The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny Hardcover – April 1, 2014

This is a fascinating exploration into the personality traits of comedians and the statistics behind what makes good comedy. This does not actually teach you how to be funny. I gave this 3 stars. But I am pissed at Amazon because I searched for haw to be sarcastic. Because I am more likely to get a date using sarcasm. Good read for those that are interested.

I am a stand up comedian and computer engineer. As a scientist and an artist this book intrigued me greatly.The backbone of the book is the benign violation theory. You take something offensive and find a way to make it ok. One way is to wait a while. That's why when people get offended at a comedy club, sometimes they yell "Too soon!" Another way is to shift emotional attachment. That's what the Onion did with the 9/11 headline ""Hijackers Surprised To Find Selves In Hell"". There are several other ways and the book talks about them extensively.When I used to tell a joke that made the audience uncomfortable, I would discard the joke. Now when that happens I start looking for ways in which to make the same subject matter less violating. As a result I'm discarding less material, and I'm finding that attacking the same subject matter from a different perspective actually results in a more creative result.The amazing thing about this book is the incredible number of vantage points from which humor is looked at: An open mic in Denver, talking to Louis CK, the Danish cartoon scandal, clowning in South America, humor amidst political tension in Israel, etc. Each situation explores a different application of humor.I gained a deeper understanding of other cultures than I expected. The same way that you inadvertently learn about other countries by watching Anthony Bourdain talk about food, you learn about various people as Peter analyzes their humor. There is an apparent lack of irony in Japan. In Scandinavia they are obsessed with dark humor. What does that say about those places?If you're a humorist, you may find a nugget to ease yourself out of a bout of writer's block. If you enjoy travel, you will find this book to be a fresh take on the travelogue genre. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Condition of item better than anticipated and swift delivery!

I bought the book hoping that it would give more comprehensive study of humor. However the book stated it one version and did not completely prove it. This was an over promised and under delivered.But the book shared a journey across cultures and was bold about the observations. This was an unexpected pleasant surprise.Would recommend the read while keeping those points in mind.

Humor is a funny thing, but what makes things funny? Why does humor exist? What purpose does it serve?I find the concept of humor extremely interesting because it is so bewildering. It just does not make any sense. There does not seem to be any intrinsic value to humor. As far as we know, animals do not seem to laugh. Some say humor is a coping mechanism. Others say it’s a bonding technique. These make some sense, but to me they are not satisfying answers.So I picked up the book The Humor Code hoping to learn more about what makes things funny. Professor Peter McGraw and journalist Joel Warner travel the globe looking for answers. Their adventures take them to Denver, Montreal, Denmark, Palestine and other locations around the world in order to understand the nuances of humor.I found the book to be pleasant, but it definitely did not meet my expectations. I was looking for a more in depth look into the constructs of humor, not an Amazing Race type trek throughout the continents.McGraw and Warner do quickly settle on a theory of humor called the “Benign Violation” theory. It is an interesting theory and I wish they spent more time testing the theory and finding challengers.Perhaps, trying to understand humor is a lot like explaining a joke; it kind of ruins it.

I absolutely loved this book. I had to read it for a college course, and I'm glad that I got the chance to read it. The research that these two men conducted throughout the book really got me thinking in a way I never had before. I always thought that funny was the same everywhere you went (which it isn't, but you have to read it to find out why). McGraw has this theory called the benign violation that basically says how when you put something socially acceptable together with something that is a violation to people, you make funny. The first time I thought about it, it made little sense to me, but after reading this book I can see his theory everywhere I turn. I never realized how diverse humor could be, even in our own country. People have different ways of portraying humor and because of that, they way different people put themselves out in the world, trying to be comical, can either be a hit or a miss, depending on the audience and their personal take on what they think is funny. Overall, this book changed the way I think about funny and why people think things are funny in the first place. I would definitely recommend getting this book, even if it's just for a easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will never think of humor the same way again.

I was predisposed to like this prose after learning of the author whilst listening to Dan Arielly's Coursera course on irrationality. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to find it pedestrian prose written by quotidian penmen. There are few good ideas but they are couched so desultorily that they lose their impact. Perhaps the prof's publications contain less bromide?

Got bored and didnt finish reading

Witty. Funny. Highly informative.I wish the authors would consider a sequel.

The title of this book should be: what makes things funny? - as it doesn't deliver on the promise of a humour code. It talks about and tries to put into practice the benign violation theory. Or as it could be called - jokes as harmless infringements. I found the final chapter most interesting while the road trip parts have too much detail and are quite boring. If you are really into how humour works, this book is worth reading. It's funny that Joel Warner writes the book but Peter McGraw gets his first name first in the author credits. This book doesn't crack the humour code, although it does point out some of the elements that makes things funny.

...oder genauer gesagt: EINE Regel? Dies herauszufinden ist das Ziel des Psychologen McGraw und des Journalisten Warner. Sie starten mit einer Theorie über Humor (Kurz gesagt: Humor ist die Schnittstelle zwischen "harmlos" und "Regelverletzung") und reisen dann um die Welt, um Komiker, Comiczeichner und Satiriker auszufragen, aber auch um den Fragen nachzugehen, ob Humor gesund macht (im Amazonas helfen sie als Clowns bei der Arbeit mit Armen) und was an den Mohammed-Karikaturen denn jetzt eigentlich den Effekt hatte, den sie hatten.Das Buch ist gefällig geschrieben und natürlich (?) sehr interessant, in dem Sinne, das man recht viele interessante Details und Leute kennenlernt. Aber gerade am Anfang ist es auch sehr unbefriedigend: Hier reden die beiden Autoren zwar mit sehr vielen Leuten, aber es kommt eigentlich zu keinem echten Ergebnis. Hinzu kommen zwei etwas merkwürdige Kapitel: Erst fahren sie tagelang in Tanzania herum, auf der Suche nach einer mysteriösen Lachkrankheit, um dann zu schließen, dass ihnen die Lösung dafür (Massenhysterie) bereits vor dem Besuch von einem amerikanischen Spezialisten mitgeteilt wurde. Und in Japan kommen sie zu keinem Ergebnis, weil ihnen offenbar erst dort auffällt, dass man Humor nicht versteht, wenn man die Sprache nicht kennt und keinen Übersetzer dabei hat.Doch danach geht es aufwärts: Die Kapitel sind konkreten Fragen gewidmet und sie besuchen die richtigen Leute, so dass es auch tatsächlich ein Ergebnis gibt. Das errinert fast an die hervorragenden Bücher von Mary Roach. Aus diesem Grund kann ich das Bich guten Gewissens allen empfehlen, die gerne über die merkwprdigen Verhaltensweisen des Menschen aufgeklärt werden (Siehe auch z.B. Wiseman)...