The Pun Also Rises
How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics
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Narrated by:
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Pete Larkin
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By:
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John Pollack
About this listen
The pun is commonly dismissed as the lowest form of wit, and punsters are often unpopular for their obsessive wordplay. But such attitudes are relatively recent developments. In The Pun Also Rises, John Pollack - a former World Pun Champion and presidential speechwriter for Bill Clinton - explains why such wordplay is significant: It both revolutionized language and played a pivotal role in making the modern world possible.
Skillfully weaving together stories and evidence from history, brain science, pop culture, literature, anthropology, and humor, The Pun Also Rises is an authoritative yet playful exploration of a practice that is common, in one form or another, to virtually every language on earth. At once entertaining and educational, this engaging book answers fundamental questions: Just what is a pun, and why do people make them? How did punning impact the development of human language, and how did that drive creativity and progress? And why, after centuries of decline, does the pun still matter?
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In the early 17th century, a crippled, graying, almost toothless veteran of Spain's wars against the Ottoman Empire published a novel. It was the story of a poor nobleman, his brain addled from studying too many novels of chivalry, who deludes himself that he is a knight errant and sets off on hilarious adventures. That story, Don Quixote, went on to sell more copies than any other book beside the Bible, making its author, Miguel de Cervantes, the single most-read author in human history.
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Very Interesting and Informative, but Poorly Read
- By LCorSMT on 06-21-23
By: William Egginton
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Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
- The Untold History of English
- By: John McWhorter
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.
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Great for casual linguists
- By Bertie on 01-11-10
By: John McWhorter
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The Kingdom of Speech
- By: Tom Wolfe
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Tom Wolfe, whose legend began in journalism, takes us on an eye-opening journey that is sure to arouse widespread debate. The Kingdom of Speech is a captivating, paradigm-shifting argument that speech - not evolution - is responsible for humanity's complex societies and achievements.
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Takedown of a pseudointellectual bully!
- By Wayne on 09-01-16
By: Tom Wolfe
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The Story Paradox
- How Our Love of Storytelling Builds Societies and Tears Them Down
- By: Jonathan Gottschall
- Narrated by: Joshua Kane
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Humans are storytelling animals. Stories are what make our societies possible. Countless books celebrate their virtues. But Jonathan Gottschall, an expert on the science of stories, argues that there is a dark side to storytelling we can no longer ignore. Storytelling, the very tradition that built human civilization, may be the thing that destroys it.
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A bit of a mixed bag with some amazing discussion
- By Justin on 04-27-22
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The Written World
- The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, Civilization
- By: Martin Puchner
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Martin Puchner leads us on a remarkable journey through time and around the globe to reveal the powerful role stories and literature have played in creating the world we have today. Puchner introduces us to numerous visionaries as he explores 16 foundational texts selected from more than 4,000 years of world literature and reveals how writing has inspired the rise and fall of empires and nations, the spark of philosophical and political ideas, and the birth of religious beliefs. Indeed, literature has touched generations and changed the course of history.
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Powerful and illuminating!
- By Gloria J. Petit-Clair on 12-04-17
By: Martin Puchner
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The Geography of Genius
- A Search for the World's Most Creative Places from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley
- By: Eric Weiner
- Narrated by: Eric Weiner
- Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Geography of Genius, acclaimed travel writer Weiner sets out to examine the connection between our surroundings and our most innovative ideas. He explores the history of places, like Vienna of 1900, Renaissance Florence, ancient Athens, Song Dynasty Hangzhou, and Silicon Valley, to show how certain urban settings are conducive to ingenuity.
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Very, very disappointing
- By Tamara Greer on 06-08-16
By: Eric Weiner
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William Blake vs the World
- By: John Higgs
- Narrated by: John Higgs
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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A wild and unexpected journey through culture, science, philosophy, and religion to better understand the mercurial genius of William Blake.
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Best book ever
- By idamae on 11-04-22
By: John Higgs
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The Book of Yokai
- Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore
- By: Michael Dylan Foster
- Narrated by: Tim Campbell
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Drawing on years of research in Japan, Michael Dylan Foster unpacks the history and cultural context of yokai, tracing their roots, interpreting their meanings, and introducing people who have hunted them through the ages. In this delightful and accessible narrative, listeners will explore the roles played by these mysterious beings within Japanese culture and will also learn of their abundance and variety through detailed entries on more than 50 individual creatures.
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Pt 2 was delightful (+no cringey pronunciations!!)
