Parodies Books - Page 4

Comedy Writing Secrets

Melvin Helitzer

List Price: $16.99 By: Writer's Digest Books Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $7.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> History & Criticism -> General AAS
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Instructional & How-To -> General
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Parodies

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

You'll love it!... if you're 67 1 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

The reason there are no good books on comedy is because it is an inherently impossible field to "break down" and "explain." These guys do an okay job of relaying the history of comedy, but they do nothing to actually explain anything.

Besides that fundamental flaw, these guys are simply too old and the book reads like my grandfather's "1001 Polish Jokes." This advice would have been pretty helpful is honing your standup routine for Ed Sullivan but in 2007 it just seems pathetic and lame.

I couldn't even finish this! 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Perhaps this reveiw is a little unfair to the author. After all, I didn't actually get to finishing the book, but I've gone as far as I ever want to go with it.

I admit, this wasn't what I thought I was getting myself into when I first read the book; I wanted a book about how to write with an element of comedy, and what I got was a book about how to write comedy. Nonetheless, I figured that I needed a little more humor in my life, so I decided to start reading this...

...Three chapters later, I put it down.

Let's face it, if you're trying to teach people how to be funny, you need to actually be funny first. There is no humor in this book; not altogether bad, except that there sure are a lot of failed attempts at humor. That alone makes me question the effectiveness of the author in communicating these ideas, or at least his writing ability (which, I believe, is the main problem with this book).

In addition, there are a bunch of exercises which you're supposed to be doing along the way to help yourself learn these techniques. OK, good idea, but bad execution. One good example is the one on increasing the ideas you get when you look at something. You are then instructed to think of as many funny uses for a bar stool seat as you can. Me, I thought of none. The author came up with Elephant Slippers. Ha...ha...ha...?

Was that supposed to be funny? I certainly hope not.

But lets focus on what's really important here: does this book teach me to be funny? The plain and simple answer is that it might. It's just so downright unreadable that I'll never find out.

Editorial Review:

A comprehensive (and fundamental) guide to writing, selling and performing all types of comedy, including comments, advice, gags and routines from dozens of top comics.

Porn for New Moms: From the Cambridge Women's Pornography Cooperative

Cambridge Women's Pornography Cooperative

Amazon Price: $11.65 List Price: $12.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books Amazon Marketplace: 59 new & used starting at $4.59

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Parenting & Families
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Parodies
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Satire

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

GREAT! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a cute and fun book that any new mom will enjoy. As a new grandma, I appreciated this little gem and recommend it highly. It's a great book that provides excellent suggestions for new dads!

A must-buy!! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Seriously, I'm going to stock up on this book to give to any friends of mine that are new moms! HYSTERICAL and TRUE!!!

Funniest thing since... 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought one copy for myself and several copies to give as gifts at baby showers. This book is so funny, I don't know when something made me laugh this hard. I can't wait to share it with all of my fellow mom friends.

Great New Mom's Present 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is hilarious. I laughed out loud several times and shared it with at least three other people. I bought it because I am a new mom and I relate to it. I read it, laughed, and now I am going to give it as a gift for a pregnant friend. Yes it's as funny as it looks.

fantastic 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is hilarious. I can't imagine any mother not appreciating the humor. I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!

The Pop-Up Book of Phobias

Gary Greenberg

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperEntertainment Amazon Marketplace: 64 new & used starting at $5.71

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Parodies
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> General
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Cool, but has its flaws 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book is really cool. That's the best way to describe it, I think. The images are clear and the pop-ups are fairly intricate. I really enjoyed the interpretations of the phobias.

I did not like the quality of the construction of the book, however. The brand new copy I purchased began to fall apart during the first reading. The binding is not very good and the cleverly done pop-ups simply won't hold up with any sort of regular use. I was also disappointed that the book was so short.

In the end, the book was nifty and makes a good gift. Just don't expect it to last.

Editorial Review:

Fear of heights, fear of spiders, fear of flying, fear of death--everyone is afraid of something. And these pop-ups place you in the hot seat--whether it's the dentist's chair as the drill comes spinning toward you; looking over the edge of a skyscraper whose sheer face plummets thousands of feet to the sidewalk far below; or the window seat of a plane as the oxygen mask deploys, your drink spills, and the horizon line shifts to an angle that is suddenly, terribly wrong . . .

Brought to life by outrageously macabre artwork and startlingly innovative pop-ups, The Pop-up Book of Phobias is an engineering marvel and cult classic in the making--an offbeat holiday treasure sure to become this season's most talked-about gift book.

The Pirate Primer: Mastering the Language of Swashbucklers & Rogues

George Choundas

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Writers Digest Books Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $10.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Parodies
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Satire
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Pirate Primer is the first and only comprehensive guide to the world of pirate language. A complete course in pirate vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and syntax.

This is the authoritative work on the subject, containing every distinctive term, phrase, usage, and speech structure uttered by or attributed to pirates in film, television, literature, and historical accounts over the last three centuries. Every entry in the Primer is accompanied by an illustrative historical example of pirate speech, allowing you to see the contents of the Primer deployed in context by actual pirates. Discover over 100 pages of pirate threats, curses, insults and epithets; 31 types of pirate drink; 60 different pirate terms for "woman"; 67 kinds of pirate torture; 44 definitions of "Arrgh"; and more.

The Pirate Primer is perfect for pirate enthusiasts, fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, people interested in pop culture, language aficionados, history buffs, and anyone who fancies themselves a modern-day corsair.

