Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (And how anyone can harness it. Even you.)

Jennifer Aaker · Naomi Bagdonas

Feb 2021 · Sold by Crown Currency

About this ebook

WALL STREET JOURNAL, LOS ANGELES TIMES, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • Anyone—even you!—can learn how to harness the power of humor in business (and life), based on the popular class at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
 
Don’t miss the authors’ TED Talk, “Why great leaders take humor seriously,” online now.

“The ultimate guide to using the magical power of funny as a tool for leadership and a force for good.”—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When and Drive

We are living through a period of unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval in both our personal and professional lives. So it should come as a surprise to exactly no one that trust, human connection, and mental well-being are all on the decline.
 
This may seem like no laughing matter. Yet, the research shows that humor and laughter are among the most valuable tools we have at our disposal for strengthening bonds and relationships, diffusing stress and tension, boosting resilience, and performing when the stakes are high. 
 
That’s why Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach the popular course Humor: Serious Business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where they help some of the world’s most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds infuse more humor and levity into their work and lives.

In Humor, Seriously, they draw on findings by behavioral scientists, world-class comedians, and inspiring business leaders to reveal how humor works and—more important—how you can use more of it, better.

Aaker and Bagdonas unpack the theory and application of humor: what makes something funny, how to mine your life for material, and simple ways to identify and leverage your unique humor style. They show how to use humor to rebuild vital connections; appear more confident, competent, and authentic at work; and foster cultures where levity and creativity can thrive.

President Dwight David Eisenhower once said, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” If Dwight David Eisenhower, the second least naturally funny president (after Franklin Pierce), thought humor was necessary to win wars, build highways, and warn against the military-industrial complex, then you might consider learning it too.

Ratings and reviews

I Haven't Read The Book But, I Promise You This Has Been My Medecine. If You Even Hear Half Of My Life's Story You Would Say How Could've You Survived All These Horrible Tragedies In You Life. I've Even Been Critized On A Few Occasions How You Laugh At A Time Like That. Well, It Has Been A Tremendous Healing Machanism In My Personal Life. I Also Found That When I Comment Or Write Something Funny And Someone Laughs It Brings Me A Sort Of Satisfaction. A Sence Of Relief That, "Hey, I'm Still Worthy, I Am Still Alive, I Am Like You Still Human". Humor Does Release A Sort Of Andorphan Of Soothing Medecone In Our Own Mental And Physical Need. Of Course There Are Moments We Can't Help To Cry But, When We Laugh We Receive Neccessary Strength To Want To See The Brighter Side Of Things And Strength To Keep On Climbing Where We Have Seen Ourself's, In Our Dreams. I'm So Glad Someone Finally See's What I May Not Have Words To Describe The Benefit/s Of Laughter. So Go Ahead, Laugh A Lil. Lq

Great book about the effects of humor

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About the author

Dr. Jennifer Aaker is the General Atlantic Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a leading expert on how purpose and meaning shape individual choices and how technology can positively impact human well-being and company growth. Her work has been widely published in leading scientific journals, and featured in The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and Science. A recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award, and MBA Professor of the Year, Aaker counts winning a dance-off in the early 1980s among her greatest feats. 
 
Naomi Bagdonas is a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an executive coach. She facilitates interactive sessions for leaders, Fortune 100 companies, and nonprofits and coaches executives and celebrities for appearances on shows ranging from Saturday Night Live to Today. Formerly trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, Bagdonas performs at comedy venues and teaches improv in San Francisco’s county jail. Her constant stream of foster dogs describe her as gullible and full of treats.