Book Description
Updated and revised, this new edition of the best-selling favorite enables readers to master the fundamentals of humor writing and better understand the demands of the comedic market. Comedy Writing Secrets now includes:
-Examples from comedy greats as well as cutting-edge contemporary comedians, including Jon Stewart, Chris Rock, and Tina Fey
-A complete spectrum of techniques, from writing one-liners and stand-up routines, to finding a market for one's work
-Step-by-step writing exercises accompanied with sample answers, so readers can practice and hone their skills
With this guide, aspiring comics can learn how to sharpen their comedic talent and turn it into a well-paying pursuit.
Customer Reviews:
You'll love it!... if you're 67.......2007-09-21
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.
Dated, but useful.......2007-09-13
If you can get this book cheap, then I would recommend it simply for the fundamentals. However, it is a painful book to read; it is very old (1987) and, ahem, in some ways politically incorrect (but then again, everyone is so damn sensitive these days). I first read this book in 1989 - and it was useful. I picked it up again this year (2007) and realized two great lessons: 1) That some forms of comedy are classic and will always work. 2) That times change and humor does as well ... what might have worked for you two years ago may need to be reworked and changed around.
Well done!!!.......2007-07-26
This is a good book for anyone who wants to learn methods and concepts on comedy writing, or even how to construct material/jokes for their own personal life. This book is aimed toward people going into stand-up or comedy writing, but it is also very useful for people who just want to broaden their sense of humor. This book is broken down into different concepts and joke types, and each joke type is explained on how it is constructed. This book also has exercises on how to observe things differently, particularly how to "find the funny" in everyday things, and to take these observations and turn them into tools for laughter. I recommend this book to anyone entering the field of comedy, and also to people who would just like to expand their sense of humor. There are also some very good jokes inside! Very enjoyable read!
What other comedy books don't tell you.......2007-07-13
And it's not because they are withholding the information either!
Breaking down comedy into a scientific method is not an easy process. PLUS, there's a lot more to it than just understanding the core structure of comedy. With that being said, I think you'll find a lot of gems in this book that will make you funnier in your every day life.
Not just for writing comedy, this book will help you be funnier in general in your interactions with your friends and co-workers.
A lot of it deal with content. As this book was written for Comedy WRITING, it was written in mind that you cannot use your personality, way of acting as a shtick. So it relies heavily on the CONTENT... it's very potent, because communication is said to be over 90% body language.
If this is true, and you learn (and you can) to be funny with the remaining 10%, IMAGINE... how funny you could be if you started working on your general ating shticks and personas.
I've used this book to see how I could use it in my every day to be more interesting in general I think it will serve you well if that's what you're looking for.
VERY HELPFUL FOR ACTORS.......2007-03-09
THIS IS A GREAT BOOK OVERALL. AS AN ACTOR I HAVE FOUND THE TECHNIQUES HELPFUL FOR MY ACTING AND SCREENWRITING AS WELL. YOU REALLY NEED TO BE PATIENT WITH THIS BOOK AS IT IS LONG-WINDED AT TIMES. IT'S QUITE THROUGH THOUGH AND DOING THE LITTLE HOMEWORK EXERCISES IS IMPORTANT. THE FUDAMENTAL CONCEPTS ARE HERE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES, IF THERE WILL BE ON.
JAY MADHAV, HOLLYWOOD
Book Description
The comic book that teaches you how to read and write Japanese! This brand-new series from Manga University uses original comic artwork to teach readers how to identify and write the most common Japanese kanji ideographs. Volume 1 introduces 80 basic kanji that all Japanese schoolchildren are required to learn before entering the third grade. Subsequent volumes in the series will focus on more difficult kanji and kanji compounds. Each page features its own comic strip, kanji pronunciation guide, stroke order, and English explanations.
