This practical guide to the effective use of humor in public speeches and presentations includes step-by-step directions for telling jokes, working the audience, dealing with stage fright, and more. Also contains a special section on handling a host of surprising situations, from angry audiences to extreme temperatures, plus extensive coverage of roasts.
No one will take you seriously unless your presentation is funny.Finally, a book that gives practical, precise and proven ways to add humor to any presentation. Author and award-winning humorist David Glickman has successfully used every one of these techniques to get big laughs from audiences--and now you can, too. You'll discover dozens of innovative and creative methods to make any presentation funnier. And the best part is how surprisingly easy they are to do! Learn how to: --Get big laughs in the first few seconds (and why that is so important)--Set up your speaking environment for maximum laughter--Know what's genuinely funny--Easily customize humor for your specific audience (Because the more specific the humor, the more terrific the humor--you'll learn why.)--And much, much moreThis book will show you incredibly creative ways to add humor to your: Employee Meeting--Keynote Speech--PowerPoint Presentation--Sales Pitch--TED Talk--Congratulatory Toast--Project Report--Campaign Speech--Product Launch--Tribute--Acceptance Speech--Opening Argument--Eulogy (well, not your eulogy)--and any other occasion where you are in front of an audienceWhen you stand in front of an audience, you only have one chance to make an impression on them. One chance to make that presentation memorable and powerful and significant. And no matter how good your presentation and preparation might be, if that message doesn't have some entertainment value to it, it will likely get lost in the multitude of distractions you're up against. And even if you do have the audience's undivided attention, if your talk doesn't have some entertainment value, your impact--at best--will be non-existent. And--at worst--it will mark you with the reputation as a really boring speaker.The easiest, most efficient, and most effective way to add entertainment value to any presentation is with humor. And that is exactly why the book "Speaking Of Funny" was written. With (actually more than) 77 Ways To Add Humor To Any Presentation, you will never have a shortage of strategies to get any audience laughing, anytime, anywhere. This innovative book details many easy ways to add customized and relevant and appropriate humor into your next presentation--humor that will not only have your audience laughing, but also listening and learning.
Abstract: Guidelines for fostering humor to further camaraderie and communication in public speaking are discussed and illustrated. Topics included the natural association of humor and dignity; the rationale and effectiveness of humor in a speech; the use of humor as a tool in conveying a message; tailoring humor to the speaker; how to gather humor for speeches; the art of delivering humor (audience involvement, ad-libbing tips, what to do when humor fails). A variety of humorous anecdotes illustrate the applications of humor in structured speeches. (wz).
The Humor Rx for Speakers offers speakers and speakers-to-be practical tips on how to use humor in their public speaking engagements, whether formal or informal. There are 77 tips on various topics related to humorous speaking. Numerous humorous examples have been used to illustrate the tips. You will also enjoy some of the exercises included in some of the tips. In addition to the tips, the book includes an introduction about what humor is all about, as well as some essential guidelines on how to make humor effective. You will also enjoy the illustrations that precede some of the tips, and you may want to try to caption them. Also, some of the finest humorous quotes have been selectively compiled that could give you some ideas for funny one-liners or personalized short stories. You can start this book anywhere. Even if you are not a speaker, you will get some musings from reading the tips. The foreword of the book was written by Mark L. Brown, the Toastmasters International 1995 world champion of public speaking.
WALL STREET JOURNAL, LOS ANGELES TIMES, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • Anyone—even you!—can learn how to harness the power of humor in business (and life), based on the popular class at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Don’t miss the authors’ TED Talk, “Why great leaders take humor seriously,” online now. “The ultimate guide to using the magical power of funny as a tool for leadership and a force for good.”—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When and Drive We are living through a period of unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval in both our personal and professional lives. So it should come as a surprise to exactly no one that trust, human connection, and mental well-being are all on the decline. This may seem like no laughing matter. Yet, the research shows that humor and laughter are among the most valuable tools we have at our disposal for strengthening bonds and relationships, diffusing stress and tension, boosting resilience, and performing when the stakes are high. That’s why Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach the popular course Humor: Serious Business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where they help some of the world’s most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds infuse more humor and levity into their work and lives. In Humor, Seriously, they draw on findings by behavioral scientists, world-class comedians, and inspiring business leaders to reveal how humor works and—more important—how you can use more of it, better. Aaker and Bagdonas unpack the theory and application of humor: what makes something funny, how to mine your life for material, and simple ways to identify and leverage your unique humor style. They show how to use humor to rebuild vital connections; appear more confident, competent, and authentic at work; and foster cultures where levity and creativity can thrive. President Dwight David Eisenhower once said, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” If Dwight David Eisenhower, the second least naturally funny president (after Franklin Pierce), thought humor was necessary to win wars, build highways, and warn against the military-industrial complex, then you might consider learning it too.
