A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Boardroom: Using Humor in Business Speaking (Paperback)

~ (Author) "This chapter explains the value of humor in business..." (more)
Key Phrases: professional comedy writers, business speaker, writing jokes, New York, San Francisco, Bob Hope (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is the first book to offer detailed advice on the effective use of humor in business situations such as presentations, meetings, or seminars. The author is a speech writer who has written for the CEOs of AT&T, Xerox, Monsanto, and the Bank of America. He has also written comedy for entertainers such as Rodney Dangerfield. Presents the basics of writing humorously in a clear, step-by-step fashion, and reveals invaluable tricks of the trade for creating one's own custom-tailored jokes using techniques employed by professional comedy writers. Also provides short one-line jokes arranged by subject, as well as longer, story-type jokes arranged by the meaning or the point that the story illustrates.

Product Details

• Paperback: 205 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 30, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471636495
• ISBN-13: 978-0471636496
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,375,772 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! It even works for lawyers!, March 19, 1999

By A Customer

Few gatherings cry out for humor as loudly as those in which all the attendees are lawyers. Let's face it: they're usually the joke, not the jokers. This book can enliven a discussion on "subordinated debentures." It should be required reading for anyone on the infamous "partner track."

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book saved my life., October 22, 1998

By A Customer

I'm not the greatest speaker in the world to begin with, and I grabbed this book in desperation when I had to deliver some comments at a roast for a colleague who was retiring.

The two evenings I spent with this book were well worth it. I discovered how to give a humorous presentation and my audience liked it!

I highly recommend this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Terrific!, November 27, 2000

By A Customer

Perhaps the best of its genre, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Boardroom" places the onus of boring corporate meetings on the speakers themselves. No one is too important to consider their audience, and Mr. Iapoce effectively nudges "suits" to loosen their ties and deliver their messages effectively. Its comedic tips are simply that: tips for catching the attention of listeners thus ensuring that one is "heard."

Buy this one and share it at the office!