Humor me How laughing more can make you present, creative, connected, and happy

Review by Booklist Review

Duffy, grade-school teacher turned comedian and podcaster (How to Be a Better Human), isn't trying to turn readers into stand-up comics. Instead, he's teaching us to develop a sense of humor by observing the "absurdity of the world." According to the author, three things are needed: being present, laughing at yourself, and taking social risks. In interviews with scientists, experts, and comedians, Duffy highlights research that supports his claims of the importance of laughter to our survival. Life, according to the author, is an experience in improvisation, and he shares improv techniques, which include working off of another's comments, really listening to the other speaker, and offering "door knob comments" that allow others to make a genuine connection. Tossing out absurd ideas can also spark creativity. Duffy admits that penicillin beats laughter as the best medicine, but there is evidence of humor's healing powers. The wrong humor can be hurtful, says the author, but if it includes others and makes connections, it's a good thing. Duffy's perfect comedic timing makes it fun, as well as relatable.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Comedy is as essential to a healthy and happy life as diet and exercise, according to this illuminating debut from comedian Duffy. Mixing personal anecdotes with research and expert interviews, he outlines the key pillars of good humor--being present, laughing at oneself, taking social risks--before pivoting to a more serious analysis of how humor underpins different areas of life. Interpersonally, joking releases tension, inverts conflict dynamics, and helps groups and individuals bond (laughter, Duffy writes, is "a by-product of connecting honestly and deeply with each other"). Physiologically, laughter decreases blood pressure and stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin. One of the book's most intriguing chapters explores how humor fuels innovation, partly because the willingness to not take oneself seriously is fundamental to curiosity. Duffy is a wry and funny narrator, but his best insights arrive when he sets aside his need to land a punch line and compassionately and insightfully unpacks how humor functions in deeper and more unexpected ways, such as helping to endure challenges like bullying, grief, and suffering. This will entertain and enlighten aspiring comedians and regular folks alike. (Jan.)

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

A podcaster/comedy writer extols the virtues of humor. Duffy cheerfully itemizes some of the many ways in which being able to call on a sense of humor greases the wheels of social interaction in ordinary times and makes life more bearable in the challenging ones, including times of illness, grief, and social oppression. Though Duffy occasionally touches on techniques for crafting and telling a joke--"start with the second biggest laugh" and "funny things come in threes"-- his main focus is on allowing humor and laughter to arise naturally in social settings, and learning to laugh at yourself. Each of the chapters includes practical suggestions on how to encourage an attitude of openness to delight: Put away your phone, take social risks, "celebrate the bad." Frequent goofy footnotes add to the book's pleasure. Duffy touches on academic studies on subjects such as evolutionary science, and he interviews experts on topics including comic improvisation and Abraham Lincoln's sense of humor, but he doesn't get bogged down in the details. The author devotes even more of his attention to one of his fifth-grade students who wrote entertaining reviews of school lunches and a 103-year-old neighbor with "a mischievous streak and a razor-sharp wit." His light touch makes for a delightfully accessible book. While most readers won't find much new or surprising information here, Duffy's down-to-earth presentation offers useful reminders about the importance of mindfulness, compassion, and above all, not taking oneself too seriously. He also, wisely, recognizes that humor is not always a force for good, and devotes a chapter to avoiding using humor to bully, hog attention, or insult oneself. "Do your best not to be an ignorant jerk," he advises. A genial, gentle reminder not to take life quite so seriously. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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