Customer Reviews:
Kanji de Manga.......2007-04-02
I own the first three volumes of kanji de manga and I also own kana de manga, and I do think they are useful. They allow for quick learning and show stroke order in detail for everyone of the characters. The problem is that they do not give enough information, like how use verbs in sentences when they have been conjugated. Also, they are not very good for people who aren't very fluent in the language because of the Japanese used in the examples. I do appreciate that all of it is in Hiragana and Katakana, which provides good practice, but would pose a problem for people who do not now kana. This is good book for people who are interesting in Japanese, but I would not recommend it for people who intend on becoming fluent in the language, not to mention as of now there is only 4 volumes, and a fifth one on the way. I would suggest going for the White Rabbit or Tuttle flash cards.
Good books, but weird organization of the volumes.......2007-01-20
While I do like these books, and I have found them to be useful in my and my families learning of kanji, they are organized in a completely non-sensical way. At the back of each book, they proclaim that they are useful in studying for the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficieny Test) exams. They are useful.. just not comprehensive.
For example, Volume 1, which has 80 kanji in it to learn, (despite what the paragraph at the back of the book says) is NOT the full list of kanji you would need to learn to pass the first level exam (JLPT4). The JLPT4 test requires 103 kanji at the current time, as well as like 700 vocab words, and basic grammar and listening skills. If you were to just study this book, and nothing else, you would surely fail.
At first I thought maybe the authors had just made an error and meant to say that the books were organized loosely based on the elementary school grade level. However, this is also not true. An example of this is ±(oj"hana") which is a grade level 1 kanji taught to first graders, but is in fact in Volume 2.
The only other glaring problem I've found with these books is the lack of any sort of English definition lookup or table of contents. While you can look the kanji up if you know the spelling in kana, being able to look it up in English would've been really nice. However, the books are cheap and fun and pretty easy to use.
Quite Useful.......2006-11-03
A good workbook for learning Kanji. It shows each character, what it means, and how to draw it. I wish it would have the meaning of each character written in Romagi as well, I found myself adding that myself, but that's not a big deal. My only serious complaint is regarding the last half of the book which is for practicing drawing the characters. There is no suggestion as to how this section should be used. A character or two to copy from on each page would have helped tremendously. As it is there isn't even a single line suggesting how to use the section effectively, just 50 pages of graph paper. You can flip back and fourth between the page in the front displaying the character you want to learn and the back where you try to draw it, but this is extremely awkward. Especially for someone who is left handed such as myself. I ended up practicing each character on the page describing it.
Recommended Book for those who already know their Hiragana and Katakana........2006-07-13
This isn't the best book for those who are total beginners. Of course, you learn 80 kanji and 160 combination kanji, but it's hard for beginners to read the manga inputs because it contains each one drawn out scene that contains the newly learned kanji. But, in there... it's written in hiragana and katakana along with the kanji. Of course, there's an english translation. But, it's written at teh buttom of teh page and doesn't pacifiy each hiragana and katakana combination's meaning.
Though, if you know your katakana and hiragana already it's fun to write out what everything says and figure out the english meaning later, or maybe you already know it. So, it's also good to work around with if you're not a complete beginner.
Kanji De Manga is good to follow for those who are determinded to learn kanji, you can practice your kanji and make little flash cards. (like I did.. and it's REALLY helpful for memorization and in my opnion, quite fun.)
And for those who don't know their hiragana nor katakana I only knows 1 or the other, I suggest "Kana de Manga", it's a REALLY good book to learn your hiragana and katakana, along with their meanings. Which is good for future translating. I'm still only a begginer myself. ^^; But this helps me get ever so much closer.
Have fun.
<3
Kanji de Manga .......2005-12-28
Kanji de Manga is a good book because it has 80 kanji - enough to pass level 4 of the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficency Test)even though on cover it says that it teaches you to read and write, it's best used with another book on pronunciation.
Book Description
At last. A how-to book by someone who actually knows how to. -- Larry Gelbart
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent Learning Tool.......2007-06-02
This book is a bit of a contradiction, insofar as it is very entertaining reading, yet you learn a great deal almost by accident. I also intuitively feel I'd like the author; whether as an instructor or just a nice guy to share a cold beer with. If you are interested in how to make humor "click," this is the place to look. Highly recommended.
