hey it's Elliot and I just want to start off by saying it always amazes me when a
book can make me laugh you know like a book like one of these
boring things over here but there's like a one-of-a-kind type of laughter that
only comes from books it starts off deep in your brain your
imagination and courses through your body and finally it moats through your
mouth today I want to share with you four books that I think are quite funny
simply from my perspective so I think you might enjoy it too if you have the
same type of humor as I do if you're trying to write some plenty books as
well maybe you'll pick up some nuances from them maybe anyways let's get
started the first book I want to talk about
today is one of my favorites my custom van but Michael Ian Black
actually there's more to it it's my custom van and 50 other mind-blowing
essays that will blow your mind all over your face Michael Ian Black is
probably best known for being in his comedy trio Stella and being a member of
the ensemble cast in wet hot American summer but not many people know him as a
writer he's actually written quite a few books since and he's written some movies
as well when people talk about books that change their life they often talk
about self-help books or emotionally impactful books but this one 50 essays
that blow your mind all over your face really did it for me as a young writer
it really inspired me to write in a lot of different ways this book is a
collection of absurd essays some of them have a thesis that only a celebrity like
Michael Ian Black would know such as what I would be thinking if I was Billy
Joel driving to a party where I knew there was gonna be a piano or one called
hey David Sedaris why don't you just go ahead and suck it one of my favorite
things about this book is how Michael Ian Black plays with different genres
such as letters erotic fiction and even chapter sponsored by barks root beer all
of his completely drenched in Michael Ian Black snarky style of humor he does
a good job of just mocking the modern world at least modern 2008 while still
poking fun at himself comedy ensues there you go I hope that was a good
enough hook to get you to pick up my thing in blacks my custom van alright
next book a load of hooey but Bob Odenkirk yes it is that Bob Odenkirk
from better call Saul and Breaking Bad before he was Jimmy McGill and before he
became Saul he had a long history in comedy people don't know that now people
don't know that and it's good to see him gather all the little short stories he's
written over the years and put it into a book it's so great to see someone at the
pinnacle of stardom write a book that isn't necessarily a memoir but something
they're fans would really be able to sink their teeth into it's not about his
life it's just a load of hooey it's a collection of short stories
poetry comics and other bridge quotes from famous people such as Walt Disney
Isaac Newton and Winston Churchill the beauty of this book is Odin Kirk's
commentary on the lives of those who have achieved fame and those that strive
for it what it's like to be someone who's creating aspiring struggling and
those who are critiquing believe it or not I think all of us falls into one of
those categories which is why I think this book is so approachable but I fire
the story that stood out to me the most is the reimagining of what it would be
like that day the Beatles wrote the iconic song
blackbirds Odenkirk does such a good job making fun out of the drama within the
room between Paul McCartney who's been said to have written the song all by
himself and the rest of the band who leeches
office success please if you have a few hours to kill at an airport or if you're
nothing to do on a Sunday afternoon pick up this book instead of watching the
office again got it hey speaking of the office the next book I want to recommend
is one more thing by BJ Novak from the office it's actually called one more
thing stories and other stories one more thing is a collection of short stories
that touches on many subjects such as celebrity escapades relationships and
the complicated yet mundane decisions that we have to make in day-to-day life
Novak simply put is such a witty storyteller he does such a good job in
this book of highlighting nuances of everyday lives and reminding us that we
all have these idiosyncrasies that we're not even aware of well unlike Michael
Ian Black or Bob Odenkirk who my blowing essays to blow your mind all over face
or a load of hooey BJ Novak's writing is actually a little bit more refined I
could actually see these stories published in like The New Yorker or
something I don't know it's not necessarily better or worse it's just uh
it's just a different style my favorite piece in the story or at least the one
that really stood out to me is one called if I had a nickel in which the
narrator goes through his thought process trying to determine how long
would it take for him to be rich if every time he spills coffee on
themselves he gets a nickel the thing I love about comedy books is that although
BJ Novak is pretty funny in the office you don't get to see his full range of
humor like you would when you just see it all compact it inside a book and
that's why every comedian should read a book
there you go set it write a book the last book I want to talk about today is
sick of the head by Judd Apatow I don't know why so few people know about this
book you know Judd Apatow right he's the guy who made 40 year old virgin Freaks
and Geeks and knocked up among other movies he's kind of a comedic legend but
on top of all that he is a comedy fan first and it proves it in this book
since his very early age Judd Apatow had a crazy fascination with comedy and
comedy royalty one time he was traveling with his grandmother and they drove by
Steve Martin's house and saw Steve Martin mowing his lawn or washing his
car or doing something Judge got out of car to ask for his autograph Steve
Martin of course the clients saying that hey if I give you an autograph I'll have
to give everybody an autograph which ultimately really upset the young try to
half the town so he went home and just poured this heart out into a letter
writing I'm your number one fan I own all your CDs why couldn't you just give
me an autograph in the end Martin wrote back saying hey kid sorry I didn't know
that I was speaking with the Judd Apatow I love that story because of how
everything ended up turning out for Judd Apatow everything turned out great and
as he got older you could tell because of this book that his fascination with
his peers and his idols never wavered this book includes interviews with Jerry
Seinfeld Chris Rock Jon Stewart Ben Stiller Jim Carrey Jimmy found Stephen
Colbert if you have any interest in the Golden Age of comedy which i think is
like maybe 10 15 years ago but during the side I would I would check out sick
in the head but Judd Apatow there you have it those are the four
funny books that I want to recommend to you today I think if you read it and you
find it enjoyable I think we could be really good friends if you have any
funny books that you really enjoyed that you want to recommend leave it down in
the comments I would love to check them out
once again I'm Elliot Chan thank you for watching I'll see you guys in the next
video bye now
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