I'm a Joke and So Are You
Reflections on Humour and Humanity
Published on 4. October 2018
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-78649-258-6 (ISBN)
Description
Evening Standard's the Best Comedy Books of the Year, 2018
Skinny's Book of the Year, 2018
'Joyfully entertaining. Full of warmth, wisdom and affectionate delight in the wonder and absurdity of being human.' Observer
'Funny, honest and heart-warming.' Matt Haig
What better way to understand ourselves than through the eyes of comedians - those who professionally examine our quirks on stage daily? In this touching and witty book, award-winning presenter and comic Robin Ince uses the life of the stand-up as a way of exploring some of the biggest questions we all face. Where does anxiety come from? How do we overcome imposter syndrome? What is the key to creativity? How can we deal with grief?
Informed by personal insights from Robin as well as interviews with some of the world's top comedians, neuroscientists and psychologists, this is a hilarious and often moving primer to the mind. But it is also a powerful call to embrace the full breadth of our inner experience - no matter how strange we worry it may be!
Skinny's Book of the Year, 2018
'Joyfully entertaining. Full of warmth, wisdom and affectionate delight in the wonder and absurdity of being human.' Observer
'Funny, honest and heart-warming.' Matt Haig
What better way to understand ourselves than through the eyes of comedians - those who professionally examine our quirks on stage daily? In this touching and witty book, award-winning presenter and comic Robin Ince uses the life of the stand-up as a way of exploring some of the biggest questions we all face. Where does anxiety come from? How do we overcome imposter syndrome? What is the key to creativity? How can we deal with grief?
Informed by personal insights from Robin as well as interviews with some of the world's top comedians, neuroscientists and psychologists, this is a hilarious and often moving primer to the mind. But it is also a powerful call to embrace the full breadth of our inner experience - no matter how strange we worry it may be!
Reviews / Votes
Joyfully entertaining... full of warmth, wisdom and affectionate delight in the wonder and absurdity of being human. * The Observer * Accessible [and] intriguing... a smart, laugh-out-loud book. * Evening Standard * Funny, honest and heart-warming. * Matt Haig - author of Reasons to Stay Alive * Clever, witty and wise. It's very revealing about the psychology of comedians - and the rest of us. * Claudia Hammond - presenter of BBC Radio 4's All in the Mind * Clever, funny, kind and interesting - just like Robin. * Sara Pascoe, comedian and author of Animal * Deceptively deep. Invaluable and inspiring. * Stewart Lee, comedian and author of How I Escaped My Certain Fate * Charming, funny, throbbingly intelligent... A memorable, joyful, gorgeous read -- Deborah Frances-White * Observer * Moving, funny and interesting! Robin leads us on a fascinating journey through our often quirky minds. * Jo Brand, comedian * Profound, compassionate, eye-wateringly funny and immensely human. Robin investigates the big questions of the human condition with the razor-sharp insights and sensibilities of one of our very best stand-up comedians. * Alan Moore, writer of V for Vendetta * One of the UK's most accomplished, versatile comedians. * Guardian * Moving and insightful... This wide-ranging and well-researched book hides its deceptive depth in an easy to read, witty and conversational style. * Irish Times * Fascinating... One of the best books ever written about what it means to be a comedian... it's certainly a must-read for anyone interested in the workings of comedy and comedians, but probably for anyone interested in the workings of human beings in general. * Chortle * Insightful, informed, touching and funny in equal measure. * Richard Wiseman, Professor of Psychology * Parts of the book are hilarious, parts of it heartbreaking... Easy to devour, and a real pleasure to read. * Chemistry World * For a comedy book, Robin Ince's I'm a Joke and So Are You doesn't ask the usual question - 'What is wrong with comedians?' - but instead shows the quirks and weird thoughts we all fear are unique to ourselves are not as strange as we think. It's a book about the human mind and one that leaves you feeling a lot less alone in yours. * The Skinny, Book of the Year 2018 * In addition to being royally entertained I was also educated... * The Psychologist *More details
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
558 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78649-258-6 (9781786492586)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2018
Atlantic Books
€8.49
Available for download
Persons
Robin Ince is co-presenter of the award-winning BBC Radio 4 show, The Infinite Monkey Cage. He has won the Time Out Outstanding Achievement in Comedy, was nominated for a British Comedy Award for Best Live show, and has won three Chortle Awards. He has toured his stand up across the world from Oslo to LA to Sydney, both solo and with his radio double act partner, Professor Brian Cox. He is the radio critic for the Big Issue and writes a monthly column about science for Focus Magazine. He appears regularly on both television and radio. He has two top-ten iTunes podcast series to his name.
Content
Introduction: Shouting at Strangers for Money 1: Tell Me About Your Childhood 2: The Brain, Hardware and Chemistry 3: Talking About Myself Behind My Back 4: Daydreaming for a Purpose 5: Is There a Real You? 6: Getting to Know Your Inner Fraud 7: Anxiety and the 'Imp of the Mind' 8: Morals and Temptations 9: Death, Where Is Thy Punchline?