Philosophy Humor

Can jokes win a hostile room, a hopeless argument, or even an election? You bet they can, according to Cicero, and he knew what he was talking about. One of Rome's greatest politicians, speakers, and lawyers, Cicero was also reputedly one of antiquity's funniest people. After he was elected commander-in-chief and head of state, his enemies even started calling him "the stand-up Consul". How to Tell a Joke provides a lively new translation of Cicero's essential writing on humor alongside that of the later Roman orator and educator Quintilian.

Written by an acknowledged master of comedy, this study reflects on the nature of humor and the functions it serves. Why do we laugh? What are we to make of the sheer variety of laughter, from braying and cackling to sniggering and chortling? Is humor subversive, or can it defuse dissent? Can we define wit?

Bill Bryson has been an enormously popular author both for his travel books and for his books on the English language. Now, this beloved comic genius turns his attention to science. Although he doesn't know anything about the subject (at first), he is eager to learn, and takes information that he gets from the world's leading experts and explains it to us in a way that makes it exciting and relevant.

Guns, germs, and steel might have transformed us from hunter-gatherers into modern man, but booze, sex, trash talk, and tripping built our civilization. Cracked editor Robert Evans brings his signature dogged research and lively insight to uncover the many and magnificent ways vice has influenced history, from the prostitute-turned-empress who scored a major victory for women's rights to the beer that helped create - and destroy - South America's first empire.

We live in a universe of endless potential futures. In this collection of stories, characters confront the unique dilemmas posed by the version of the future they inhabit. They struggle with dangerous technology, mysterious alien entities, gods, artificial intelligence, utopias, dystopias, and life itself. General issue science fiction stuff, in other words.

Our narrator produces a sound from the piano no one else at the Conservatory can. She employs a technique she learned from her parents—also talented musicians—who fled China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. But when an accident leaves her parents debilitated, she abandons her future for a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store in New York City.

What if Buddha was a Zen hippie? Buddhi isn’t your typical spiritual guide. Named “Buddha” by his free-spirited, hippie parents, he tweaked the name to something that felt a little more down-to-earth. After trading his Ferrari for a beat-up 1968 VW bus and swapping the chaos of Wall Street for a quiet lotus pond, he’s searching for enlightenment. With a dragonfly named Miles as his muse, Buddhi has turned the pond into the epicenter of his journey toward mindfulness. Armed with a ukulele, truly terrible coffee, and an irreverent sense of humor, he blogs his way through life’s big ...

Everyone's favorite houseguest who never left, Leon Black (played by award-winning comedian JB Smoove from HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm), drops his wisdom and good-bad advice for the masses. Learn the secrets Larry David has gleaned from the Falstaff of television. Be forewarned: in opening this audiobook and Leon's mind, you need to be prepared for straight talk. The kind of unfiltered blunt straight talk that pounds on your door, invites itself in, makes itself at home, and helps itself to your food, your security pass code, and your expensive organic beet juice.

Who needs philosophy? Ayn Rand's answer: Everyone. This collection of essays was the last work planned by Ayn Rand before her death in 1982. In it, she summarizes her view of philosophy and deals with a broad spectrum of topics. According to Ayn Rand, the choice we make is not whether to have a philosophy, but which one to have: a rational, conscious, and therefore practical one, or a contradictory, unidentified, and ultimately lethal one.

When Jeremy Moore thinks he is about to die, he watches his life flash before his eyes. Worst movie ever. He had never even once been shot at. Never faced down a man-eating tiger. Never mushed a dogsled across the North Pole. His has been an unremarkable life. Samantha is nine years old and has a fatal illness. She knows she will be dead soon. She is sorry because she knows it will be much harder for her mother, Monica, than for her after she is gone. Until then, she is enjoying every day she is alive. The old man and the young girl become unlikely friends in the hospital where both are ...

“Everybody has got to die, but I have always believed an exception would be made in my case. Now what?” - Last words of William Saroyan But there are no exceptions. Now what? James Scott Bell spent a good chunk of 2015 thinking and writing about that. Some famous people died that year. So did others not so famous. It doesn't matter, because each life is a story. And if we look deeply enough they all have something to say. In Some People Are Dead, Bell weaves his musings on the departed into a form of essay combining memoir and reflection, thoughts on how to live and how to die, and an ...

