Part road-trip comedy and part social science experiment, a scientist and a journalist travel the globe to discover the secret behind what makes things funny, questioning countless experts, including Louis C.K., along the way.
Record details
ISBN:9781451665413
ISBN:1451665415
Physical Description:print xv, 239 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Edition:First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.
Publisher:New York, NY : Simon & Schuster, 2014.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 218-226) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Colorado : set-up -- Los Angeles : who is funny? -- New York : how do you make funny? -- Tanzania : why do we laugh? -- Japan : when is comedy lost in translation? -- Scandinavia : does humor have a dark side? -- Palestine : can you find humor where you least expect it? -- The Amazon : is laughter the best medicine? -- Montreal : punch line.
The Humor Code : A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny
Part road-trip comedy and part social science experiment, a scientist and a journalist detail their epic quest to discover the secret behind what makes things funny. Two guys. 19 experiments. Five continents. 91,000 miles. And a book that will forever change the way you think about humor. Part road-trip comedy and part social science experiment, a scientist and a journalist detail their epic quest to discover the secret behind what makes things funny. Dr. Peter McGraw, founder of the Humor Research Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder, teamed up with journalist Joel Warner on a far-reaching search for the secret behind humor. Their journey spanned the globe, from New York to Japan, from Palestine to the Amazon. Meanwhile, the duo conducted their own humor experiments along the way--to wince-worthy, hilarious, and illuminating results. In their quixotic search, they questioned countless experts, from comedians like Louis C.K. to rat-tickling researchers, and answered pressing (and not-so-pressing) questions such as, "What's the secret to winning The New Yorker cartoon caption contest?"; "Who has the bigger funny bone--men or women, Democrats or Republicans?"; and "Is laughter really the best medicine?" As a final test, McGraw uses everything they learned to attempt stand-up--at the largest comedy festival in the world. Funny, surprising, and often touching, The Humor Code is a revealing exploration of humor, society, and an unusual friendship.