Author: Matthew M. Hurley
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026201582X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 374
Book Description
Some things are funny -- jokes, puns, sitcoms, Charlie Chaplin, The Far Side, Malvolio with his yellow garters crossed -- but why? Why does humor exist in the first place? Why do we spend so much of our time passing on amusing anecdotes, making wisecracks, watching The Simpsons? In Inside Jokes, Matthew Hurley, Daniel Dennett, and Reginald Adams offer an evolutionary and cognitive perspective. Humor, they propose, evolved out of a computational problem that arose when our long-ago ancestors were furnished with open-ended thinking. Mother Nature -- aka natural selection -- cannot just order the brain to find and fix all our time-pressured misleaps and near-misses. She has to bribe the brain with pleasure. So we find them funny. This wired-in source of pleasure has been tickled relentlessly by humorists over the centuries, and we have become addicted to the endogenous mind candy that is humor.
Inside Jokes
Author: Matthew M. Hurley
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026201582X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 374
Book Description
Some things are funny -- jokes, puns, sitcoms, Charlie Chaplin, The Far Side, Malvolio with his yellow garters crossed -- but why? Why does humor exist in the first place? Why do we spend so much of our time passing on amusing anecdotes, making wisecracks, watching The Simpsons? In Inside Jokes, Matthew Hurley, Daniel Dennett, and Reginald Adams offer an evolutionary and cognitive perspective. Humor, they propose, evolved out of a computational problem that arose when our long-ago ancestors were furnished with open-ended thinking. Mother Nature -- aka natural selection -- cannot just order the brain to find and fix all our time-pressured misleaps and near-misses. She has to bribe the brain with pleasure. So we find them funny. This wired-in source of pleasure has been tickled relentlessly by humorists over the centuries, and we have become addicted to the endogenous mind candy that is humor.
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026201582X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 374
Book Description
Some things are funny -- jokes, puns, sitcoms, Charlie Chaplin, The Far Side, Malvolio with his yellow garters crossed -- but why? Why does humor exist in the first place? Why do we spend so much of our time passing on amusing anecdotes, making wisecracks, watching The Simpsons? In Inside Jokes, Matthew Hurley, Daniel Dennett, and Reginald Adams offer an evolutionary and cognitive perspective. Humor, they propose, evolved out of a computational problem that arose when our long-ago ancestors were furnished with open-ended thinking. Mother Nature -- aka natural selection -- cannot just order the brain to find and fix all our time-pressured misleaps and near-misses. She has to bribe the brain with pleasure. So we find them funny. This wired-in source of pleasure has been tickled relentlessly by humorists over the centuries, and we have become addicted to the endogenous mind candy that is humor.
The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh
Author: Helen Rutter
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 1338652281
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 186
Book Description
When life is funny, make some jokes about it. Billy Plimpton has a big dream: to become a famous comedian when he grows up. He already knows a lot of jokes, but thinks he has one big problem standing in his way: his stutter. At first, Billy thinks the best way to deal with this is to . . . never say a word. That way, the kids in his new school won’t hear him stammer. But soon he finds out this is NOT the best way to deal with things. (For one thing, it’s very hard to tell a joke without getting a word out.) As Billy makes his way toward the spotlight, a lot of funny things (and some less funny things) happen to him. In the end, the whole school will know -- If you think you can hold Billy Plimpton back, be warned: The joke will soon be on you!
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 1338652281
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 186
Book Description
When life is funny, make some jokes about it. Billy Plimpton has a big dream: to become a famous comedian when he grows up. He already knows a lot of jokes, but thinks he has one big problem standing in his way: his stutter. At first, Billy thinks the best way to deal with this is to . . . never say a word. That way, the kids in his new school won’t hear him stammer. But soon he finds out this is NOT the best way to deal with things. (For one thing, it’s very hard to tell a joke without getting a word out.) As Billy makes his way toward the spotlight, a lot of funny things (and some less funny things) happen to him. In the end, the whole school will know -- If you think you can hold Billy Plimpton back, be warned: The joke will soon be on you!