Who, me?!.......2005-08-23
So someone once asked me, "Pamela, do you write comedy?". "Not on purpose", I replied.
But now, with the help of a really funny guy who wrote a really helpful book, I can make a good go at it.
Like Brad Schreiber himself, this book is intelligent, witty, accessible, inspiring, and fun.
It offers overviews of various forms of humor, theories of humor, examples of humor, excerpts from humorists, practical advice on writing funny, and even provocative exercises that guarantee at least a giggle, most often a guffaw.
As a story consultant myself, I recommend Brad's book to my writing clients.
As a reader, I recommend Brad's book to anyone -- writer, speaker, performer -- who wants to lighten their life and the presentation of their message with humor.
Over 70 excerpts from top screenwriters .......2005-02-10
Produce winning comedic screenplays using fiction and nonfiction alike with Brad Schreiber's What Are You Laughing At?: How To Write Funny Screenplays, Stories, & More. Included are over 70 excerpts from top screenwriters and pairing them with writing exercises and details on the differences between writing comedy for TV versus stage. There are eleven modes of comedic dialogue, 13 common problems screenwriters encounter and valuable insights into the rhythm and sound of words in What Are You Laughing At? Brad is himself a L.A. screenwriter, so his tips come from an insider's hand.
an example of what it teaches.......2004-06-11
This book is funny -- even if you don't feel like learning anything from it, you'll laugh. Writers will recognize themselves in the examples for sure. I like that the book is about *writing funny* as opposed to writing screenplays or columns or novels or [insert genre here]. Schreiber breaks down the principles of humor writing and gives you guidance on applying them to any type of project.
Brad Schreiber: WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?.......2004-04-09
This is a wry, dry, witty and comprehensive piece of work which is excellent reading in itself as well as being essential for the aspiring writer. Schreiber draws on his experience as TV development executive, teacher, script consultant and actor to hand on a wealth of useful information on everything from Aphorisms to Yiddish Sound Theory and from the Author's Voice to Vulgarity - and for the really keen student there are 'Do This Now' exercises at the end of every section. This is a high quality publication by Michael Wise Productions. It has a useful index and an excellent introduction by Christopher Vogler. I enoyed it hugely.
Average customer rating:
- How to Write Funny ... it's good, and funny
- Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke, Tom Bodett, & Roy Blunt, Jr? Could it NOT be funny?
- Offers A Variety Of Viewpoints From Successful Writers
- Many Peoples' Takes On Humor Writing
- repetitive
|
How to Write Funny: Add Humor to Every Kind of Writing
Manufacturer: Writer's Digest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Parodies
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
General
| Writing
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Writing Skills
| Writing
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Reference Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
What are You Laughing at?: How to Write Funny Screenplays, Stories, and More
-
The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even If You're Not
-
The Comedy Bible: From Stand-up to Sitcom--The Comedy Writer's Ultimate "How To" Guide
-
Comedy Writing Secrets, 2nd Edition: The Best-Selling Book on How to Think Funny, Write Funny, Act Funny, And Get Paid For It
-
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Comedy Writing (The Complete Idiot's Guide)
ASIN: 1582970548 |
Amazon.com
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog," says E. B. White. "Few people are interested and the frog dies of it." White might have reconsidered, had he had access to How to Write Funny. In the book, 28 humorists discuss the business of writing funny. David Bouchier likens humor to sex; James Finn Garner says it's "mainly channeled aggression"; and Sherman Alexie claims that "jokes are poetry." The authors here--they include Melissa Banks, Dave Barry, Roy Blount Jr., and Bill Bryson--are less likely to teach humor than to help you find your inner humorist. A very satisfying book, touching on writers that take chances, poke fun at themselves, and draw our attention to the absurdities that we all take for granted. By the way, editor John B. Kachuba wants you to read his book whether you need it or not. As he says, "I could use the money." --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
Combining classic and original articles with ten full-length interviews from famous (and very funny!) authors, including Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke, Jennifer Crusie, Tom Bodett, Bill Bryson, Joe R. Landsdale, Roy Blount and others, How to Write Funny teaches writers how to sharpen their sense of humor in their writing. Readers will discover how to add humor to any kind of writing from short stories and novels to columns and memoirs and create humorous characters, and dialogue.
