Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor
Encyclopedia
Isaac Asimov
's Treasury of Humor is a book of "640 joke
s, anecdotes, and limericks, complete with notes on how to tell them".
Isaac Asimov was one of the most prolific writers in the past century, known for his many science fiction
and non-fiction works. His 'guide' series is one of his scholarly contributions to the world's understanding of literature. For instance, Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare
and Asimov's Guide to the Bible
, both prominent in this series, are reliable and easily understood guides which are still used in college level courses on both subjects.
Along with these serious works, he also maintains a human quality; one which he lets run free in Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor and its sequel, Asimov Laughs Again. In these two books, he tells a broad variety of jokes—from pun
s to ethnic, from limericks to anecdote
s. The latter book, it may be noted, is replete with sexually-explicit humor, and is consequently best reserved for adult audiences.
What makes these books surpass many of their contemporaries is that he explains what is funny to the jokes, and gives tips on how to tell them. He talks about the effect of the jokes on different audiences, and the personal touches that you can add to make the joke your own.
Treasury of Humor is unique in that in addition to being a working joke book, it is a treatise on the theory of humor, propounding Asimov's theory that the essence of humor is an abrupt, jarring change in emphasis and/or point of view, moving from the crucial to the trivial, and/or from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's Treasury of Humor is a book of "640 joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s, anecdotes, and limericks, complete with notes on how to tell them".
Isaac Asimov was one of the most prolific writers in the past century, known for his many science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and non-fiction works. His 'guide' series is one of his scholarly contributions to the world's understanding of literature. For instance, Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare
Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare
Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare, by Isaac Asimov, vols I and II , ISBN 0-517-26825-6; Maps by the artist Rafael Palacios.This work gives a short guide to every Shakespeare play, and also his two epic poems...
and Asimov's Guide to the Bible
Asimov's Guide to the Bible
Asimov's Guide to the Bible is a work by Isaac Asimov that was first published in two volumes, covering the Old Testament in 1967 and the New Testament in 1969. He combined them into a single 1296-page volume in 1981...
, both prominent in this series, are reliable and easily understood guides which are still used in college level courses on both subjects.
Along with these serious works, he also maintains a human quality; one which he lets run free in Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor and its sequel, Asimov Laughs Again. In these two books, he tells a broad variety of jokes—from pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s to ethnic, from limericks to anecdote
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place...
s. The latter book, it may be noted, is replete with sexually-explicit humor, and is consequently best reserved for adult audiences.
What makes these books surpass many of their contemporaries is that he explains what is funny to the jokes, and gives tips on how to tell them. He talks about the effect of the jokes on different audiences, and the personal touches that you can add to make the joke your own.
Treasury of Humor is unique in that in addition to being a working joke book, it is a treatise on the theory of humor, propounding Asimov's theory that the essence of humor is an abrupt, jarring change in emphasis and/or point of view, moving from the crucial to the trivial, and/or from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Related work
Asimov also wrote a short story, Jokester, in which a character wonders where the jokes come from, since so many people say "I heard a good one", but never "I invented a good one". His investigation will lead him to think that jokes are of alien origin and designed to study the psychology of earthlings.Publication data
- Treasury of Humor: A Lifetime Collection of Favorite Jokes, Anecdotes, and Limericks with Copious Notes on How to Tell Them and Why
- 1971, Houghton Mifflin (hardcover), ISBN 0-395-12665-7
- 1979, Houghton Mifflin (paperback) ISBN 0-395-28412-0
- 1991, reprinted as Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor (paperback) ISBN 0-395-57226-6
- 1992, Asimov Laughs Again: More Than 700 Jokes, Limericks, and Anecdotes, Harper Paperbacks 1993 reprint (paperback) ISBN 0-06-092448-9