Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (And How Anyone Can Harness It. Even You.)
- Downloads：6709
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-24 10:31:06
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jennifer Aaker
- ISBN：B085LLMNF7
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Ben Oberholtzer
，
First off， I appreciated the humor in the book that was teaching us about the importance of humor。 They weren’t all funny to me， but proves the point that the authors were pushing （even attempts at humor increases trust and authenticity）。My rating of the book probably is mote relates to this being a more business-y type book， and I just don’t really enjoy reading that genre any more。 I absolutely loved the ending where the authors are encouraging humor as a greater part of enjoying and having a First off， I appreciated the humor in the book that was teaching us about the importance of humor。 They weren’t all funny to me， but proves the point that the authors were pushing （even attempts at humor increases trust and authenticity）。My rating of the book probably is mote relates to this being a more business-y type book， and I just don’t really enjoy reading that genre any more。 I absolutely loved the ending where the authors are encouraging humor as a greater part of enjoying and having a meaningful life， which is way more important than the act of laughing at work。 Their encouragement to look for the little sparks that can be used for humor in life is a practical and simple way to start on this adventure。 I feel like I should end the review with a joke。。。 。。。more
Siv
，
“Laughter releases many of the same neurochemicals as a good workout， resulting in a feeling akin to a ‘runner’s high。’ Beyond feeling similarly pleasurable， both also prime us for greater personal connection and resilience to stress。 So in a way， Jillian Michaels and Amy Schumer have the same job。” p37I love to laugh， though I am only ever unintentionally funny。 I am funny by vulnerably being my weird self and creating safe space for others to be themselves and make mistakes， too。 This book gav “Laughter releases many of the same neurochemicals as a good workout， resulting in a feeling akin to a ‘runner’s high。’ Beyond feeling similarly pleasurable， both also prime us for greater personal connection and resilience to stress。 So in a way， Jillian Michaels and Amy Schumer have the same job。” p37I love to laugh， though I am only ever unintentionally funny。 I am funny by vulnerably being my weird self and creating safe space for others to be themselves and make mistakes， too。 This book gave me permission to laugh long and hard， especially at myself， in work and life。While it was full of practical insights， the most helpful bit for me was the distinction between levity， humor， and comedy。 We can create a mindset （and workplace） of levity even if most of us will never do stand-up comedy。 。。。more
Laura
，
I'm excited to use specific humor tips from chapter 3 with my high school students to help them add humor to their writing。 I also appreciate the specific anecdotes， like Spanx creator choosing a themed song and dancing to it to recognize and celebrate a failure。 I'm excited to use specific humor tips from chapter 3 with my high school students to help them add humor to their writing。 I also appreciate the specific anecdotes， like Spanx creator choosing a themed song and dancing to it to recognize and celebrate a failure。 。。。more
Romain
，
Good learnings on the structure of humor Chapter 3 and 4 are good about the structure of humor， the rest is a bit long。 Takes about 2hrs to scan through。
Amy
，
Really great perspective - highly recommend and will re-read
Jayzona
，
I received this book in exchange for an honest review。 Fast and easy tips for connecting with coworkers using humor and infusing levity into the workplace as a manager。 Aaker and Bagdonas include research and anecdotes to back up their viewpoints。
Roland Curit
，
I purchased this book because my work life， all remote for a year now， has become routinely stale with limited human interaction， and recently more stressful with significant deadlines looming。 The book focuses primarily on how to use humor in business to get ahead， but the information also applies to living a less stressful life in general。 As I frequently do， I tagged the quotes that resonated with me。 Here are a few。 “I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh” – Mya Angelo。 Laughter is a shared I purchased this book because my work life， all remote for a year now， has become routinely stale with limited human interaction， and recently more stressful with significant deadlines looming。 The book focuses primarily on how to use humor in business to get ahead， but the information also applies to living a less stressful life in general。 As I frequently do， I tagged the quotes that resonated with me。 Here are a few。 “I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh” – Mya Angelo。 Laughter is a shared communication that two people find humor in a topic。 How can you trust someone who is unwilling or incapable of opening that line of communication？ “Creativity is intelligence having fun。” – Albert Einstein。 The book constantly promotes a direct correlation between truth and humor; hence one exists between intelligence and creativity。 “A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs。 It’s jolted by every pebble on the road。” – Henry Ward Beecher。 Those that fret every detail don’t have time for humor。 Those with a sense of humor are more likely to laugh at the small stuff and move on to more pressing issues。 I found this next insight particularly interesting。 The higher one climbs on the corporate ladder， the more self-deprecating the jokes must become。 The CEO of a business cannot afford to joke at subordinate’s expense without the appearance of punching down。 He or she should resort to self-deprecating jokes to appear more human and relatable to the organization。 In the end， I didn’t find too many useful take-aways， but I do plan to employ one tactic this week。 When taking a day off from work， we typically leave automatic Out-of-Office email messages。 These tend to be boring and to the point。 This is an excellent time to add humor to a routinely mundane task。 Wish me luck on my 3-day weekend。 I hope to still be employed come Monday。 。。。more