* A humor writing workshop that teaches writers how to add humor to their work without turning it into a comedy
* The light, humorous tone makes the book both an effective teaching tool and great read
* Includes insider viewpoints from famous writers
Customer Reviews:
How to Write Funny ... it's good, and funny.......2007-09-05
The book is a collection of opinions about humorous writing by several well published humor authors. It's good reading, and darned interesting (my favorite was a transcript of a discussion of comedic writing, by 5 authors).
The funniest part of the book is the contrast. One writer will give advice saying, "I don't read other humor authors works," while another will say to read everything you can get your hands on. There's a LOT of contradicting ideas in each chapter, which actually tells you a lot.
Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke, Tom Bodett, & Roy Blunt, Jr? Could it NOT be funny? .......2007-03-19
Well, sadly the answer is "yes."
For a "how to" guide, there was very little "how to." For a humor book, there was very little "funny." Still, it was interesting to get a glimpse into the minds of some of my favorite humorists (especially those mentioned above in the subject).
The book is a collection of essays by various writers and humorists discussing techniques for writing humorous fiction. There are some basic principles of good writing (story & character development) and the individual essays and interviews are interesting. The only disappointment is that because they are general essays developed by various authors, there's a good deal of repetition, as well as contradiction.
I think this book would have tremendous as a "panel discussion." The humorists I named are quick on their feet, and would have played off each others' ideas to build a much more cohesive (and entertaining) book... of course, most of us would have wanted the DVD or at least the CD.
Some of the comic principles or techniques discussed in the book are: surprise, incongruity, exaggeration & understatement, word play, parody, and visuals.
Offers A Variety Of Viewpoints From Successful Writers.......2007-01-01
Am really enjoying this book. Every chapter is written by or about a different author and their individual perspectives really come through. The writing and editing are top-notch, whether reading straight from the beginning or jumping around to different chapters. One of my favorites is an interview with Sherman Alexie, a Native American humorist. It's wonderful to discover that someone so uniquely funny can influence my own aspirations. Of course with all the writers come different opinions as to what's important in humor writing. (If they didn't, now that'd be funny.) For me, that means I'm getting the big picture, insightful tips, and a great read rather than the usual "There's Only One Correct Way" stuff. I have dog-eared about 1/3 of the pages and yellow highlighted (if that's a word) much of the rest. It is not a Step 1-2-3 sort of book, so if you're looking for that, save this book for later. But if you want a broad perspective from successful writers, consider this book.
Many Peoples' Takes On Humor Writing.......2006-11-20
The negative review earlier about how many of the authors sound like one another is correct but misleading.
To me, though most of the commentary is similar, that's because they are shared impressions of comic writers, rather than an indication that this is a poor selection.
As proof of the variety, just think: in addition to Barry and Bryson, you also get writers of comedic fantasy, children's books, romance, a Hawaiian-Asian ethnic humorist, newspaper writers and so on. You even have the guy who wrote a "comedic" story about a man who chopped up his mother and put her in the fridge (not ever going to be on my reading list).
The biggest reason to read the book is that variety of voices, which contrasts strongly with the usual book on comic writing: I'm a comedian, here's my take. If eighteen different writers say "comic fiction writers get no respect", "teaching humor is impossible", and "family history is important to my work", I'm inclined to think they're probably truisms of the field.
repetitive.......2005-10-04
Instead of "every kind of writing," the subtitle should say "fiction and personal narrative." Some of the big names have interesting things to say, but this book is mostly little-known short story writers telling you that Mark Twain is great, people in their families were great story tellers, well-developed characters in stories are important, read a lot, humor writing doesn't get the respect it deserves, and then again, Mark Twain is great. And, that you can't have great humor writing without great writing, but there's plenty of mediocre writing in this book, like too many cutesy parenthetical asides.
There are some interesting points here and there, but the price of a used copy will be more in line with the book's value.
