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"How
to Be Funny on Purpose"
Author
Edgar E. Willis, Emeritus Professor--University
of Michigan
With a
chapter about humor on the Internet by
Richard L. Weaver
II, Professor Emeritus--Bowling Green State
University
ISBN:
0973754524
© 2005 / Hardcover / 344 Pages
Published by
Cybercom Publishing
835 York Mills Rd, #1135
Toronto, Canada M3B1Y2
benh@cybercominc.net
SBN:
0973754532
© 2005 / Paperback / 344 Pages
Published by Cybercom
Publishing
OVERVIEW
For
centuries illustrious thinkers have speculated about what inspires the beguiling
and uplifting sound of laughter. With their ideas in mind, Edgar Willis
takes an innovative and sometimes startling approach to the subject. Its
key element is a precise and practical set of instructions for turning the
momentary flicker of an idea into a full-fledged and funny joke. He
provides further enrichment with lively discussions of such relevant topics as:
good jokes and bad ones, the often hilarious consequences of unintended humor,
and the perils of being funny. Richard L. Weaver II adds informed insights
into using the internet to find and develop jokes. The result is a book of
extraordinary reach and dimension.
The tone
is erudite without being stuffy. The hundreds of jokes used to illustrate
techniques of joke making and the author's anecdotes about his adventures and
misadventures with humor will tickle your funny bone. Indeed, you may find
yourself bursting (at times) into out loud guffaws. The probing analyses
of humor's complexities will challenge your capacity to perceive and understand.
The value
of this book to aspiring humorists is obvious. It can also guide teachers,
preachers, and public speakers into using humor to add zest and
attention-holding power to their presentations. Most importantly it can
amplify the response and sharpen the appreciation of people who relish hearing
funny stories, and that includes almost everyone. They have laughed at
jokes before, but having read this book, they will laugh louder, for now they
will know WHY they are laughing!
About Edgar E Willis
Edgar E Willis is Emeritus Professor of
Communication at the University of Michigan, where he also served for ten
years as department chairman. For
many years his lectures on the mystery of what causes people to laugh, have
enlightened audiences all across America and in England where he spent a year as
a Fulbright scholar. He has authored or co-authored five books about
television and radio. His book "How to be Funny on Purpose" springs from
his experiences as a teacher and lecturer and the crystallization of his
thinking about the roots of humor. Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Why Be
Funny?
Chapter 2 - What is Funniness?
Chapter 3 - Being Funny Without Meaning to Be
Chapter 4 - The Master Key to Creating Jokes
Chapter 5 - A Trigger of Laughter: Self Satisfaction
Chapter 6 - Triggers of Laughter: Incongruity and Surprise
Chapter 7 - Finding Your Way to a Joke
Chapter 8 - Helping a Joke Along
Chapter 9 - Distinguishing Good Jokes from Bad Ones
Chapter 10 - Should I Tell This Joke?
Chapter 11 - Using the Internet to Find or Develop Jokes
In Praise of "How
to Funny on Purpose
"Ronald Reagan would have loved
this book. This is a wonderful adventure through the history of humor.
It is a primer on how jokes are created and how to deliver them. How to
be Funny on Purpose is an insightful perspective on the 'essence of comedy in
our lives.'"
Darrell Trent,
United States Ambassador
Acting Secretary of Transportation under President Ronald Reagan
"A great read!
Dr. Willis puts humor in perspective and has presented us with a book that is
informative, education and witty. Readers will learn about the history
of humor and, more importantly, how to use it in both business and social
situations. It's a win-win winner."
H. Stuart
Knight
Director (Ret.), United States Secret Service
"Should be on
every Toastmaster's shelf . . . How to be Funny on Purpose, with its analysis
of humor, many humor devices, and numerous examples from professional funny
men and women, is a combination reference and how-to book. In
Toastmasters International we know that our speeches are greatly enhanced with
a sprinkling of humor. This is a complete book on humor for lay
humorists, professionals, and non-speechmakers as well, and it will help
everyone put more humor in their lives - - on purpose."
Muriel
Nicewonder
Former Division Governor, District #28
Toastmasters International, Mission Viejo, CA
"I recommend the
book to every pastor . . . How to be Funny on Purpose offers practical steps
in developing the skill to write and tell a joke. I would make it
required reading for seminary students, for it is not only a book that can
help with sermon preparation, but it can be an invaluable resource in leading
church business meetings, board meetings, and denominational forums where
often a bit of humor can make the difference in maintaining civility and
respect for one another."
Dr. David W.
Andersen
Former pastor First Baptist Church of Greater Toledo
Reviews from Amazon.com
How to Be Funny on Purpose
How to be Funny on Purpose is an outstanding
book. It is a fascinating, one-of-a-kind book on humor. There is so much more
here than a book on how to construct jokes, even though that part of the book
is excellent. The first thing that catches the reader's attention is the
author's command of the whole history of humor in America-on the radio, on
television, and on the Internet as well.
Whether the jokes come from professional
humorists, writers of humor, the author's personal life, politicians, or the
humor found in everyday life, the range is broad, the selections entertaining,
and the jokes are funny.
