Professional Humor

Listen to hilarious stories with serious lessons that Michael Lopp extracts from his varied and sometimes bizarre experiences as a manager at Apple, Pinterest, Palantir, Netscape, Symantec, Slack, and Borland. Many of the stories first appeared in primitive form in Lopp’s perennially popular blog, Rands in Repose. The third edition of Managing Humans contains a whole new season of episodes from the ongoing saga of Lopp's adventures in Silicon Valley, together with classic episodes remastered for high fidelity and freshness.

If any American fictional character of the 20th century seems likely to be immortal, it is Lorelei Lee of Little Rock, Arkansas, the not-so-dumb blonde who knew that diamonds are a girl's best friend. Outrageous, charming, and unforgettable, she's been portrayed on stage and screen by Carol Channing and Marilyn Monroe, and has become the archetype of the footloose, good-hearted gold digger, with an insatiable appetite for orchids, champagne, and precious stones.

How does the son of a Presbyterian minister wind up winning a Pulitzer Prize for writing a wildly inaccurate newspaper column read by millions of people? In Class Clown, Dave Barry takes us on a hilarious ride, starting with a childhood largely spent throwing rocks for entertainment—there was no internet—and preparing for nuclear war by hiding under a classroom desk. After literally getting elected class clown in high school, he went to college, where, as an English major, he read snippets of great literature when he was not busy playing in a rock band (it was the sixties).

Dr. Peter McGraw, founder of the Humor Research Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder, teamed up with journalist Joel Warner on a far-reaching search for the secret behind humor. Their journey spanned the globe, from New York to Japan, from Palestine to the Amazon. Meanwhile, the duo conducted their own humor experiments along the way-to wince-worthy, hilarious, and illuminating results.

Despite the howling protests from his peers, no one's ever been more willing to spill the beans on what it's really like inside the pro cycling peloton than the sarcastic scribe Phil Gaimon. Building on the outrageous success of his hilarious 2014 debut, Pro Cycling on $10 a Day: From Fat Kid to Euro Pro, Gaimon gathers the absolute gems from his monthly Q & A feature column in VeloNews magazine into his new book, Ask a Pro.

The story of a golf professional trying to make it through life at a private club with 521 bosses, a Cougar nymphomaniac, one good member and a board president intent on his demise. This story follows the hilarious everyday life of a golf professional through lessons, committees, PGA section meetings, club rules, demo days and golf trips. Plus, the daily grind of trying to please over 500 members who complain to him about everything from the speed of the greens to the home owner’s association, along with hundred and one other things over which he has no control. At breaking point, he ...

After a political scandal, fledgling lobbyist Dempsey Jo Killebrew is left almost broke, unemployed, and homeless. She reluctantly accepts to refurbish Birdsong, the old family place in Guthrie, Georgia. But, oh, is Dempsey in for a surprise. "Bird Droppings" would more aptly describe the moldering Pepto Bismol - pink dump. There's also a murderously grumpy old lady who has claimed squatter's rights and isn't moving out. Ever.

One of the most popular novels released in the 1920s on the hedonistic Jazz Age, Gentlement Prefer Blondes was declared "the great American novel" by Edith Wharton. Told from the point of view of a blonde flapper named Lorelei in the form of her diary, this novel follows her adventures around the world in search of a gentleman companion who can elevate her position within society. As Lorelei cycles through multiple men, she discovers things about herself and the way that she lives her life in retrospection....

Do you often find yourself being critical and judgmental towards others, unable to control your negative thoughts and behavior? Do you struggle to maintain positive relationships due to your rude and mean comments? If so, it's time to take a step back and focus on cultivating greater self-awareness and compassion with 30 Days to Stop Being an Asshole. This comprehensive mindfulness program features 30 unique exercises designed to help you identify the underlying causes of your critical behavior, cultivate self-compassion, and build healthier, more supportive relationships. With each ...

Confessions of a Golf Pro Round 2 takes up the story where book one ends as our hero leaves his private club to manage a daily fee course in Orlando, there he finds the course a total disaster, the employees mutinous and the competition fierce. No one would be dumb enough to buy a daily fee golf course in the land of the mouse, would they? Well, no one but an avid golfer who was also a doctor, a lawyer or airline pilot. Professions where they get to play god in everyday life and think that the superpowers they possess naturally transfer to running a golf course better than the last group, ...

