Google “humor resources” and you will be besieged with a barrage of books, tapes, links and the like. In this post, I will only talk about four books that have helped me refine my way of using humor.All the books do not merely list quips and quotes but provide extremely useful and practical tips on how to use them with relevance.
Podium Humor by James Humes
James Humes, author and speechwriter to five American Presidents has extensive chapters on how to weave humor into the subject and provides ample anecdotes with a footnote about the context and how to link it with the subject.
The Light Touch by Malcolm Kushner.
This book is a godsend for speakers who wish to use humor in business. His website www.museumofhumor.com has many links to resources on humor. I found many links broken but the ones that work are worth the browse.
A Funny thing happened on the way to the Podium… by Herbert V Prochnow.
I suggest you grab any book authored by Prochnow. Epigrams,anecodtes,one-liners,categorised huomor… it’s a humor omnibus !
Mitch Murray’s book devoted to one-liners, emcee lines,comeback lines, roasts, daft definitions …. phew ! this is one ready reckoner for an emcee !
If you want a comprehensive listing of various types of humor and a long list of resources, make sure to read an excellent article by Anthony Audrieth on “The Art of using Humor in Public Speaking”
These books have helped me approach humor in a structured way. I hope some of you will the info useful and help spread cheer around.