Katie Careless
，
A book about humour at work。 No really。 It’s not about everyone trying to be some kind of cringe comedian and subjecting employees everywhere to live through The Office live。 It is about actively looking for and cultivating opportunities for levity in everyday life。 Laughing together improves resilience， creativity and general enjoyment in work and life there’s no downside when you get it right。 This book also covers what to do when you get it wrong， and how to calibrate your instincts to be res A book about humour at work。 No really。 It’s not about everyone trying to be some kind of cringe comedian and subjecting employees everywhere to live through The Office live。 It is about actively looking for and cultivating opportunities for levity in everyday life。 Laughing together improves resilience， creativity and general enjoyment in work and life there’s no downside when you get it right。 This book also covers what to do when you get it wrong， and how to calibrate your instincts to be respectful and culturally sensitive， finding spaces for lightness and levity out of the humours shared experiences of everyday rather than by taking shots at other people。 。。。more
John Crook
，
Interesting but unsatisfyingI found some nuggets in this book but for the most part it was a series of anecdotes with little underpinning psychology or execution advice。
Victoria Womersley
，
If your wondering why a good laugh or even a chuckle makes you feel good， this book has the answer。 What's more， you'll learn how to use humour to do better professionally and get more from everyday life。 Worth a read If your wondering why a good laugh or even a chuckle makes you feel good， this book has the answer。 What's more， you'll learn how to use humour to do better professionally and get more from everyday life。 Worth a read 。。。more
Adam
，
Much needed book especially if your always reading dry technically stuff。 What my 👂 heard ⤵️global wealth distributionmeaningful listencaffeine fueled business mindif you're leading and no one is following you're just taking a walkbadass business TitanI have a optimistic bent to my humorI like sharing smalldry technical languagesomewhere baby cried and record screechedmy final offer is x and I'll throw in my pet frogif people are laughing that means they are paying attentioncreativity is intelli Much needed book especially if your always reading dry technically stuff。 What my 👂 heard ⤵️global wealth distributionmeaningful listencaffeine fueled business mindif you're leading and no one is following you're just taking a walkbadass business TitanI have a optimistic bent to my humorI like sharing smalldry technical languagesomewhere baby cried and record screechedmy final offer is x and I'll throw in my pet frogif people are laughing that means they are paying attentioncreativity is intelligence having funI'm so sorry I'm late I didn't want to comeranch dressing is called salad frostingit's as ifthe connective tissue of an analogysuddenly I'm less clearyou are the person filtering your business to you over and over againI want my website to be like the dark web if you ask for something I got itlaughter is good for thinking because when people laugh it is easier for them to admit new ideas to their mindstoday's employees yearn for leaders who are less mysteriously brilliant and more authentically relatableaspirational yes but not without flawsemerging research from Stanford suggests that people who interpret challenges from their lives both positive and negative as comedies as opposed to tragedies or dramas for feeling less stressed more energetic challenged and fulfilledwe cannot leave if we cannot learnpedestals are out and approachable is inwe all want to have our wins celebrateda mischievous grinjoy and humor speed up the process to trust and respecta textbook instigatoryou got a low act ratewe need to take a larger cultural swing at itas humans we get very good at contex switchingas you move up on the totem pole make fun of others lesson yourself morewhat you view as intimacy enhancing teasing might hurt or offenddo things that make you happy only within the confines of the legal systemit's not important to be funny it's important people have fun being with youif you get in the habit of your life being fun if you move through life believing it's supposed to be that way you'll notice when it's notthe inverse is true too if you get in the habit of lide not being fun you start to not even notice because that's what you're used toif you've got love present humor isn't that far behindour brains only are 2% of our body weight will consume 20% of our energy consumptionmy favorite thing to do is gossip about others with othersthe verbally astute 。。。more
Michelle Jerome
，