Are you struggling with procrastination, finding yourself putting off important tasks until the last minute or not completing them at all? Do you wish you had the tools to overcome this habit and finally achieve your goals? If so, the 30 Days to Overcome Procrastination workbook can help. Designed to help you break the cycle of procrastination and cultivate a more focused, productive mindset, this 30-day program offers practical exercises, daily affirmations, and mindfulness techniques to help you stay motivated and on track. Each day, you'll receive a new lesson with specific action steps ...

Tired of watching your dream athlete from the sidelines? Chloe Kaitlyn Conner is here to spill the tea with a revolutionary roadmap to teach you how to swipe right on your own BALLER! Yes, you read that right. Professional Athletes – those dazzling specimens of physical perfection and sporting glory – are now within your reach! No longer will you languish in the spectator seats, longing for a glimpse of your dream athlete. With this comprehensive and humorous guide, you’ll transform from a mere observer to a captivating temptress, ready sweep off the feet, your very own statuesque ...

Ed Patrick is an anaesthetist. Strong drugs for his patients, strong coffee for him. But it's not just sleep-giving for this anaesthetist, as he navigates emergencies, patients not breathing for themselves and living with a terrifying sense of responsibility. It's enough to leave anyone feeling numb. But don't worry, there's plenty of laughing gas to be had.

From the frontlines of modern medicine, Tell Me Where it Hurts is a fascinating insider portrait of a veterinarian, his furry patients, and the blend of old-fashioned instincts and cutting-edge technology that defines pet care in the 21st century. Dr. Trout takes the listener on a vicarious journey through 24 intimate, heartrending hours in his life.

One of the SurfWriter Girls' Best Beach Books "...a gripping story about two people who do not seem to belong together but somehow fit perfectly." — Award Winning Author Alicia Dean Set in contemporary London and California, In Your Dreams! is an emotional roller coaster following an upper-class British actor’s pursuit of an American who is not impressed by or attracted to him just because he’s the leading man in a BBC-TV drama. Jamie’s star is rising and—tired of fake-dating for publicity—he would like to meet a smart lady with compatible interests and values, who is not star-...

Part thriller, part self-help manual, and part drinking companion, Corkscrew is a coruscating critique of neoliberal capitalism, religious intolerance, and the perils of blind tasting.

30 Days to Overcome a Shitty Job is a mindfulness workbook designed to help you cultivate a more positive and fulfilling work experience. Through a 30-day program that combines mindfulness techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy, and self-reflection, you'll learn to identify and challenge negative thought patterns, improve communication with coworkers and bosses, and develop a greater sense of self-awareness and self-worth. This workbook is part of a series of mindfulness workbooks, each designed to help you cultivate different areas of your life. While each workbook focuses on a specific ...

Bobby Hutchinson, a best-selling Harlequin writer, decides to open a B & B in Vancouver, BC, when sales of romance novels falter. Despite never having stayed in a B & B and knowing absolutely nothing about running one, she jumps right in. Strange people from nearby and halfway around the world arrive at her home with their stories and struggles, not to mention their baggage, psychological and otherwise.

This book captures some of the sometimes wacky, sometimes poignant experiences in the life of a Professional Organizer. Follow me as I share a few of my more memorable client encounters over the years. From the sublime to the ridiculous....from hoarders to people just needing someone who would listen...I've seen it all. Clients who were nightmares I couldn't wait to wake up from and clients who have stayed with me through the years and enriched my life in ways they could never have imagined. A few household hints are thrown in along the way for good measure. It's a sometimes wild......

Raka Varoule is a second-rate investigative reporter, traveling between the 27 worlds of the Galactic Empire exposing minor scandals. His big break comes when he weasels his way onto the emperor’s personal star-cruiser to report live, across the galaxy, how the emperor is celebrating his birthday. When he exposes the biggest scandal in galactic history, he narrowly escapes with the help of a drug runner, a dominatrix, and a monkey wearing assless chaps. Together, they search for an escape from the empire, a barbarian world outside Imperial control. Then things get weird.