Start with a Laugh
Author: Liz Carpenter
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781571684110
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
A gold mine for anyone who does public speaking and for those who never go near a lectern.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781571684110
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
A gold mine for anyone who does public speaking and for those who never go near a lectern.
Make Us Laugh!
Author: Stéphanie Babin
Publisher: Twirl
ISBN: 9782408016135
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Warning: Laughter is contagious! The animal friends dare the reader to make them laugh, but the ladybug and the bunny are sure that they won't laugh, no matter what. The monkey and the crocodile think it's impossible to make them laugh too. And the same goes for the bear and the wolf. Still, readers can go ahead and try . . . but will they succeed? Kids will giggle and chuckle as they find ways to make the animals laugh in this seriously funny sound book that includes seven big laughs.
Publisher: Twirl
ISBN: 9782408016135
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Warning: Laughter is contagious! The animal friends dare the reader to make them laugh, but the ladybug and the bunny are sure that they won't laugh, no matter what. The monkey and the crocodile think it's impossible to make them laugh too. And the same goes for the bear and the wolf. Still, readers can go ahead and try . . . but will they succeed? Kids will giggle and chuckle as they find ways to make the animals laugh in this seriously funny sound book that includes seven big laughs.
I Love to Laugh!
Author: Karen Farmer
Publisher: Penton Kids
ISBN: 9781591258087
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 16
Book Description
Readers can push the button and hear giggling as a boy plays such games as "Pat-a-cake," "This Llittle Piggy," and "Peek-a-boo" with his mother and father. On board pages.
Publisher: Penton Kids
ISBN: 9781591258087
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 16
Book Description
Readers can push the button and hear giggling as a boy plays such games as "Pat-a-cake," "This Llittle Piggy," and "Peek-a-boo" with his mother and father. On board pages.
The Laugh Book
Author: Joanna Cole
Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780385185592
Category : Children's literature.
Languages : en
Pages : 302
Book Description
A collection of jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, tricks, games, poems, and stories.
Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780385185592
Category : Children's literature.
Languages : en
Pages : 302
Book Description
A collection of jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, tricks, games, poems, and stories.
Ha!
Author: Scott Weems
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465080804
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
An entertaining tour of the science of humor and laughter Humor, like pornography, is famously difficult to define. We know it when we see it, but is there a way to figure out what we really find funny -- and why? In this fascinating investigation into the science of humor and laughter, cognitive neuroscientist Scott Weems uncovers what's happening in our heads when we giggle, guffaw, or double over with laughter. While we typically think of humor in terms of jokes or comic timing, in Ha! Weems proposes a provocative new model. Humor arises from inner conflict in the brain, he argues, and is part of a larger desire to comprehend a complex world. Showing that the delight that comes with "getting" a punchline is closely related to the joy that accompanies the insight to solve a difficult problem, Weems explores why surprise is such an important element in humor, why computers are terrible at recognizing what's funny, and why it takes so long for a tragedy to become acceptable comedic fodder. From the role of insult jokes to the benefit of laughing for our immune system, Ha! reveals why humor is so idiosyncratic, and why how-to books alone will never help us become funnier people. Packed with the latest research, illuminating anecdotes, and even a few jokes, Ha! lifts the curtain on this most human of qualities. From the origins of humor in our brains to its life on the standup comedy circuit, this book offers a delightful tour of why humor is so important to our daily lives.
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465080804
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
An entertaining tour of the science of humor and laughter Humor, like pornography, is famously difficult to define. We know it when we see it, but is there a way to figure out what we really find funny -- and why? In this fascinating investigation into the science of humor and laughter, cognitive neuroscientist Scott Weems uncovers what's happening in our heads when we giggle, guffaw, or double over with laughter. While we typically think of humor in terms of jokes or comic timing, in Ha! Weems proposes a provocative new model. Humor arises from inner conflict in the brain, he argues, and is part of a larger desire to comprehend a complex world. Showing that the delight that comes with "getting" a punchline is closely related to the joy that accompanies the insight to solve a difficult problem, Weems explores why surprise is such an important element in humor, why computers are terrible at recognizing what's funny, and why it takes so long for a tragedy to become acceptable comedic fodder. From the role of insult jokes to the benefit of laughing for our immune system, Ha! reveals why humor is so idiosyncratic, and why how-to books alone will never help us become funnier people. Packed with the latest research, illuminating anecdotes, and even a few jokes, Ha! lifts the curtain on this most human of qualities. From the origins of humor in our brains to its life on the standup comedy circuit, this book offers a delightful tour of why humor is so important to our daily lives.
Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage
Author: Mark Gungor
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1416558799
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 307
Book Description
By using his unique blend of humor and tell-it-like-it-is honesty, he helps couples get along and have fun doing it.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1416558799
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 307
Book Description
By using his unique blend of humor and tell-it-like-it-is honesty, he helps couples get along and have fun doing it.
Laugh
Author: Lisa Sturge
Publisher: Hardie Grant Publishing
ISBN: 1787130886
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 150
Book Description
Laughter is a physiological response that activates a plethora of beneficial reactions in the body. The elation you feel when you laugh and your body relaxes and releases endorphins is a great way of offsetting the physical effects of stress. The aim of the laughter healing techniques in this book is to help you to laugh more easily through a series of warm-up exercises that are then followed by a range of activities designed to get you giggling. Laughter does not come easily to everyone, but luckily the body cannot distinguish between real and simulated laughter – pretend laughter has the same beneficial effect as real laughter. The practice of laughter is suitable for everyone, including elderly groups. There are many different types of laughs – light chuckles, hearty chortles, full-on belly laughs – and when starting with a fake laugh it often quickly becomes a genuine laugh. When we laugh, we are present in the moment. Paying attention to the here and now is much needed in today's frenetic society. It helps us to notice the small details as well as the bigger picture. By learning to pause in our daily swirl of activities and become fully present to whatever is happening at that moment, then we will be able to pause and laugh easily too. Laughter is mindfulness in motion. We all need to laugh more. This book shows you how.
Publisher: Hardie Grant Publishing
ISBN: 1787130886
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 150
Book Description
Laughter is a physiological response that activates a plethora of beneficial reactions in the body. The elation you feel when you laugh and your body relaxes and releases endorphins is a great way of offsetting the physical effects of stress. The aim of the laughter healing techniques in this book is to help you to laugh more easily through a series of warm-up exercises that are then followed by a range of activities designed to get you giggling. Laughter does not come easily to everyone, but luckily the body cannot distinguish between real and simulated laughter – pretend laughter has the same beneficial effect as real laughter. The practice of laughter is suitable for everyone, including elderly groups. There are many different types of laughs – light chuckles, hearty chortles, full-on belly laughs – and when starting with a fake laugh it often quickly becomes a genuine laugh. When we laugh, we are present in the moment. Paying attention to the here and now is much needed in today's frenetic society. It helps us to notice the small details as well as the bigger picture. By learning to pause in our daily swirl of activities and become fully present to whatever is happening at that moment, then we will be able to pause and laugh easily too. Laughter is mindfulness in motion. We all need to laugh more. This book shows you how.
Laughter
Author: Robert R. Provine
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101659254
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 324
Book Description
Do men and women laugh at the same things? Is laughter contagious? Has anyone ever really died laughing? Is laughing good for your health? Drawing upon ten years of research into this most common-yet complex and often puzzling-human phenomenon, Dr. Robert Provine, the world's leading scientific expert on laughter, investigates such aspects of his subject as its evolution, its role in social relationships, its contagiousness, its neural mechanisms, and its health benefits. This is an erudite, wide-ranging, witty, and long-overdue exploration of a frequently surprising subject.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101659254
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 324
Book Description
Do men and women laugh at the same things? Is laughter contagious? Has anyone ever really died laughing? Is laughing good for your health? Drawing upon ten years of research into this most common-yet complex and often puzzling-human phenomenon, Dr. Robert Provine, the world's leading scientific expert on laughter, investigates such aspects of his subject as its evolution, its role in social relationships, its contagiousness, its neural mechanisms, and its health benefits. This is an erudite, wide-ranging, witty, and long-overdue exploration of a frequently surprising subject.