Ricky Olson is an award-winning humorous speaker. Although he was told all his life he was funny, no one was laughing when he gave stand-up comedy a shot. Being "naturally funny" failed him, so he was forced to figure it out or quit. After four years of intense study and after finding an amazing coach, Ricky shares what he's learned, so you, too, can Hook 'Em with Humor.
THE JOKE-TELLERS HANDBOOK OR 1,999 BELLY LAUGHS ROBERT ORBEN “Good ladies, evening and gentlemen . . . That does it! Next time I’ll rehearse everything! . . .” That’s the only one example of what you’ll find in this unusual collection of modern humor—professional humor—the kind of material used by the top TV, movie and night-club comedians in their monologues. Unlike our speaker, there’s no confusion in Robert Orben’s collection of nearly two thousand “one-line” jokes—all time-tested and well-rehearsed. A top comedy writer well-known to the trade, Mr. Orben offers this handbook as a stockpile of bright, laugh-loaded one-liners, ready for a multitude of uses besides sheer enjoyment. Arranged in categories, these comedy explosions cover everything from air conditioning to women drivers. There are good opening lines and, if you need them, good closing ones too. Even George Washington and stamp collecting do not escape Mr. Orben’s comic grilling. Humor is one of the best devices to create a friendly basis of understanding between individuals and groups. Laughs are vital to the effectiveness of speeches, instruction, and sales presentation. Mr. Orben describes—on a level that is professional as well as entertaining—how to use this type of humor for practical purposes, and for sheer entertainment and enjoyment as well. An indispensable book for public speakers, businessmen, entertainers and…just about everyone.
This handbook addresses the methodological problems and theoretical challenges that arise in attempting to understand and represent humour in specific historical contexts across cultural history. It explores problems involved in applying modern theories of humour to historically-distant contexts of humour and points to the importance of recognising the divergent assumptions made by different academic disciplines when approaching the topic. It explores problems of terminology, identification, classification, subjectivity of viewpoint, and the coherence of the object of study. It addresses specific theories, together with the needs of specific historical case-studies, as well as some of the challenges of presenting historical humour to contemporary audiences through translation and curation. In this way, the handbook aims to encourage a fresh exploration of methodological problems involved in studying the various significances both of the history of humour and of humour in history.
Britain’s hottest young comedian presents a seriously funny, up-close look at joking matters—from the social origins of laughter, to the art and craft of humor, to why we can never remember the punch line—featuring over 300 jokes. As the host of the hit game show Distraction (now in its third season on Comedy Central) and one of the premier stand-up acts working today, award-winning comedian Jimmy Carr has won over millions of fans around the world with his trademark rapier wit, laced with "exquisitely economical and perfectly timed one-liners" (The Guardian). For this book he teams up with friend and fellow comedy writer Lucy Greeves to take an in-depth look at where humor comes from and how it works, through exploring its purest form: the joke. Only Joking begins with the mechanism of laughter—how it happens and why even infants do it—then delves into the power of the punch line, exploring the basics of all jokes, from the use of shock and surprise to advanced stand-up techniques such as the "pull-back/reveal." Carr and Greeves go on to explore taboo humor, jokes that bomb, and the psychology of finding something funny. They look into the long-standing connection between politics and humor, and discuss the survival prospects for contentious jokes in the current political climate. Throughout the book they conjure up a supporting cast of colorful joke enthusiasts, from Sigmund Freud to Lenny Bruce, and discuss their influence on the jokes we tell today. Surveying across national, ethnic, and gender divides, this rollicking analysis of why joking will always be close to the human heart is an irresistible exploration of humor that makes clear why we need a good laugh now more than ever.
Timeless advice about how to use humor to win over any audience Can jokes win a hostile room, a hopeless argument, or even an election? You bet they can, according to Cicero, and he knew what he was talking about. One of Rome’s greatest politicians, speakers, and lawyers, Cicero was also reputedly one of antiquity’s funniest people. After he was elected commander-in-chief and head of state, his enemies even started calling him “the stand-up Consul.” How to Tell a Joke provides a lively new translation of Cicero’s essential writing on humor alongside that of the later Roman orator and educator Quintilian. The result is a timeless practical guide to how a well-timed joke can win over any audience. As powerful as jokes can be, they are also hugely risky. The line between a witty joke and an offensive one isn’t always clear. Cross it and you’ll look like a clown, or worse. Here, Cicero and Quintilian explore every aspect of telling jokes—while avoiding costly mistakes. Presenting the sections on humor in Cicero’s On the Ideal Orator and Quintilian’s The Education of the Orator, complete with an enlightening introduction and the original Latin on facing pages, How to Tell a Joke examines the risks and rewards of humor and analyzes basic types that readers can use to write their own jokes. Filled with insight, wit, and examples, including more than a few lawyer jokes, How to Tell a Joke will appeal to anyone interested in humor or the art of public speaking.