-
How to Tell a Joke
- An Ancient Guide to the Art of Humor (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
How to Tell a Joke
Buy for $17.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
How to Grieve
- An Ancient Guide to the Lost Art of Consolation (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Marcus Tullius Cicero, Michael Fontaine - translator
- Narrated by: Gareth Richards
- Length: 2 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
In 45 BCE, the Roman statesman Cicero fell to pieces when his beloved daughter, Tullia, died from complications of childbirth. But from the depths of despair, Cicero fought his way back. In an effort to cope with his loss, he wrote a consolation speech—not for others, as had always been done, but for himself. And it worked. Cicero's Consolation was something new in literature, equal parts philosophy and motivational speech.
By: Marcus Tullius Cicero, and others
-
Selections from the Writings of Cicero
- By: Marcus Tullius Cicero
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 111
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 92
Roman statesman and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote on a wide range of subjects, from Greek philosophy to moral duty to friendship. Though he considered philosophy secondary to politics and often used his writings for explicit political ends, his work has nevertheless been widely read for over two thousand years and has influenced everything from the culture of the Renaissance to the ideals of the founding fathers of the United States.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best audio book I've listened to.
- By Edward on 09-25-17
-
Tusculan Disputations
- By: Marcus Tullius Cicero
- Narrated by: Saethon Williams
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 9
The statesman, orator, and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero remains a writer whose influence has been felt for many centuries. Tusculan Disputations is his most wide-ranging philosophical work, and was intended to introduce the Roman people to the pleasures and benefits of the study of philosophy. In a series of stimulating dialogues, Tusculan Disputations examines some of the most fundamental questions of human life: the fear of death, the endurance of pain, the alleviation of sorrow, the various disorders of the soul, and the necessity of virtue for a happy life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent Listen
- By Nicholas DeVito on 08-11-22
-
The New Comedy Bible
- The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Performing Stand-Up Comedy
- By: Judy Carter
- Narrated by: Judy Carter
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
The New Comedy Bible is a step-by-step, no excuses manual for writing, performing, and launching your career as a stand-up comic. Written by Judy Carter, the author of The Comedy Bible (2001), which was called by The Washington Post and Forbes as a “Comedy Essential”. This new book, penned in classic Carter’s style - part career coach and part comedy dominatrix - has 100 percent new content.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
PDF workbook
- By Lluvia Guerra on 02-22-21
By: Judy Carter
-
On the Ends of Good and Evil
- By: Marcus Tullius Cicero
- Narrated by: Derek Le Page
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
Towards the end of his life and his career as one of the leading politicians and orators in Rome, Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BCE-43 BCE) was exiled to his country house. It was a time of political turmoil in the capital of the empire, caused by the power-grab of Julius Caesar. In the quiet of the countryside, Cicero began to write on philosophy. In On the Ends of Good and Evil, he set out to consider three major traditions of Greek philosophy - Epicureanism, Stoicism and a branch of Platonism.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Engaging
- By Jean on 12-27-17
-
How to Flourish
- An Ancient Guide to Living Well (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Aristotle, Susan Sauve Meyer - translator introduction
- Narrated by: Hannibal Hills
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is one of the greatest guides to human flourishing ever written, but its length and style have left many readers languishing. How to Flourish is a colloquial new translation by Susan Sauve Meyer that makes Aristotle's timeless insights about how to lead a good life more engaging and accessible than ever before.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
foundations of human deisions
- By gymmaster on 10-01-23
By: Aristotle, and others
-
How to Grieve
- An Ancient Guide to the Lost Art of Consolation (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Marcus Tullius Cicero, Michael Fontaine - translator
- Narrated by: Gareth Richards
- Length: 2 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
In 45 BCE, the Roman statesman Cicero fell to pieces when his beloved daughter, Tullia, died from complications of childbirth. But from the depths of despair, Cicero fought his way back. In an effort to cope with his loss, he wrote a consolation speech—not for others, as had always been done, but for himself. And it worked. Cicero's Consolation was something new in literature, equal parts philosophy and motivational speech.
By: Marcus Tullius Cicero, and others
-
Selections from the Writings of Cicero
- By: Marcus Tullius Cicero
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 111
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 92
Roman statesman and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote on a wide range of subjects, from Greek philosophy to moral duty to friendship. Though he considered philosophy secondary to politics and often used his writings for explicit political ends, his work has nevertheless been widely read for over two thousand years and has influenced everything from the culture of the Renaissance to the ideals of the founding fathers of the United States.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best audio book I've listened to.
