WALL STREET JOURNAL, LOS ANGELES TIMES, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • Anyone—even you!—can learn how to harness the power of humor in business (and life), based on the popular class at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Don’t miss the authors’ TED Talk, “Why great leaders take humor seriously,” online now. “The ultimate guide to using the magical power of funny as a tool for leadership and a force for good.”—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When and Drive We are living through a period of unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval in both our personal and professional lives. So it should come as a surprise to exactly no one that trust, human connection, and mental well-being are all on the decline. This may seem like no laughing matter. Yet, the research shows that humor and laughter are among the most valuable tools we have at our disposal for strengthening bonds and relationships, diffusing stress and tension, boosting resilience, and performing when the stakes are high. That’s why Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach the popular course Humor: Serious Business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where they help some of the world’s most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds infuse more humor and levity into their work and lives. In Humor, Seriously, they draw on findings by behavioral scientists, world-class comedians, and inspiring business leaders to reveal how humor works and—more important—how you can use more of it, better. Aaker and Bagdonas unpack the theory and application of humor: what makes something funny, how to mine your life for material, and simple ways to identify and leverage your unique humor style. They show how to use humor to rebuild vital connections; appear more confident, competent, and authentic at work; and foster cultures where levity and creativity can thrive. President Dwight David Eisenhower once said, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” If Dwight David Eisenhower, the second least naturally funny president (after Franklin Pierce), thought humor was necessary to win wars, build highways, and warn against the military-industrial complex, then you might consider learning it too.

"Creative Humor at Work: Living the Humor Perspective describes benefits and blocks to using humor and identifies areas where this has been an effective tool to ease stress and enhance communication. There are frequent differences between how men and women appreciate humor and, since humor is often used in building and maintaining relationships, information on these topics is included. Several humor skills are identified, and are suggested as means to create your own mental "Humor Kit" to be used whenever the need arises." "Research has demonstrated that humor attracts and motivates people and that having a well-developed sense of humor combats depression and is an effective measure to reduce stress. Each of us can create a mental or physical "Humor Kit", one that contains jokes, stories, songs, sayings, anything that makes us laugh and dip into this kit whenever we find ourselves in stressful situations."--BOOK JACKET.

The author presents a collection of ways to reap the proven human and corporate benefits of humor at work, organized by core business skill and founded on his own work as a business speaker and coach with the consulting company, Humor That Works.

A discussion of the basics and genres of the comic point of view includes essays and interviews with such authors as Dave Barry, Sherman Alexie, and Melissa Bank.

____________________________ We can all be more creative. John Cleese shows us how. Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious, rare gift that only a few possess. John Cleese begs to differ, and in this short, immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire. Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process, and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. ____________________________ 'Humorous and practical ... Whether you're hoping to write a novel or paint a masterpiece, you're sure to feel inspired' OK Magazine 'His candor is endearing ... An upbeat guide to the creative process' Kirkus 'A jovial romp ... Cleese fans will enjoy, and writers and other artists will breeze through, picking up a few nuggets of wisdom along the way' The Festival Review 'A sincere and thoughtful guide to creativity, and a very useful book' Graham Norton 'Wise words on the serious business of being silly' Sunday Business Post

Part road-trip comedy and part social science experiment, a scientist and a journalist travel the globe to discover the secret behind what makes things funny, questioning countless experts, including Louis C.K., along the way.

Explores the connections between humor and creativity, teamwork, risk-taking, and effective communication.

Comedy is a powerful contemporary source of influence and information. In the still-evolving digital era, the opportunity to consume and share comedy has never been as available. And yet, despite its vast cultural imprint, comedy is a little-understood vehicle for serious public engagement in urgent social justice issues – even though humor offers frames of hope and optimism that can encourage participation in social problems. Moreover, in the midst of a merger of entertainment and news in the contemporary information ecology, and a decline in perceptions of trust in government and traditional media institutions, comedy may be a unique force for change in pressing social justice challenges. Comedians who say something serious about the world while they make us laugh are capable of mobilizing the masses, focusing a critical lens on injustices, and injecting hope and optimism into seemingly hopeless problems. By combining communication and social justice frameworks with contemporary comedy examples, authors Caty Borum Chattoo and Lauren Feldman show us how comedy can help to serve as a vehicle of change. Through rich case studies, audience research, and interviews with comedians and social justice leaders and strategists, A Comedian and an Activist Walk Into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice explains how comedy – both in the entertainment marketplace and as cultural strategy – can engage audiences with issues such as global poverty, climate change, immigration, and sexual assault, and how activists work with comedy to reach and empower publics in the networked, participatory digital media age.

"Tom is the David Ogilvy of cartooning." --Seth Godin, author of Purple Cow From the birth of social media to digital advertising to personal branding, marketing has transformed in the past 15 years. Capturing these quintessential moments in marketing is Marketoonist, a popular cartoon series from veteran marketer Tom Fishburne. Your Ad Ignored Here collects nearly 200 of these hilarious and apt depictions of modern marketing life on the 15th anniversary of the series. Fishburne began to doodle his observations in 2002 when working in the trenches of marketing. Initially intended for co-workers, they are now read by hundreds of thousands of marketers every week. The cartoons' popularity stem not only from their deft reflections on latest trends, but their witty summary of the shared experiences of marketing -- handling a PR crisis, giving creative feedback to an agency, or avoiding idea killers in innovation. Your Ad Ignored Here gives voice to the challenges and opportunities faced by people working in business everywhere. Readers regularly inquire if Fishburne is spying on them at work. Whether or not you work in marketing, these cartoons will make you laugh ... and think about our rapidly evolving world of work. Tom Fishburne started drawing cartoons on the backs of business cases as a student at Harvard Business School. Fishburne's cartoons have grown by word of mouth to reach hundreds of thousands of marketers every week and have been featured by The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and The New York Times. His cartoons have appeared on a billboard ad in Times Square, helped win a Guinness World Record, and turned up in a top-secret NSA presentation released by Edward Snowden. Fishburne draws (literally and figuratively) from 20 years in the marketing trenches in the US and Europe. He was Marketing VP at Method Products, Interim CMO at HotelTonight, and worked in brand management for Nestlé and General Mills. Fishburne developed web sites and digital campaigns for interactive agency iXL in the late 90s and started his marketing career selling advertising space for the first English-language magazine in Prague. In 2010, Fishburne expanded Marketoonist into a marketing agency focused on the unique medium of cartoons. Since 2010, Marketoonist has developed visual content marketing campaigns for businesses such as Google, IBM, Kronos, and LinkedIn. Fishburne is a frequent keynote speaker on marketing, innovation, and creativity, using cartoons, case studies, and his marketing career to tell the story visually. Fishburne lives and draws near San Francisco with his wife and two daughters. All of his cartoons and observations are posted at marketoonist.com. Advance Praise for Your Ad Ignored Here "If marketing kept a diary, this would be it." --Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs "Laugh and learn at the same time. BTW, if you don't laugh, you're clueless, and the cartoon is about you." --Guy Kawasaki, Chief evangelist of Canva, Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador "Tom Fishburne has a knack for marketing humor (and truth) like no other." --Lee Odden, CEO, TopRank Marketing "Any great piece of comedy is funny because its true. Well, no one has gathered marketing truths through painfully awkward insights and hilarious delivery the way Tom has." --Ron Tite, Author, Everyone's An Artist (Or At Least They Should Be)