- By Julieanne on 06-04-19
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Brief Candle in the Dark
- My Life in Science
- By: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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In this hugely entertaining sequel to the New York Times best-selling memoir An Appetite for Wonder, Richard Dawkins delves deeply into his intellectual life spent kick-starting new conversations about science, culture, and religion and writing yet another of the most audacious and widely read books of the 20th century - The God Delusion.
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I'm a Dawkins Groupie but...
- By Anne on 10-18-15
By: Richard Dawkins
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The Immortal Game
- A History of Chess
- By: David Shenk
- Narrated by: John H. Mayer
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Why has one game, alone among the thousands of games invented and played throughout human history, not only survived but thrived within every culture it has touched? What is it about its 32 figurative pieces, moving about its 64 black and white squares according to very simple rules, that has captivated people for nearly 1,500 years? Why has it driven some of its greatest players into paranoia and madness, and yet is hailed as a remarkably powerful intellectual tool?
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Buy in print
- By Ivy Reisner on 08-30-11
By: David Shenk
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Shortcut
- How Analogies Reveal Connections, Spark Innovation, and Sell Our Greatest Ideas
- By: John Pollack
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Analogies are far more complex than their SAT stereotype and lie at the very core of human cognition and creativity. Once we become aware of this, we start seeing them everywhere - in ads, apps, political debates, legal arguments, logos, and euphemisms, to name just a few. At their very best, analogies inspire new ways of thinking, enable invention, and motivate people to action. Unfortunately, not every analogy that rings true is true. That's why, at their worst, analogies can deceive, manipulate, or mislead us into disaster.
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Analogies???
- By Frederick on 08-16-15
By: John Pollack
What listeners say about The Pun Also Rises
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- B. Lane
- 01-10-13
Punderful Little Book
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
I really enjoy puns and jokes of all sort, and this little book had a fun, pop exploration of the history of puns and their uses over time. Sometimes it overreached -- as when it tried to explain neurological processes that may or may not affect the punster's delivery or the audience's reception -- but for the most part it was a delightful little book.
Would you be willing to try another book from John Pollack? Why or why not?
Sure. I was specifically listening for the punnage, but if he took on a topic of similar note, I'd be interested.
Would you listen to another book narrated by Pete Larkin?
Yes. He was a good narrator.
Do you think The Pun Also Rises needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
I have no opinion.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-17-17
fantastic! Anyone who enjoys some good word play.
The history of punning is delightful. A great way to enjoy that isn't to punishing on the eerie canal.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Grant A. Crowell
- 01-03-22
Good enough to listen through twice on a long hike
Some semi-organized thoughts...
This really got me thinking about how we use language.
This is exceptionally researched and crafted for storytelling. I actually liked how deep this went – beyond the humor and wit, and into the historical background (including resistance), psychology, and even the neurological processes with how we respond to puns.
I liked the history and explanation of why some people don’t find puns funny; even, juvenile. Fortunately, John's many examples show that one could use this book to be a "nayslayer."
I learned many new terms that relate to my own love for neologisms and the stories behind them.
The audiobook narrator is so good that I thought he could have been the author. Honestly, after watching the TEDx presentation of the author afterwards, I'm very grateful he hired a professional to do the reading. (My recommendation to John – work with a public speaking coach and learn to be more animated.)
People who are just looking for Dad jokes will not be patient enough for this, nor will they appreciate the "why" behind our delightfully twisted language tool we call the pun.
WHO WILL ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THIS BOOK.
Pun lovers. Naturally, for pun lovers, this is an excellent gift.
Language lovers
• Anyone who geeks out over our English language and appreciates a creative vocabulary
• For linguists and semantics teachers
• Wordplay enthusiasts.
People looking to improve their social skills
• People looking for help with icebreakers
• People who tend to feel awkward in conversation
• People who could benefit from some motivation
Humorists
• Verbal humor
• Odd sense of humor
• People who want to be funnier and more engaging
Who punning may NOT be for...
• Non-native English speakers or those new to English-language cultures. It will be difficult for anyone who uses English as a second language, unless they are very proficient.
• Hyper-analytical people.
• People without a sense of humor; or those who fail to find the humor in bending language, usually dismissing puns and other wordplay as juvenile
• Strict conformists – people who need everything to be rigid and structured – only one way. (I.e., control freaks.)
• Snobs
ULTIMATELY...
I am very thankful that John Pollack is our 21st century punalogian. :-)
Puns are language tools that engage, educate, entertain. They are part of our ability to play with semantics.
We can use them to seem witty, be disarming, humorous, interesting, attention-getting, engaging, and make a point in a way that a direct reading might not be as effective. It’s also about the joy of playing with our words – to make communication worth a life on this planet, and our conversations enjoyable.
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2 people found this helpful