How did Jon Scieszka get so funny, anyway? Growing up as one of six brothers was a good start, but that was just the beginning. Throw in Catholic school, lots of comic books, lazy summers at the lake with time to kill, babysitting misadventures, TV shows, jokes told at family dinner, and the result is Knucklehead. Part memoir, part scrapbook, this hilarious trip down memory lane provides a unique glimpse into the formation of a creative mind and a free spirit. Watch a QuickTime trailer for this book.
Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life—which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job—Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy. At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away.
In front of you there is the collection of short amusing stories of the author of famous children's and teenage books. The situations happening to the heroes and causing confusion and fright in them, seem then very comical. It is the first book by which the author starts acquainting the adult reader with his work. Antithesis is the second collection of stories where the author tells about as it might seem less significant life situations, but which after some time, on the contrary - make the heroes shed tears. You can find all works of the author either in audio format.
One of the most popular questions cops get asked is "What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you on the job?" Well, we set out to gather a few funny stories from across North America and compiled them into this eBook with some stories you will want to read again and again to laugh at and share with your friends. So many times in the career of law enforcement officers, you end up saying "You just can't make this stuff up!" So, here are some insights as to the sorts of things that we have laid eyes on or experienced that we hope you'll enjoy! Please be aware that the stories in this book are REAL and some involve recounting nudity or other PG-16+ situations that you may want to consider if you find such real situations (that cops see and have to learn to laugh at) offensive.
Follow comedian Gabriel Rutledge on an occasionally-uncomfortable, always-funny look at the life of a modern road comic as he continues his climb toward the middle of the pack. Equal parts incisive and intimate, Rutledge relates-in hilarious detail-the challenges and struggles of raising a family and pursuing a comedy career, all while battling the horrors of the comedy condo, the slow death of performing to a captive nursing home audience, and the nightmare of air travel with a fellow comedian who just can't pick up on social cues. With his customary wit and searing honesty, Rutledge-2004 winner of the Seattle International Comedy Competition-pulls back the curtain on his life, his family, his art, and probably more about his bathroom habits than he should. Sometimes laughter hurts, but then again, happiness isn't funny.
Stephen Rosenfield, founder and director of the American Comedy Institute, the premier comedy school in the United States, has taught literally dozens of major standup comics in North America, and has also pioneered comedy as an academic discipline in many universities, a trend that is rapidly spreading. Mastering Stand-Up draws on Rosenfield's own extensive experience (and those of countless stars like Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Rodney Dangerfield, Louis C.K., Steve Martin, Roseanne, and Johnny Carson) to show the reader—and would-be comic—what works, what doesn't, and why. Forty sharply written chapters cover every conceivable angle of the joke and how to tell it. There are a number of books on comedy and how to do it, but none has the breadth and authority Rosenfield brings to his theme. It's not for nothing that the New York Times has described him as "probably the best-known comedy teacher in the country." Rosenfield's book is sure to become the classic text on its subject. And it should help thousands who long to make others laugh to realize their fondest hopes.
Every other Thursday on Santa Monica Boulevard’s Comedy Central Stage, a motley assortment of prolific Hollywood writers, actors, and comics convene to reveal the most personal—and colorful—parts of their lives. Their soul-baring monologues reveal the sources of their creative genius, from wacky families, to psycho exes, random ramblings, and unbelievable Hollywood insights. This hilarious collection, featuring a foreword by Arrested Development's Mitch Hurwitz and Jim Vallely, includes some of their best confessions. It provides an inside scoop on Hollywood, including stories on mishaps at the Emmys, writing for popular shows, being put in a sleeper hold by Hulk Hogan, growing up in famous families, and what it’s like to play Jan Brady. Funny, embarrassing, or dirty (or a combination thereof), but always brutally honest, Dirty Laundry shines a voyeuristic light on the underbellies of the people who have sold their souls to the entertainment biz. Authors include Maggie Rowe, Andersen Gabrych, Doug Benson, Kevin Nealon, Richard Belzer, Amy Stiller, Laura Silverman, Mary Birdsong, Taylor Negron, Randy Sklar, Kelly Carlin-McCall, Jennifer Elise Cox, Tom Saunders, Eileen Conn, Carlos Kotkin, Eddie Pepitone, Mark Evan Jackson, C. Brian Smith, Davis McHenry, Matt Price, David Landsberg, David Chrisman, Keith Blaney, Andrea Abbate, Jonathan Schmock, Jen Sincero, Claudia Lonow, Jackie Kashian, Shaz Bennet, B. Mark Seabrooks, Stirling Gardner, and Drew Droege.
The American spirit is alive and well in this collection of heartwarming, often hilarious anecdotes about life in big cities, small towns, and hidden hamlets from coast to coast. Selected from thousands of contributions submitted to Reader's Digest each year, these delightful glimpses of our national preoccupations, regional points of pride, and down-home wisdom capture the idiosyncracies, interests, and ideals of ordinary people. 200+ color illustrations.