That Donald Trump is an asshole is a fact widely agreed upon - even by his supporters, who actually like that about him. But his startling political rise makes the question of just what sort of asshole he is, and how his assholedom may help to explain his success, one not just of philosophical interest but of almost existential urgency. Enter the philosopher Aaron James, author of the foundational text in the burgeoning field of Asshole Studies: the best-selling Assholes: A Theory.

Two philosophies, one pond—because there’s more than one way to find your Zen. Buddhi just wanted to drink coffee and write his book. But when you live by a pond with two highly opinionated philosophers—one a shimmering dragonfly sharing his wisdom, the other a contemplative and slightly grumpy frog—nothing is ever that simple. Miles, the ever-gliding dragonfly, believes in movement, transformation, and going wherever the wind takes him. Harold, the rock-sitting, world-observing frog, believes in patience, stillness, and the occasional well-timed leap. Both of them are absolutely ...

An entertaining and insightful examination of the Emmy-award winning American satirical news show, broadcast on Comedy Central in the US, and (in an edited edition) on More4 in the UK and CNN International around the world.

The What Every Catholic Should Know series is intended for the average faithful Catholic who wants to know more about Catholic faith and culture. The authors in this series take a panoramic approach to the topic of each book aimed at a non-specialist but enthusiastic listenership. Already published titles in this series include: literature, salvation, mercy, being Catholic, God, and philosophy.

A world without laughter is no laughing matter. On Planet Stone the Fat Professors have banned laughter. But during one of Professor Walton Flowers’ pompous sermons, Elvis, the rebel genius, and brightest star of the Stone Academy, gets the biggest laugh ever when he accidentally breaks wind. Exiled to Earth, Elvis contrives to take Flowers with him. But in no time the Professor is implementing his evil philosophy. Elvis sets up secret Laughter Dens to keep the gift alive, and save Earth from becoming as humourless as Stone. Then one day a message arrives. Theodore Dee, a Fat Professor ...

The Yummish Faith is a small, but growing movement. You may have noticed Yummish people in your community – holding hands, eating ice cream cones, petting fluffy dogs, stopping to smell the roses... or the doughnuts. Perhaps you're interested in pursuing your own path to The YUM. Or maybe you're just looking for a collection of quirky, funny, occasionally inspiring essays to read in your all too brief moments of downtime. The Yummish Faith aims to give readers a new way of approaching the chaos of everyday life, with a more open, tolerant, and cookie-centric worldview. Wine and chocolate ...

Have you ever really considered the psychological effects of the Santa Claus story and Holidays in general? A Holiday Hazing Santa Clause Syndrome is a presentation of one of the most devastating and most commonplace psychological afflictions of the postmodern era; Santa Clause Syndrome. A Holiday Hazing Santa Clause Syndrome dissects the psychological results of the cultural initiation that is celebration of Santa Clause. Moreover no one has elaborated on Christmas and holidays in general like this in 2,000 years! You will laugh, you may cry, and you will forever more question institutions...

The Art of Managing Secret Stealth Wealth is a whimsical and heartfelt fictional journey through grief, growth, and the great adventure of life itself. Join Daphney and her loyal dog Dave as they navigate the ups and downs of existence, guided by the wisdom of a dearly departed friend who left behind more than memories—he left a legacy of philosophy, humour, and practical advice delivered through uncanny digital avatars. Packed with quirky musings, life lessons, and laugh-out-loud moments, this novel invites readers to explore the profound in the mundane and to find joy in the unexpected....

Two experienced educators offer an up-to-date introduction to philosophy from a Christian perspective that covers the four major areas of philosophical thought: epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and ethics. Written from an analytic perspective, the book introduces key concepts and issues within the main areas of philosophical inquiry in a comprehensive yet accessible way, inviting listeners on a quest for goodness, truth, and beauty that ultimately points to Jesus as the source of all.