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Humour, Seriously
Humour, Seriously
Oct 7, 2024 7:28 PM

Author:Jennifer Aaker,Naomi Bagdonas,Jennifer Aaker,Naomi Bagdonas,Fred Sanders,Michael Lewis

Humour, Seriously

'A smart, funny, brilliant book on how to be smart about being funny, brilliantly' Sarah Cooper

'This book has finally convinced me that joking around can actually be important and powerful' Ed Gamble

'Eye-opening, important and utterly enjoyable. Come for the humour, stay for the insights' Arianna Huffington

Humour is a superpower. If you're not using it, the joke's on you.

When we're kids we laugh all the time. The average four year-old laughs as many as 300 times a day, while the average forty year-old laughs 300 times every two and a half months! We grow up, start working and suddenly become "serious and important people", trading laughter for bottom lines, slide decks and mind-dumbing conference calls.

But the benefits of humour for our work and life are huge. Studies have shown that humour makes us appear more competent and confident, strengthens our relationships, unlocks creativity and boosts resilience during difficult times.

Dr. Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas are on a mission to help everyone discover the power of humour. Based on the popular Stanford Business course, this book will show you how to mine your life for material, explore the Four Deadly Humour Myths and help you figure out which style of humour you fall into - The Magnet, The Sweetheart, The Sniper or the Stand Up.

Drawing on behavioural science, advice from world-class comedians and stories from top leaders, Humour, Seriously will show you how to harness the power of humour every day.

Reviews

Humour is magical. It can make fear and pomposity vanish and creativity and resilience appear in their place. The ultimate guide to using the magical power of funny as a tool for leadership and a force for good, Humour, Seriously is an intoxicating mix of science, strategy, and slapstick - a knee-slapping, mind-expanding tour de force

—— Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of When,, Drive, and A Whole Mind

A smart, funny, brilliant book on how to be smart about being funny, brilliantly. And I'm not just saying that because they say I am smart, funny, and brilliant in it. Buy it

—— Sarah Cooper, Comedian and author of 100 Tricks To Appear Smart In Meetings

I've learned (often the hard way) that the best way to be taken seriously is to not take yourself too seriously. My teams are always at their best when approaching problems with levity, which entails both humility and optimism and always engenders trust. Plus, it's more fun - like this book!

—— Eric Schmidt, former CEO and Executive Chair of Google (Alphabet)

A sharp, incisive, and genuinely funny read. Humour, Seriously translates the knowledge of the world of comedy to tools that actually work in the world of business

—— Anne Libera, Director of Comedy Studies at The Second City

If you think your workplace would work better if everyone laughed more, this is your playbook

—— Chip Heath, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Power of Moments

I've always used humour as a secret weapon at Spanx. Jennifer and Naomi make a scientific case for the importance of humour and show it's an incredible way to connect with customers and build culture. This book will help anyone embrace the power of laughter

—— Sara Blakley, Founder and CEO of Spanx

Humour is an act of social courage that, when used correctly, has a transformative effect. Humour, Seriously gives us the tools we need to deploy humour expertly in any environment

—— Susan Cain, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Quiet

Eye-opening, hilarious, and absolutely original, Humour, Seriously will change the way you think on the job, about the world, and in your life

—— Leslie Blodgett, Founder and former CEO of Bare Essentials

Of all the known ways to ruin humour, the most common start with the words 'research,' 'analyze,' and 'professor.' The bad news is that this book features all of those words. Prominently. The good news is that against all odds, you'll actually have fun reading it. It probably won't turn you into Ali Wong, Dave Chappelle, or Hannah Gadsby, but it will give you a much deeper appreciation of how they think-and teach you some new ways to make people laugh

—— Adam Grant, New York Times-bestselling author of Originals and Give And Take, host of the TED podcast WorkLife

In this eye-opening, important and utterly enjoyable book, Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas use science to explain how humour at work (and in life) helps alleviate stress, anxiety, and burnout. Come for the humour, stay for the insights

—— Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post and CEO of Thrive Global

If this book and Brad Pitt walked into a bar, and I could only pick one, I'd take the book home with me

