How to Be Funny

No one knows more about comedy than Steve Allen. For more than five decades as a writer, performer, and keen observer of the social scene, he has looked into every aspect of who's funny, what's funny, and why. Allen shares his discoveries in How to Be Funny, the book designed to help everyone develop their special talent for funniness.Now reissued in paperback, How to Be Funny covers all the basics, including joke telling, ad-libbing, writing humorously, performing comedy, emceeing, and much more. Allen takes you inside the world of comedy, from the early writings of Mark Twain, to the more contemporary work of Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Maher. Allen even provides homework assignments for the budding comic!Yet How to Be Funny is far more than just a book for aspiring comedians it will help anyone who wants to be a more amusing conversationalist, a more effective public speaker, and everyone who just wants to be the life of the party.

Publisher: Prometheus Books
Published: 04/01/1998
Pages: 290
Weight: 0.91lbs
Size: 8.93h x 5.99w x 0.73d
ISBN: 9781573922067

About the Author

Steve Allen (1921-2000) was known as television's renaissance man. He authored more than fifty books and composed over 8,500 songs. Allen was the creator and original host of the Tonight show and the award-winning PBS series Meeting of Minds. You can learn more about this legendary entertainer by visiting his offical Web site at SteveAllenonline.com.

Jane Wollman (New York, NY) is a journalist who has written regularly for The New York Times, Newsday, and USA Today.