Book Description
Professors and students seem to come from different planets (or candy bars). Barriers frequently exist that impede their communication, such as age, income and cholesterol level.
Humor can break down these barriers so that professors can better connect with their students and other audiences. It can be used as a teaching tool to facilitate learning. Ron Berk describes and illustrates a wide variety of techniques that can be integrated systematically into instruction and professional presentations. For professors who consider themselves as "jocularly arthritic", this book moreover provides a special feature: it is close-captioned for the humor impaired.
Berk's techniques are "the product of ten years of inadequate development, testing and research." But why take the author's words at their face value? Consider the testimonials of those who have actually attempted these methods in their own classes and presentations:
'Before I tried Ron's methods in my philosophy class, I had an attendance problem. Now, no one comes to class.' -- H.I., Slot Machine U., Nevada
'Applying humor to my engineering courses led me to understand the meaning of humiliation and rejection.' -- J.K., Toyota College, Kentucky
Customer Reviews:
Solved All My Problems.......2004-11-20
Dr. Berk generates a great perspective for working with college students. I recommend this book for more experienced, tenured professors whose style may need refreshment. Great suggestions on dealing with the usual classroom events such as too hot, too cold, no power, I applied a number of his suggestions and the students and I had much more fun. An unexpected benefit is that now I have a different job, too.
So, if you want to find yourself enjoying teaching more, and possibly even getting a new job, carefully read and apply.
Book Description
Manga University uses original comic artwork to teach readers how to identify and write the most common Japanese kanji ideographs. The third volume in the series features 80 kanji that students in Japan learn by the time they have completed the sixth grade.
Customer Reviews:
Good books, but weird organization of the volumes.......2007-01-20
While I do like these books, and I have found them to be useful in my and my families learning of kanji, they are organized in a completely non-sensical way. At the back of each book, they proclaim that they are useful in studying for the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficieny Test) exams. They are useful.. just not comprehensive.
For example, Volume 1, which has 80 kanji in it to learn, (despite what the paragraph at the back of the book says) is NOT the full list of kanji you would need to learn to pass the first level exam (JLPT4). The JLPT4 test requires 103 kanji at the current time, as well as like 700 vocab words, and basic grammar and listening skills. If you were to just study this book, and nothing else, you would surely fail.
At first I thought maybe the authors had just made an error and meant to say that the books were organized loosely based on the elementary school grade level. However, this is also not true. An example of this is ±(oj"hana") which is a grade level 1 kanji taught to first graders, but is in fact in Volume 2.
The only other glaring problem I've found with these books is the lack of any sort of English definition lookup or table of contents. While you can look the kanji up if you know the spelling in kana, being able to look it up in English would've been really nice. However, the books are cheap and fun and pretty easy to use.
80 more Kanji to memorize, still fun as ever!.......2006-03-23
As with the previous Kanji de manga books, the third volume comes with clever drawings that will help you learn another essential 80 Kanji. The yellow cover is a bit much for me, but other than that, this book is great.
Great for beginners.......2005-11-16
Volume 3 deals with the last half of the Kanji needed in the Japanese Language Placement Test (JLPT) level 3. Each kanji is explained in on and kun yomi format, then stroke order is introduced. Most importantly, it presents each kanji in a short manga (comic) that introduces translations of idioms and frequently-seen-in-manga sound effects. Perfect for both the JLPT taker and those with some Japanese classes under their belt who want to pick up more words in Japanese that aren't in conventional books on the language.
That said there are only about 80 kanji introduced per book, so there are cheaper books out there, but this certainly makes the learning a fun experience.
Book Description
The second volume in an exciting new series from Manga University - using original comic artwork to teach readers how to identify and write the most common Japanese kanji ideographs - introduces 80 kanji that all Japanese school children are required to learn by the time they graduate from sixth grade. Each page features its own comic strip, kanji pronunciation guide, stroke order, and English explanations.
Customer Reviews:
Good books, but weird organization of the volumes.......2007-01-20
While I do like these books, and I have found them to be useful in my and my families learning of kanji, they are organized in a completely non-sensical way. At the back of each book, they proclaim that they are useful in studying for the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficieny Test) exams. They are useful.. just not comprehensive.