Laugh generously！ This book is wonderful。 Humor， smiling， lighting the space with levity， all so valuable， yet do we understand the value？If you read one book this year that will improve your mood and others' mood around you， let it be this book。 It led to many great moments in my life， from taking a humor quiz and sharing it with friends and family to trying out new humor styles and taking a 3 week humor boot camp。 This book improved my smile。 Laugh generously！ This book is wonderful。 Humor， smiling， lighting the space with levity， all so valuable， yet do we understand the value？If you read one book this year that will improve your mood and others' mood around you， let it be this book。 It led to many great moments in my life， from taking a humor quiz and sharing it with friends and family to trying out new humor styles and taking a 3 week humor boot camp。 This book improved my smile。 。。。more
Simonas
，
spoiler alert: knyga nėra juokinga。 skaičiau dėl to， kad parašė mano buvusi dėstytoja Stanforde Jennifer Aaker su ko-autore， kurios pavardė lietuviškai。 Knyga paišo grafikus ir bullet-pointus apie humoro įtaką gyvenime ir darbe。 Kaip save įsivertinti， kada tu juokingas， kada ne; apie ką juokauti galima， o apie ką。 Ganėtinai baziniai dalykai， su vienu leitmotyvu: humoras gyvenime padeda。 Labas， captain obvious。
MaryKay
，
Boldness - I wish I was less fearful of change and lived more boldly。Authenticity - I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself， not the life others expected of me。Presence - I wish I’d appreciated the moment more and savored。Joy - I wish I didn’t take myself so seriously and had laughed more。Love - I wish I had the chance to say ‘I love you’ one more time。
Emma
，
Find the moments of levity and lean in。 Good thing I laugh at everything。 This book made me laugh out loud several times！
Carrie
，
Fast， helpful read。 Some great entertaining content on what makes things funny （and therefore how can you try to be more humorous）。 But also interesting insight into how humor and levity impact workplace culture and relationships。
Jonathan
，
One of the most depressing book's I've ever read。 I struggled through to the end in an almost ironic way marvelling that a book could be this bad。 The execrable attempts at "humor" in the opening chapter were off-putting - were they deliberately being unfunny？ This is a miserable marriage of a self-help and a business advice book。 There was one hilarious line in the book which I didn't write down but went something like this after the relating of a tedious anecdote"。。。。this is an example of the One of the most depressing book's I've ever read。 I struggled through to the end in an almost ironic way marvelling that a book could be this bad。 The execrable attempts at "humor" in the opening chapter were off-putting - were they deliberately being unfunny？ This is a miserable marriage of a self-help and a business advice book。 There was one hilarious line in the book which I didn't write down but went something like this after the relating of a tedious anecdote"。。。。this is an example of the way humor can be leveraged in the workplace"。 This conjured the image of some desperate， humourless corporate drudge earnestly following the lessons of this book to gain advantage in the workplace， if so， I pity the poor fool's colleagues。 。。。more
Valentina Thoerner
，
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book， underlined a lot and even ended up writing up a summary of the underlined part so I could reference it back on my computer。 The mix between "why humor works" and "how you can use it" is super helpful and very practical。 Very much recommended if you want to be a trustworthy leader， a colleague people like to work with， or simply have a more delightful day-to-day。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book， underlined a lot and even ended up writing up a summary of the underlined part so I could reference it back on my computer。 The mix between "why humor works" and "how you can use it" is super helpful and very practical。 Very much recommended if you want to be a trustworthy leader， a colleague people like to work with， or simply have a more delightful day-to-day。 。。。more
Julien Sobczak
，
Your workplace is eager to discover how funny you are。I always tried to bring some humor at work （my coworkers will probably disagree on that）。 I love my developer job but my daily tasks are rarely as fun as they could be and spreading joy using humor helps me get through this。 Making someone smile is more fulfilling than making code run in those situations。 In reading this book， it becomes obvious that humor fades very quickly as you move up the corporate ladder。 I can’t remember the last time Your workplace is eager to discover how funny you are。I always tried to bring some humor at work （my coworkers will probably disagree on that）。 I love my developer job but my daily tasks are rarely as fun as they could be and spreading joy using humor helps me get through this。 Making someone smile is more fulfilling than making code run in those situations。 In reading this book， it becomes obvious that humor fades very quickly as you move up the corporate ladder。 I can’t remember the last time I heard my CEO laugh， loudly and naturally。 Most leaders sadly believe that gravity and levity are at odds in the workplace。 This way of thinking is stupid and based on the extensive researches conducted by the authors， vastly detrimental。This book was published recently but I have no doubt it will have a huge impact。 Humor can be learned like any other skill。 And if we consider the time we spend at work， we have plentiful time to practice and perfect this life-changing skill。 You will learn in this book why humor at work is a superpower， and how to get started with practical tips。 It’s not so hard。 Smiling is a good start。 The best books are the ones that feel too short when you reach the last page。 This book is way too short。。。 I was hoping for more anecdotes， more stories， more lessons。 But above all， I hope that so many more readers will hold a copy of this book。 You don’t need a cup of coffee to find the energy to reach your workplace。 You need humor， seriously。 。。。more