—— Nancy Lublin, Former CEO, Crisis TextLine and DoSomething.Org

Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas have written a remarkable book for a remarkable moment in history. I long ago learned that when weighed down by serious matters, one may best be taken seriously by seeking out a certain light-heartedness as an expression of humility, optimism and confidence on the road to the serious business of nurturing trust and leading others

—— Joel Peterson, Chairman of Jetblue Airways

This myth-busting, grin-inducing, data-driven humdinger of a book simply nails what I've clung on to for years: that humour can be more than ephemeral entertainment. When appropriately curated, it creates the right culture for success. In fact, its absence should be a cause for concern. You may eat your five a day and walk ten thousand steps but when did you last check if there was enough laughter in your life, in your team, in your business? If you had a centuries-old tried and tested tool that enhances rapport, creativity, collaboration, resilience, leadership, mental and physical health, sales and more - why wouldn't you use it?

—— Neil Mullarkey Author, speaker, improviser and Co-founder, London’s Comedy Store Players

I've been a comedian for ages, and this book has finally convinced me that joking around can actually be important and helpful.

—— Ed Gamble

A compelling and exciting read. A great insight into decision-making on the front line of firefighting . . . Immersive stories, tension and fantastic lessons to take away. I loved it!

—— Flt Lt (Rtd) Mandy Hickson, former RAF Tornado pilot

One of the UK's most senior firefighters share heart-in-the-mouth stories from her 18 years in the emergency services, taking us to the very heat of battle; from scenes of devastation and crisis, to the quieter moments when these unassuming heroes question both themselves and the decisions they are forced to make. As we all as being extraordinarily courageous, Cohen-Hatton has an impressive professional track record: her award winning research into decision-making in the emergency services has transformed policy at a global level.

—— The Bookseller

A fascinating read

—— Dan Walker , BBC Breakfast

This book is incredible!

—— Louise Minchin , BBC Breakfast

WOW! I just could not put it down! . . . It will enlighten people about the human aspects of firefighting, the challenges of decision-making under pressure and the way in which university research has helped to understand and improve the way leaders approach critical decisions. It’s certainly made me think about how I can use the principles discussed to help people in a variety of leadership positions.

—— Karen Holford, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University

This book will change the way you think. Forever.

—— Cosmpolitan

As well as being a fire-fighter, she’s a fire-thinker, and that’s what makes this book stand out.

—— Daily Mail

An inspiring, vivid account of the dangerous world of firefighting

—— Jane Shilling , Daily Mail

Mesmerising…at times, bitingly funny… [The Shapeless Unease is] an engrossing portrait of the fragility of identity and coherency in the grip of insomnia. I hadn’t read Harvey before this, but her facility with language here captivated me and I’ll be seeking out her novels next.

—— Valerie O’Riordan , Bookmunch

Urgent and full of arresting images and insights.

—— Stephanie Cross , Lady

[The Shapeless Unease] is littered with sharp insights expressed in exquisitely lucid prose but is as amorphous as its title suggests.

—— Keiron Pim , Spectator

It’s a claustrophobic, enlightening, moving, existential treatise on sleep, insomnia and death. And it’s funny, too.

—— Sadie Jones , Guardian

I wish I had saved The Shapeless Unease to read in isolation but Samantha Harvey’s book about insomnia, time, death and so many unknowable things is a blessing to have in lonely times. It is a profound and stunning book but funny, too.

—— Fatima Bhutto , Evening Standard

A beautiful, jagged little book about insomnia and so many unknowable things: life and death, Buddhism, and how language alters our thinking. But I was most struck by its form and structure.

—— Fatima Bhutto , New Statesman

[Samantha Harvey's] cerebral, startlingly clear account of somehow pulling through [from insomnia] carries an electric charge and meditates on not only the mystery of sleep but also writing, swimming and dreams.

—— Net-a-Porter

[The Shapeless Unease] is beautifully crafted and its achievement makes itself more apparent on a second reading.

—— Richard Gwyn , Wales Art Review

A masterpiece, so good I can hardly breathe. I'm completely floored by it.

—— Helen Macdonald

This book seems appropriately messy-haired and wild-eyed... Anyone who has lain awake the night before a big test will recognize such manic flourishes. Harvey captures the 4 a.m. bloom of magical thinking; stories proliferate within stories... To read Harvey is to grow spoiled on gorgeous phrases.

—— Katy Waldman , New Yorker
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