How to be Funny

How to be Funny
by Jon Macks

How to be Funny
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Book Summary Information

Author: Jon Macks
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-09-01
ISBN: 0743204727
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Book Reviews of How to be Funny

Book Review: Some Readers Don't Get It ! ! !
Summary: 5 Stars

This book is simply a systematic way to find humor in one's everday experiences.

As a professional speaker I found it IMMENSELY valuable. Jon Macks is basically telling the reader that there are different directions from which you can approach a person or situation to create humor.

The negative reviews seemed to expect a funny book. And there are some hysterical lines. However that is not the point. The jokes are there to reinforce the concepts. For example;

Gilbert Gottfried is asked on Hollywood Squares (a scripted show) "What do you do about a hairy back?"

He responds, "Close my eyes and imagine she's wearing an alpaca sweater."

While the joke is funny, painting a great picture, the point of this was to show the use of hard consonants to create funny words or sounds - use of the word alpaca is the point of the response.

If you write or speak and want to be funnier, this is a great book for you. Steve Allen's book of the same title is also a great book, written for the same purpose.

Summary of How to be Funny

An invaluable guide on how to "lighten up" from a distinguished pro who has provided laughs for JAY LENO, BILLY CRYSTAL, STEVE MARTIN, ROBIN WILLIAMS, BRAD GARRETT, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, AND MANY MORE.

Who hasn't wished for the perfect withering comeback line, a clever tension-breaking quip, or a winning flirtatious remark? Being funny is hard work and not everyone is a natural. How to Be Funny is a witty guide that teaches readers precisely how to be funnier in everyday life. It's a must-read for anyone who has to speak in public, be engaging and funny at work or at play, or who hopes to one day go out on a date.

Jon Macks, a comedy writer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Academy Awards, the Emmy Awards, Hollywood Squares, and the nation's top comedians, politicians, and corporate leaders, knows his funny business. Here he demystifies the process of making people laugh, breaks down the basic building blocks and types of humor -- which include self-deprecation, misdirection, deadpan delivery, sarcasm, and "the reverse" -- and reveals the best approaches to use in common situations.

How to Be Funny features helpful (and hilarious) tips and anecdotes from the comic legends Mack's worked with -- including Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, Gilbert Gottfried, Billy Crystal, Rita Rudner, Dave Barry, and Carrie Fisher -- in his eleven years as one of the nation's top television writers.

Whether the goal is to give a memorable public address or deliver a killer line with friends, How to Be Funny is a charming, instructive, and practical read.

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