Michelle S Olenoski
，
I thought the tips on how to bring humor into the workplace was helpful （I。e。 you don’t have to be funny yourself， but can just focus on laughing at other people’s jokes; tips on how to remind people of humorous interactions in email，etc）。 A LOT of the stories in the book I had heard before as a lot of them were Stanford alum stories （and I am a Stanford alum）， but the stories didn’t feel new。
Dao Le
，
Highly entertaining and useful read on the value of humor and levity， backed by quality and rigorous research。 Although the title says "in business and life，" it was more about in business as the authors' expertise is about organizational behavior。 I find the chapter about the anatomy of funny most useful with a quick summary below:- At the heart of humor is truth- All humor contains surprise and misdirection （i。e。， humor comes from the incongruity between what we expect and what actually happen Highly entertaining and useful read on the value of humor and levity， backed by quality and rigorous research。 Although the title says "in business and life，" it was more about in business as the authors' expertise is about organizational behavior。 I find the chapter about the anatomy of funny most useful with a quick summary below:- At the heart of humor is truth- All humor contains surprise and misdirection （i。e。， humor comes from the incongruity between what we expect and what actually happens- To find the funny， notice （i） differences （incongruity）; （ii） emotion; （iii） opinion; （iv） pain; and （v） delight- To form the funny: （i） exaggerate; （ii） create contrast; （iii） use specifics; （iv） make analogies; and （v） follow the "rule of three" （list two normal elements， then add an unexpected third element）- To be spontaneously funny， notice the here and now and use callbacks （important）- Tips to deliver the funny: pause before the punch， act it out， dial up the drama， repeat funny lines， and land with confidence- Punch up， not punch down。 If you're a leader， use self-deprecating humor。 。。。more
db
，
A book worth reading because it has sooo many ideas on how to have more enjoyment at work and in life。
Scott Martin
，
（Audiobook） This is primarily a business book， but one that shows the reader how to incorporate humor into the workplace and in business situations。 This big takeaways are that to use humor is to not become a professional standup comic， but it can engender trust and goodwill。 Especially in the superior/subordinate relationship， the use of humor， particularly from the superior， engenders feelings of trust， and letting the subordinate know that the superior is human and relatable， thus making the （Audiobook） This is primarily a business book， but one that shows the reader how to incorporate humor into the workplace and in business situations。 This big takeaways are that to use humor is to not become a professional standup comic， but it can engender trust and goodwill。 Especially in the superior/subordinate relationship， the use of humor， particularly from the superior， engenders feelings of trust， and letting the subordinate know that the superior is human and relatable， thus making the relationship stronger and more productive。 The authors did their homework， and it shows。 While this is not a joke/comic book， it is a useful guide。 Granted， much of the advise is common sense， but as life shows， common sense is not always so common。 I gave this a higher rating due to the fact that the authors read their own work， which in this case is a bonus。 Worth a read for any in business， or those wanting a guide for the use of humor in a professional setting。 。。。more
Ronald J。
，
“The law of levity is allowed to supersede the law of gravity，” according to R。 A。 Lafferty。 This is an enjoyable book about the importance of humor in the workplace。 The authors make the case that it might become one of the greatest competitive advantages in business。 “Could it deepen relationships， make people more effective and joyful at work， and fundamentally transform companies—and maybe even the world？” You’ll have to make up your own mind if they are convincing or not。 No doubt the autho “The law of levity is allowed to supersede the law of gravity，” according to R。 A。 Lafferty。 This is an enjoyable book about the importance of humor in the workplace。 The authors make the case that it might become one of the greatest competitive advantages in business。 “Could it deepen relationships， make people more effective and joyful at work， and fundamentally transform companies—and maybe even the world？” You’ll have to make up your own mind if they are convincing or not。 No doubt the authors are right when they say， “Humor charms and disarms。 Even small gestures of levity are powerful in negotiations， in part because they spark human connection—and when we connect as people， we often get more of what we both want。” I enjoyed the story of Deloitte’s writing of a program that sifted through emails and documents catching “BS” business words， called “Bullfighter。”There’s a great story of a consultant who pulls out the CIA’s Simple Sabotage Field Manual， “a set of guidelines devised by U。