understand laughter?
But, seriously folks . . . This is a thoughtful, well-rounded and appropiately funny book. Let's start with one relevant fact: In America today, the mood of the country is available from only one source - - the comic monologues introducing the late night shows on television. If you don't like jokes, you don't know nuttin'.
Think, for a moment, about the lack of jokes about Barack Obama; try and think of any joke that would not draw a charge of racial insensitivity. The only jokes about McCain relate to his age; not about his fierce temper, lack of economic experience, trophy second wife and her beer business, or any perceived or invented weakness.
"Jokes are meant to be understood; indeed this is crucial to their success," Holt writes, citing Sigmund Freud. To be understood, they must be brief and to the point like a good advertising slogan; on this basis a good joke can be critical or supportive of a person, policy, preference or attitude.
For example, during World War II, it was a capital offence to criticize Der Fuhrer. So, Berliners would say, "Just think, in 1941 it took a week on the trains to go from the Western Front to the Eastern Front. Now, in just four years, thanks to the brilliance of our leader, we can go from the Western Front to the Eastern Front on the subway."
Presumably, people were not shot for such praise. It's the folks without a sense of humour who are losers, which is why Berliners could joke despite their plight. Even if defeated, they weren't losers. Granted, as Holt points out, one Berlin comic who named his horse 'Adolf' was shot. The lesson is obvious; if you're gonna be funny, be smart.
Jewish jokes seem to mean 'if we can laugh at ourselves, then we're not dangerous.' Bush jokes? They produce a laugh, not a punch in the face. A good joke challenges an idea, situation or person without provoking a fight.
But, seriously folks . . .
This is a good book. In other words, "Don't stop me if you've heard this . . ." Tell me, and not only will I get a laugh but I'll also have something to think about. Maybe, inspired by this book, someone will even come up with a joke about Obama.
Now, that would really be funny. Let's see now: "Eight years ago, Democrats had a candidate who was as dour as an iceberg. This year, they've come up with one who's as confident as the Titanic." Or is it better said, "... as cold as an iceberg ... as hot as the Titanic". How about "...as hot as an iceberg ... as cold as the Titanic." Therein lies the essence of good humour -- finding perfect words at the precise moment to overturn a pretentious idea.
There are some wonderfully funny examples here, mixed with philosophy and other deep thoughts. Someone's sure to come up with a better Obama joke. This book is a great place to start.
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