On Jokes (or, why everything you know about comedy is wrong)
The Hidden Mechanics of Funny
$29.75
- Paperback
384 pages
- Release Date
20 October 2026
Summary
The Big Bang
Natural Selection
E = mc2
All pretty decent theories, that beg one question: why has no-one discovered a fully unified theory for what makes jokes funny?
Well, comedy director Amanda Baker, comedy writer Abi Grant and stand-up comedian Jimmy Carr have done just that. In this book, in case that’s not obvious. From how to identify the families of jokes, to decoding the building blocks of comedy, to t…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781529454239 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1529454239 |
| Author: | Jimmy Carr, Amanda Baker, Abi Grant |
| Publisher: | Quercus Publishing |
| Imprint: | Quercus Publishing |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 384 |
| Release Date: | 20 October 2026 |
| Dimensions: | 153mm x 234mm |
You Can Find This Book In
Jimmy Carr
Jimmy Carr (Author)
Jimmy Carr is an award-winning comedian, television host, and writer.
One of the biggest-selling comedy acts in the world, Jimmy consistently performs stand-up to sell-out crowds in over forty countries. Before moving to streaming, Jimmy was one of the bestselling acts in the comedy DVD market, selling over 2 million copies. His last tour, ‘Best of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits’, sold over half a million tickets globally, and his current show, ‘Terribly Funny’, is on track to exceed that figure.
Jimmy is a household name in UK television, well-known for hosting Channel 4’s 8 Out Of 10 Cats, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and Big Fat Quiz Of The Year. He has also presented Comedy Central’s Roast Battle UK and Your Face Or Mine, is a regular on panel shows like QI and A League Of Their Own, has performed as part of The Royal Variety Performance three times, and was a judge on BBC1’s I Can See Your Voice. Jimmy’s hair has even appeared in The LEGO Movie (2014) and The LEGO Movie 2 (2019).
He was the first UK comedian to sign a stand-up deal with Netflix in 2015, releasing two specials on the platform: Funny Business (2016) and Best Of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits (2018).
Before & Laughter is his first autobiography.
Amanda Baker (Author)
Amanda Baker has been working in the comedy industry for over 20 years, performing, writing, script editing, and directing over a hundred shows. She has worked with comedians globally, helping them achieve results and awards, developing their skills to an international level.
Abi Grant (Author)
Abi Grant sold her first joke at 18 and went on to write for dozens of UK sketch shows. She spent nine years writing for The Telegraph, wrote the book for a West End musical (receiving an Olivier nomination), and was head writer at Thomas the Tank Engine (receiving a BAFTA nomination). Abi also spent five years as a producer at the BBC’s World Service.
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