For example, Volume 1, which has 80 kanji in it to learn, (despite what the paragraph at the back of the book says) is NOT the full list of kanji you would need to learn to pass the first level exam (JLPT4). The JLPT4 test requires 103 kanji at the current time, as well as like 700 vocab words, and basic grammar and listening skills. If you were to just study this book, and nothing else, you would surely fail.
At first I thought maybe the authors had just made an error and meant to say that the books were organized loosely based on the elementary school grade level. However, this is also not true. An example of this is ±(oj"hana") which is a grade level 1 kanji taught to first graders, but is in fact in Volume 2.
The only other glaring problem I've found with these books is the lack of any sort of English definition lookup or table of contents. While you can look the kanji up if you know the spelling in kana, being able to look it up in English would've been really nice. However, the books are cheap and fun and pretty easy to use.
Cool book.......2007-01-18
Nice book for the price. Looked like a lot of information. My niece thought it was great!
Average customer rating:
|
How To Write Your Own Jokes
Wayne & Carolyn Thornton
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Comic
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Jokes & Riddles
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1419641425
Release Date: 2007-02-04 |
Book Description
The Jokes in this book example how to write your own jokes. These jokes are the best ever written. As with all our books, if you are not 100% satisfied, simply return this book to my ex-wife. . **********[About 50 full size pictures are provided to spark your imagination.]********Could Little George Bush ever be a knight in shining armor? Or, Is he just a simpleton who thinks he is in a John Wayne movie? Was Nostradamus right? Have we elected the village idiot to manage our country? There is nothing funny about a headache.****Please go to LuLu or BookSurge to see sample pages of this book.
Book Description
Some resumes are good, some are bad, and some are simply from Hell. The all-too-real resumes in this book were no doubt written with the best of intentions, but a job search can be a misadventure. A wacky resume is a sure-fire way to derail your job application and slip from the interview pile into the "joke file." In this illustrated "how not to," former recruiters Jon Reed and Rachel Meyers open up their own joke files, and share highlights from the worst (and funniest) resumes they ever received. From "Questionable References" to "Hostile Email Interactions," Jon and Rachel take the reader through more resume mishaps and job search meltdowns than they ever knew existed, sneaking in a bit of job search wisdom on the fly. The resumes in this book have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent, but Resumes from Hell is proof that truth is still stranger - and funnier - than fiction.
Download Description
Some resumes are good, some are bad, and some are simply from Hell. The all-too-real resumes in this book were no doubt written with the best of intentions, but a job search can be a misadventure. A wacky resume is a sure-fire way to derail your job application and slip from the interview pile into the "joke file." In this illustrated "how not to," former recruiters Jon Reed and Rachel Meyers open up their own joke files, and share highlights from the worst (and funniest) resumes they ever received. From "Questionable References" to "Hostile Email Interactions," Jon and Rachel take the reader through more resume mishaps and job search meltdowns than they ever knew existed, sneaking in a bit of job search wisdom on the fly. The resumes in this book have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent, but Resumes from Hell is proof that truth is still stranger - and funnier - than fiction.
Customer Reviews:
Hilarious Resume Guide for a New College Grad.......2007-06-04
As a recent college graduate looking to start my career, I found this book to be an absolutely hilarious guide on how NOT to write my first resume. My favorite section was "Politics, Religion, and Other Inappropriate Subjects." The statements some of these people wrote in their resumes were so crazy I almost couldn't believe that they were real! I especially liked the one where the applicant signed their cover letter as "lovely human being."
This is definitely a must read for anyone who's ever written a resume or, like me, needs to write one in the very near future!! Although many of the excerpts are absurd, each chapter starts out with a helpful hint, making the book just as useful as it is entertaining. I would recommend this title to absolutely anyone.
A .......2005-08-24
This is not your typical resume book, and these are definitely not your typical resumes! Working in a Career Development office, I see my fair share of resume books, and this one really stands apart from the rest. While the more serious-minded job-seeker might opt for something a little more formal, those with a relaxed attitude and sense of humor are sure to appreciate the book's fun but functional "How Not To" approach to resume-writing.