The second feature that readers will notice is
the author's accurate, sensitive, and thorough dissection of humor. Willis's
description of the three main theories about the nature of funniness-the
superiority theory, the incongruity theory, and the surprise theory-and the
examples he uses to illustrate these theories, is fascinating as well as
simply and clearly explained. Willis writes in a plain, direct, and vivid
manner that is both engaging and captivating.
Just reading about the forms of funniness helps
one not just realize the world of humor in which we live, but understand and
appreciate a whole new world of humor that we so often overlook or fail to be
sensitive to. This book educates, instructs, and delightfully adds to your
knowledge and understanding.
The third feature of the book that helps make
it outstanding is its main one: how to be funny on purpose, or, the
construction and use of jokes. Willis's approach to developing jokes is clear,
specific, well-illustrated and explained, and contagious. If his information
doesn't make you want to try your hand at creating jokes-as you are reading
the book-I would be surprised and shocked. This feature, alone, makes this
book worth purchasing. The suggestions for using the Internet to find and
create jokes are instructive and useful.
I might add that once you are aware of how
jokes are constructed, you will become a more knowledgeable consumer. You will
know what makes certain jokes work and others fail. You will know, too, the
circumstances when jokes should be told and when they should not.
A final feature of the book is important as
well, and this final feature could justify buying the book just as easily as
the previous ones. This is a joke book. It is full of jokes; there are some on
every page. Even the joke considered the best one in the world, as well as the
runners-up, are included. The beauty of the book is in the scope, variety, and
selection of jokes. Willis knows classic jokes, and he knows what jokes merit
that label. By reading this book, you will become an expert judge as well.
So, if you are interested in the history and
background of humor, if you are looking for a thorough analysis of the topic,
if the construction of jokes draws your attention, or if you just want a joke
book, this is a well-written, expertly documented, serious look at humor.
Willis offers a priceless book that is immeasurable in reader satisfaction,
unparalleled in its approach and thoroughness, incomparable in its coverage of
jokes, and, in my mind, irreplaceable with respect to its ability to educate
and instruct. I will treasure this book forever, and it will be a permanent
part of my library. Whether you are a public speaker or someone who would like
to give better speeches, a professional humorist or someone who would like to
become a better professional, or just a person who enjoys humor, like myself,
or someone who would like to find greater pleasure in humor, you will treasure
this book as well. It is first-rate.
(Review
Copyright Amazon.com)
A
Book of Substance on How to Form and Tell Jokes
When I selected How to be Funny on Purpose, I
was looking for a good book that would offer specific suggestions for telling
jokes. Reading Willis's book was a terrific experience, not because he
accomplishes exactly what he sets out to do (instruct you in how to put
together and tell jokes) but because he puts all the instructions he offers
into a meaningful, understandable, and useful framework with numerous examples
to explain it all.
To establish the foundation, Willis discusses how the delivery and reception
of jokes involves three major elements: first, the conception of an idea or a
group of ideas presented to an audience - the expressed idea. Second, prompted
by the joke maker, the audience arrives at an idea of its own - the inferred
idea. Third, the combination of the expressed idea and the inferred idea
produces a feeling of self-satisfaction, the recognition of an incongruity, or
surprise. It is only when this substructure is well established that Willis
discusses how to find a starting point, determine the initial idea's role,
develop a bridge to the inferred idea, select and arrange ideas, and evaluate
the result.
Just like an effective teacher, Willis guides readers carefully step-by-step.
With just a little experience, the line between steps disappears and you
quickly begin moving from a beginning idea to a polished expressed idea in one
instantaneous flash. This book moves you to that point quickly and
competently, and the process becomes glorious fun, as Willis, himself,
proclaims. And when you start to struggle, Willis offers approaches and
devices to get the wheels of invention moving.
Effective joke telling is a craft, and it requires thoughtful preparation and
sufficient knowledge. Willis offers the directions, background, expertise, and
gentle guidance through the process. He moves joke telling from craft to art
form.
Books of substance on the topic of humor are a rare exception to the norm.
This book is that rare exception. I am certain it will exceed your
expectations, just as it did mine. (Review Copyright
Amazon.com)
Excellent Book
A Success Plan for Creating and Consuming Humor
How to be Funny on Purpose, by Edgar E. Willis artfully blends content-rich
information with an entertaining and motivating writing style. His is a
success plan that tells readers how to be creators of humor who can make a
difference and consumers who can add richness, joy, and pleasure to their
lives. Willis shares a step-by-step program and confirms the fact that
everyone can be an effective creator and consumer of humor. His practical
guidance, focus on the reader, emphasis on communication skills, and rich
personal experiences, make this a one-of-a-kind book. By using examples from
daily life, professionals, politicians, and his own experience, Willis shows
readers how to capitalize on resources that surround them, how to adapt and
adopt those resources, and how to use them effectively. Willis is truly a
special writer with a message that must be read not just by every professional
speaker, but by anyone who gives public speeches of any kind. Sheila M.
Bethel, PhD., Author, Speaker (Review Copyright
Amazon.com)
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