*September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day (a holiday invented in 1995 by John Baur and Mark Summers and later promoted by comedian Dave Barry)--fans of the holiday are sure to love this book

Our Dumb Century: The Onion Presents 100 Years of Headlines from America's Finest News Source

The Onion, Scott Dikkers, Mike Loew

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Three Rivers Press Amazon Marketplace: 162 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Parodies
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Political
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Satire

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 209 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Tiny little book, fairly large price 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Smaller than a 3X5 card, it has a big book price. Hardbound, it'll last a while. History of the last 100 years. Cute gift idea. Decent read. Nothing extra special about it. Kind of gimmicky.

The Best of The Onion Books 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I've read several of The Onion's books, and this one stands out as the funniest. A few of my favorite headlines: "Kennedy Slain by CIA, Mafia, Castro, LBJ, Teamsters, Freemasons,"; "Stalin Announces Five-Year 'Everybody Dies' Plan"; and "World's Largest Metaphor Hits Ice-Berg". Hopefully we can all learn something from The Onion's version of history, or we'll be condemned to repeat it!

Editorial Review:

The Onion has quickly become the world's most popular humor publication, misinforming half a million readers a week with one-of-a-kind social satire both in print (on newsstands nationwide) and online from its remote office in Madison, Wisconsin.

Witness the march of history as Editor-in-Chief Scott Dikkers and The Onion's award-winning writing staff present the twentieth century like you've never seen it before.

Mental Floss presents In the Beginning: From Big Hair to the Big Bang, mental_floss presents a Mouthwatering Guide to the Origins of Everything

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Collins Amazon Marketplace: 72 new & used starting at $2.55

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Parodies
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> General
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

More fun and interesting facts from "Mental Floss" 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

"Mental Floss" has done it again- provided a book of fascinating trivia written with their witty and often laugh-out-loud trademark humor. The topic this time is beginnings- or the history and origins of many different things. The entries are divided into chapters, which are as follows: Arts and Literature; Bad Stuff (epidemics, evil creatures, karaoke); Fashion and Beauty; Food and Drink; Fun and Games; Government, Law and Money; Pop Culture; Romance; Science and Medicine; Spinning the Globe (culture and places); Traditions; and Useful Stuff (inventions). Each entry is about one page long. Some of my favorites were the histories of dogs, cats, and guinea pigs (which surprised me) and Aerobics (no, it didn't start with Jane Fonda).
A must have for the trivia lover or fan of other "Mental Floss" publications.

Editorial Review:

Sure, you know all about the birds and bees. But did Dad ever tell you that it wasn't a stork that put that shiny can opener in your kitchen drawer? Or paperclips started out as proud, Nazi-fighting warriors? And did he tell you how cruise control was originally conceived by a blind genius? From mullets to Silly Putty, lie detectors to karaoke, we've got the true stories behind everything you didn't think had stories. Because if you're looking for answers, In the Beginning is the place to start.

Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide

Hiroko Yoda, Matt Alt

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Kodansha International Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $8.18

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Parodies
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Satire
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 52 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Yokai are Japan's traditional creepy-crawlies. Almost always encountered in the dark of night, they were once feared throughout the land. But they're more than just myth, more provocative than pop culture--references to yokai abound in Japanese idioms, and nearly every Japanese person has at least a passing knowledge of the most famous of these captivating creatures from times of old. Now, after collecting data and descriptions from a variety of sources, including first-hand accounts and microfilms of 18th-century publications stored in the National Diet Library in Tokyo, authors Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt have produced the first English-language guide to Japans yokai monsters. Original illustrations, created by the talented Tatsuya Morino, detail the potential visible appearance of each yokai. And alongside each and every one are data points allowing you to take in each yokai's characteristics at a glance.
Forget Godzilla. Forget the giant beasties karate-chopped into oblivion by endless incarnations of Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and the Power Rangers. Forget the Pocket Monsters. Forget Sadako from The Ring and that creepy all-white kid from The Grudge. Forget everything you know about Japanese tales of terror. Their roots may extend back to days of yore, but Yokai Attack! will convince any reader that Japan's bewitching tradition of yokai monsters is far from being history.

How to Raise a Jewish Dog

Rabbis of Boca Raton Theological Seminary

Amazon Price: $10.39 List Price: $12.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Little, Brown and Company Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $5.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Cats, Dogs & Animals
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Parodies
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Satire

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Questions to Ask a Breeder: 1. What kind of job is this, growing dogs? 2. Are these dogs nice? I mean of course they are. But if not, is this refundable? 3. Is this a stable business? Do you make a decent living? 4. Does the insurance kill you or is it okay? 5. Dogs are animals ? does this mean you qualify for some kind of Federal ranch subsidies? 6. What do I say to people who want to know how I can spend $1500 and up on a dog when there are so many dogs to be rescued from the pound?


The (make-believe) Rabbis of the (fictional) Boca Raton Theological Seminary have developed the essential dog training program for raising a Jewish dog. For the first time, the same dynamic blend of passive-aggressiveness and smothering indulgence, that unique alloy of infantilization and disingenuous manipulation that created generations of high-achieving Jewish boys and girls, can be applied to create a generation of high-achieving Jewish doggies. Written (for real) by Ellis Weiner and Barbara Davilman, co-authors of the bestselling Yiddish with Dick and Jane and Yiddish with George and Laura, this essential "guide" is sure to be a complete howl.