Without all the rigid instruction of most resume books, Resumes From Hell gives readers something fun and new - a chance to learn from the mistakes of others. Whether it's sending important email messages with an online identity like [...] or telling employers you created "today's fanny pack industry," the mistakes and mishaps in this book boldly remind job-seekers to pay attention to details and to think more like hiring managers.
Amusing and educational.......2005-05-21
This book is almost as educational as it is funny. I read it cover to cover on a Boston - San Francisco flight and probably upset my fellow passengers by bursting into laughter on several occasions. As a bonus, I sure know what NOT to do next time I'm looking for a new job! Highly recommended!
Hysterically funny--and useful, too.......2004-12-08
Resumes from Hell is one of those rare examples of a book that is both entertaining and useful. Every single page contains a laugh-out-loud example of what NOT to do if you are a job-seeker. From the candidate who left a voice-mail describing his delicious sandwhich, to the one who listed his mother as a reference, the examples in this book are almost too comical to be believed--and yet each and every one is true.
All of the excerpts have been sorted into clearly defined sections, where off-the-wall examples are used to illustrate genuinely helpful resume pointers. Readers can flip through and entertain themselves by reading pages at random, or take a more utilitarian approach going chapter by chapter to get guidance on questions like whether or not to list hobbies on a resume.
I recommend readers turn immediately to the index and start from there. In it, the editors have brilliantly culled some of the most unlikely single words and phrases from their resume files--like "completely useless," and "orgasm," (not used in the same sentence, it's worth noting)--and compiled them into one hysterical list.
I received Resumes from Hell as a gift, and it is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. I highly recommend it.
Ridiculous Resumes Rescued from the Round File.......2004-11-16
Frustrated about today's shrinking job market? Having trouble finding a job that even requires submitting a resume (and doesn't require sporting a colorful uniform)? Finding a good job requires education, experience, and a really good resume that stands out above the competition... That is, unless you're up against those who wrote the "Resumes from Hell" featured in this book of the same name, in which the authors expose hundreds of the most awkward, over-the-top, and downright hilarious resumes ever written. Reading them will help you improve your own resume, and it will give you hope. Just don't do what these people did! Whether they listed too many hobbies, made frightening political or religious statements, or simply gave "too much information," these writers bare their souls in hopes of landing a job. With previous experience such as "perishable manager" and "fanny pack designer," or qualifications like "specializing in the impossible," "Have Passport & Don't Use Tobacco or Firearms," and "Enjoy Dim Sum, Chai and other good things in life," you really wish you could sit in on their job interviews. My favorite chapter is "Graphics from Hell," featuring undecipherable charts, cheesy icons and clip art that some misguided souls used to spruce up their resumes. As professional job recruiters, the authors have seen it all, and their comments and examples prove unequivocally that poetry, spirituality, ranting, bragging, and sloganeering have no place in your resume. This book proves that what you DON'T say is often as important as what you do say.
Books:
- Dr. Faustus (Modern Library)
- Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames))
- Dreaming Me
- Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series
- El gato en el sombrero/ The Cat In The Hat
- Elia Kazan: A Life
- Film: A Critical Introduction
- Film Noir Reader 4: The Crucial Films and Themes (Film Noir Reader)
- Finding Love After 50: How to Begin. Where to Go. What to Do
- Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
- Analyzing Performance Problems: Or, You Really Oughta Wanna--How to Figure out Why People Aren't Doi
- The Raging Sea: The Powerful Account of the Worst Tsunami in U.S. History
- The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything
- Untouchable: A Biography of Robert DeNiro
- An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory
- Xeriscape Gardening: Water Conservation for the American Landscape
- China Business: 20/20 Insight
- The Office Worker's Game of Up-From-Under
- How to Manage One Million Dollars or Less
Palm Reading: A Little Guide to Life's Secrets (Miniature Edition)
Body Language
Feel the Fear . . . and Do It Anyway (r)
Handwriting Analysis
The Sound of Your Voice
