More Mirth of a Nation: The Best Contemporary Humor

Perfect to take along for a plane or train ride, this second collection from the Thurber House editors is full of funny stories that range from the divine (Merrill Markoe on Buddhism) to the sublimely ridiculous (Steve Martin grants himself access to himself for an interview). You can open this book up to any page and find amusement. I highly recommend keeping this book in your carry-on. A word of warning--you might get strange looks from the other passengers as you laugh out loud.

This is a terrific compendium, with a little something for everyone, no matter how high or low their brow. There are some head scratchers, to be sure, but for the most part, the contents are sheer joy. Smart but accessible--The New Yorker meets Dave Barry.

I heard some of the humorists from this book on our local NPR station, and the interviewer gave the best description: Half-kidding, he just said that editor Rosen was the Bob Hope of the USO tour, but without the golf club. And it's all humor for the page, not the stage. But since we're all feeling somewhat like weary troops these days, this kind of humor--smart, reflective, surprising, trusty--is just what's needed. Best of all, it's not humor that banks on profanity or insanity to win you over. It's a great series. I bought the 6 CD set for holiday gifts, for folks who have too much drive time and not enough laughing during the stopping and starting of rush hour. Bravo, this "loose canon of American humor." And thankfully it's not just another survey starting with Train and ending with Keillor. Lots of new talents as well.

The big, sparkly gem that catches your eye may be the recognizable names like Steve Martin, Ian Frazier, et. al., but the shining gold band that holds that gem in place are the newcomers, like Francis Heaney, Martha Keavney, and Alysia Gray Painter, for whom the editor concocted a special award called the "Discovery Prize" just to draw attention to her. Five years from now these "newcomers" will be the ones whose books you'll pre-order, so if you start liking them now (like I have) you can brag to your friends later that "you knew `em when". (If you and your friends have that kind of relationship. Which I do.)

A comedy tour-de-force by some of the funniest names in the business. Well known funny men Steve Martin and Rick Moranis are paired with brilliant and extremely intelligent writers such as Bruce McCall. The real strength of this compilation, however, rests on ithe inclusion of brilliant newcomers like Holly Smith, Tim Harrod, and Judy Grued. Read it if you dare!