S。 government officials to sabotage terrorist organizations from the inside。 Originally developed by the OSS during World War II， the Simple Sabotage Field Manual is a guide for， as the CIA puts it， “teaching people how to do their jobs badly。” To undermine the operations and efficiency of a terrorist cell—or a typical American board meeting: When possible， refer all matters to committees for “further study and consideration。” Attempt to make the committees as large as possible—no fewer than five people。 Make speeches。 Talk as frequently as possible and at great length。 Illustrate your “points” by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences。 Haggle over the precise wording of communications， minutes， resolutions。 Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible。 Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to reopen the question of the advisability of that decision。” We do this “to wreak havoc in our own companies。I’m not sure if all the studies cited would fail the replication process or not， but is there doubt that humor is part of the human experience。 I remember seeing a sign on a Morgue’s door that read: “Our day begins when yours ends。” Many found it offensive; I found it hilarious。 We need more of it in business。Memorable LinesFrom Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address: “The Interior Department is in charge of salmon while they’re in freshwater。 But the Commerce Department handles them when they’re in saltwater。” He paused。 “I hear it gets even more complicated once they’re smoked。”Hiroki Asai， head of Apple’s Creative Design Studio: “Fear is the greatest killer of creativity，” and humor is the most effective tool I’ve found for insulating cultures from fear。”“I’m struck by how laughter connects you with people。 It’s almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you’re just howling with laughter。” —John Cleese 。。。more
Kristen Lary
，
This books was suggested to me by my boss。 After reading the first few chapters I was raving that everyone in our company should read it too。 Loved the amount of nuggets within and have already started incorporating them into my leadership style！
Duke Dahl
，
Rating: 4/5 Full takeaways➡️ https://bulletpointreading。com/2021/0。。。 Rating: 4/5 Full takeaways➡️ https://bulletpointreading。com/2021/0。。。 。。。more
Ronald J。 Pauleus
，
Wow， these two do a great job sharing how powerful and helpful humor is。 We need more laughter in our lives。 “A life of purpose and meaning is a life filled with laughter and levity。”
Michael Boyd
，
Three biggest takeaways from this book:Levity is just as important as humor。 Appropriateness is more important than funniness。There are four types of humorist people， and we can and should be each of these four types， depending on what is appropriate。*Spoiler* （run-on sentence） I've always struggled in the work place with feeling like I can't be myself because I always have to worry about my type of humor， and feeling like I need to be the funny guy and that a "funny guy" is the type of person w Three biggest takeaways from this book:Levity is just as important as humor。 Appropriateness is more important than funniness。There are four types of humorist people， and we can and should be each of these four types， depending on what is appropriate。*Spoiler* （run-on sentence） I've always struggled in the work place with feeling like I can't be myself because I always have to worry about my type of humor， and feeling like I need to be the funny guy and that a "funny guy" is the type of person who is a bully who gets away with his or her bullying because， "They're just being funny。 There are different types of humor and I don't have to pigeon hold myself by being the "stand up"。 Being funny isn't the only thing that defines humor。 Having a mindset of levity is more important thatn being funny。 Also， people in the workplace oftentimes prefer an appropriately joke （timing and context） over a funny joke that is viewed as inappropriate or ill-timed。 。。。more
Jessica
，
This was such a fantastic book - so thoughtfully written， easy to read， and full of laugh-out-loud moments。 More than that， though， I found its message was so important for me。 Humour doesn't always come naturally to me - I often miss when people are joking， or fail to engage because I'm too busy trying to get things done。 My jokes would often fall flat and I'd feel nervous to jump in when I had something funny to say。I have found this book to be so impactful。 The realisation that you don't need This was such a fantastic book - so thoughtfully written， easy to read， and full of laugh-out-loud moments。 More than that， though， I found its message was so important for me。 Humour doesn't always come naturally to me - I often miss when people are joking， or fail to engage because I'm too busy trying to get things done。 My jokes would often fall flat and I'd feel nervous to jump in when I had something funny to say。I have found this book to be so impactful。 The realisation that you don't need to be funny but can just lean in to levity and live on the precipice of a smile has been a game changer for me。 Since I started reading I have laughed much more than I have in such a long time， enjoyed time with my family and friends far more than I usually would， coped with my chronic illness much better than I usually do， and had so many positive moments at work - including a meeting with a new employee where I had to give feedback on poor performance。 I cannot recommend this book enough， it is wonderful！ 。。。more
Chris Boutté
，