Funny: The Book - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Comedy [Paperback]

David Misch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2012

(Applause Books). Funny: The Book is an entertaining look at the art of comedy, from its historical roots to the latest scientific findings, with diversions into the worlds of movies (Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers), television ( The Office ), prose (Woody Allen, Robert Benchley), theater ( The Front Page ), jokes and stand-up comedy (Richard Pryor, Steve Martin), as well as personal reminiscences from the author's experiences on such TV programs as Mork and Mindy . With allusions to the not-always-funny Carl Jung, George Orwell, and Arthur Koestler, Funny: The Book explores the evolution, theories, principles, and practice of comedy, as well as the psychological, philosophical, and even theological underpinnings of humor, coming to the conclusion that (Spoiler Alert!) Comedy is God.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Applause (June 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557838291
• ISBN-13: 978-1557838292
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #549,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David began his career in the 70's as a comic folksinger and stand-up comedian; his song "Somerville" was released nationally by Fretless Records and he was named "Best Comedian In Boston" by Boston Magazine.

His first screenwriting job was "Mork and Mindy", which was nominated for two Emmy awards. He also co-wrote "Leave It To Dave", the pilot for David Letterman's first talk-show.

He has since written, created and/or produced programs for NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, UPN, HBO, Showtime, PBS, ABC Family, Disney, Universal and Lifetime. Among his credits: he co-wrote and directed an episode of the syndicated series "Monsters" which was chosen for competition at the Banff International Television Festival; Executive Producer of "Duckman" (USA), nominated for multiple Emmys, winner of the CableACE and Banff awards for "Best Animated Series"; Executive Story Editor on the legendary Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker series "Police Squad!"; co-writer and producer of "Callahan", a pilot later screened at the Los Angeles Museum of Art Television Festival; guest writer on "Saturday Night Live".

David was Executive Consultant on "She Spies" (chosen as one of "5 TV Spies To Love" by Time Magazine) and wrote the TV movie "Behind The Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Mork and Mindy'" for NBC. He has sold six screenplays and was Special Consultant on THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (Tri-Star). His prose has been published on the net at NationalLampoon.com, collected in "May Contain Nuts" (Harper-perennial) and he blogs for The Huffington Post (huffingtonpost.com/david-misch).

David wrote "Funny: The Book / Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Comedy" (Applause/Hal Leonard; funnythebook.com). His play "Occupied" is scheduled to be produced later this year at the Skylight Theater in Los Angeles. He has taught musical satire at UCLA, comedy at USC, and lectured at Columbia University, 92YTribeca, the American Film Institute, the California Women's Conference, and the Chicago Public Library. More at davidmisch.com and funnythebook.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny About Funny May 25, 2012

By Robert N. Sarlin

Format:Paperback

This book is a delight, a mind-tingler and a bit of a miracle. That's because one would assume that any attempt to dissect humor would kill it and at it's core be very,very un-funny. Au contraire, mes amis. This book is like the ideal life partner - well-shaped, smart, funny and good-hearted to the core. I laughed my tush off and, if I read right, as a result I gained a few more precious moments of life.
Just read it. You'll see.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Funny: The Book" May 21, 2012

By Donna Peacher-Hall

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I laughed, I cried, I laughed again. Funny? YES!!! A book? YES, again. Do I know more about comedy now than before I read this book? Yes, Ja, Si, Oui, Da.
I highly recommend this enjoyable romp about comedy to anyone that might have a funny bone or may have forgotten where it was. Educational? But, of course. And I even went to see the New 3 Stooges movie after I read Misch's book. And it was funny, still is and probably always will be. Do I know why? Hmmmmmm, not sure. I'm by comedy as I am by art. If I like it and it makes me happy then it has accomplished the goal. David Misch's book "Funny: The Book" would be a welcome addition on anyone's bookshelf, be it wooden or digital.

Run, don't walk (or just click "Add to Cart") and obtain this book. You will NOT regret it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun and fascinating read April 5, 2013

By Loum

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

There was once a Golden Age of Comedy in this country. No, we are not in it presently. For anyone interested in great comedy, you should read a great book on comedy, and that's David Misch's Funny: The Book--Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Comedy (not to be confused with Funny: The Movie or Funny: the Algebra Equation, neither of which exist).

Misch's writing is fall-off-your-chair funny, and I'm surprised it doesn't come with a warning to read it only on a futon. But it's more: any book that can reference flatulence and Kierkegaard in almost the same breath while providing real scholarly background and a cogent analysis of why humans laugh--along with an Andrew Sarris-like pantheon of comedy greats--is an invaluable contribution to the field. Honestly, I don't know a more literate and hysterically funny resource on the topic.

Misch begins his comic sojourn with an overview of the mythic Trickster throughout history, expertly demonstrating how humor has developed in time through the varied cultural connections with that figure and its expressions. It's a kind of Campbellian Hero Journey from the perspective of "Ha," which is appropriately included in the chapter title. Misch returns to the history of Ha repeatedly in his book, chronicling its mirthful twists and turns in culture and philosophy. But for those who anticipate reading such chapters while drooling in a classroom as Ben Stein intones mind-numbing history, fear not. "Ha" is both a subject and a response while reading.

Funny: The Book also covers pretty much every field of comedy, centering rightly on the great comic progenitors whose work established the basis from which comedy has evolved (or devolved, as many would argue). He appropriately cites Keaton (Buster, not Diane) as the giant of the silent film era and helps the reader understand the huge talent that went into his archetypal work. He remind us that Woody Allen was as prodigious a talent in his literary masterpieces (perhaps more so) as he was in film. He recounts such landmark figures and works as Aristotle (back when when he headlined the Acropolis), the Marx Brothers, Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, The Front Page, Harvey, A Thousand Clowns, Mork and Mindy (for which Misch wrote), The Office, and a zillion or two other fascinating examples. The only striking omission for me is the absence of one comic icon: I'd like to have seen a discussion of Preston Sturges, writer, director, creator of such milestones as Sullivan's Travels, The Lady Eve, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, and several others and one of the leading exemplars of screwball comedy. But this is minor when compared with the wealth of historical perspective Misch offers in one convenient and laugh-laden volume.

Perhaps the most compelling feature of Funny: The Book is its daring and rewarding exploration of the mystic aspects of humor. In a pair of remarkable chapters, Misch reveals the purpose and theology of humor from a more enlightened and transcendent viewpoint, one which still accommodates flatulence. "A laugh is a miniature ecstatic epiphany," Misch writes. "Every titter is a tiny taste of transcendence; every giggle a glancing glimpse of God." Bold words, especially for many in the contemporary camps of comedy for whom a laugh is a buck or merely a form of self-therapy at the expense of others.

I admire Misch for his stand, his research, his comprehensive overview of the sprawling terrain of humor. Be advised that the book does not flinch from language that might be offensive to some. Notwithstanding, Misch has done all who care about laughter and laughing an enormous service.