- By Edward on 09-25-17
-
Tusculan Disputations
- By: Marcus Tullius Cicero
- Narrated by: Saethon Williams
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 9
The statesman, orator, and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero remains a writer whose influence has been felt for many centuries. Tusculan Disputations is his most wide-ranging philosophical work, and was intended to introduce the Roman people to the pleasures and benefits of the study of philosophy. In a series of stimulating dialogues, Tusculan Disputations examines some of the most fundamental questions of human life: the fear of death, the endurance of pain, the alleviation of sorrow, the various disorders of the soul, and the necessity of virtue for a happy life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent Listen
- By Nicholas DeVito on 08-11-22
-
The New Comedy Bible
- The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Performing Stand-Up Comedy
- By: Judy Carter
- Narrated by: Judy Carter
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
The New Comedy Bible is a step-by-step, no excuses manual for writing, performing, and launching your career as a stand-up comic. Written by Judy Carter, the author of The Comedy Bible (2001), which was called by The Washington Post and Forbes as a “Comedy Essential”. This new book, penned in classic Carter’s style - part career coach and part comedy dominatrix - has 100 percent new content.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
PDF workbook
- By Lluvia Guerra on 02-22-21
By: Judy Carter
-
On the Ends of Good and Evil
- By: Marcus Tullius Cicero
- Narrated by: Derek Le Page
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
Towards the end of his life and his career as one of the leading politicians and orators in Rome, Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BCE-43 BCE) was exiled to his country house. It was a time of political turmoil in the capital of the empire, caused by the power-grab of Julius Caesar. In the quiet of the countryside, Cicero began to write on philosophy. In On the Ends of Good and Evil, he set out to consider three major traditions of Greek philosophy - Epicureanism, Stoicism and a branch of Platonism.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Engaging
- By Jean on 12-27-17
-
How to Flourish
- An Ancient Guide to Living Well (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Aristotle, Susan Sauve Meyer - translator introduction
- Narrated by: Hannibal Hills
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is one of the greatest guides to human flourishing ever written, but its length and style have left many readers languishing. How to Flourish is a colloquial new translation by Susan Sauve Meyer that makes Aristotle's timeless insights about how to lead a good life more engaging and accessible than ever before.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
foundations of human deisions
- By gymmaster on 10-01-23
By: Aristotle, and others
-
How to Write Funny
- Your Serious, Step-By-Step Blueprint for Creating Incredibly, Irresistibly, Successfully Hilarious Writing, Book 1
- By: Scott Dikkers
- Narrated by: Scott Dikkers
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 320
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 260
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 255
Author Scott Dikkers will tell you how to write jokes. He’s a master joke writer, founder of the world’s most popular humor site TheOnion.com, number one New York Times best-selling humor author, professional public speaker, and successful cartoonist. In this definitive joke-writing handbook, he'll teach you comedy writing and how to write a joke with a simple comedy-writing and joke-writing formula you can use right now to write your own jokes.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
What I expected
- By J. Genovese on 02-04-19
By: Scott Dikkers
-
How to Tell a Story
- The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth
- By: The Moth, Meg Bowles, Catherine Burns, and others
- Narrated by: Meg Bowles, Catherine Burns, Jenifer Hixson, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 353
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 285
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 284
Filled with empowering, easy-to-follow tips for crafting stories that forge lasting bonds with friends, family, and colleagues alike, this book will help you connect authentically with the world around you and unleash the power of story in your life.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
I'm an adult. Get rid of the Beeps.
- By PettyPrincess on 06-30-22
By: The Moth, and others
-
How to Tell Hilarious Jokes
- Tips & Tricks for Telling Funny Jokes, One Liners, Riddles, Puns & Dad Jokes for Family Night, Road & Plane Trips & Try Not to Laugh for Smart Kids, Teens & Adults
- By: Richard Rosser
- Narrated by: Thomas de Jesus
- Length: 1 hr and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
Want to be funnier? This is the joke book for you! It is overflowing with witty wisecracks and handy hints to make you a more amusing jokester!
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
it was painful
- By Konstantin on 11-25-22
By: Richard Rosser
-
Ego Is the Enemy
- By: Ryan Holiday
- Narrated by: Ryan Holiday
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 12,974
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10,999
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10,920
"While the history books are filled with tales of obsessive visionary geniuses who remade the world in their images with sheer, almost irrational force, I've found that history is also made by individuals who fought their egos at every turn, who eschewed the spotlight, and who put their higher goals above their desire for recognition." (From the prologue)
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Disappointing. Thin, weak reading.
- By Robert on 09-08-16
By: Ryan Holiday
-
Letters from a Stoic
- Penguin Classics
- By: Seneca, Robin Campbell
- Narrated by: Julian Glover
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 592
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 466
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 459
Seeing self-possession as the key to an existence lived 'in accordance with nature', the Stoic philosophy called for the restraint of animal instincts and the importance of upright ethical ideals and virtuous living. Seneca's writings are a profound, powerfully moving and inspiring declaration of the dignity of the individual mind.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Returned - Not "Unabridged"
- By Michael Augustus Ennis on 12-03-21
By: Seneca, and others
-
You Can't Joke About That
- Why Everything Is Funny, Nothing Is Sacred, and We’re All in This Together
- By: Kat Timpf
- Narrated by: Kat Timpf
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 567
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 488
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 489
In You Can’t Joke About That, Kat Timpf shows why much of the way we talk about sensitive subjects is wrong. We’ve created all the wrong rules. We push ourselves into unnecessary conflicts when we should feel like we’re all in this together. When someone says “you can’t joke about that,” what they really mean is “this is a subject that makes people sad or angry.”
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Love Kat.. Great perspective, and I laughed "too"!
- By johnatakis on 04-19-23
By: Kat Timpf
-
Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills
- By: Steven Novella, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Steven Novella
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,287
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,278
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,164
No skill is more important in today's world than being able to think about, understand, and act on information in an effective and responsible way. What's more, at no point in human history have we had access to so much information, with such relative ease, as we do in the 21st century. But because misinformation out there has increased as well, critical thinking is more important than ever. These 24 rewarding lectures equip you with the knowledge and techniques you need to become a savvier, sharper critical thinker in your professional and personal life.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Same Material Different Title
- By rkeinc on 09-21-14
By: Steven Novella, and others
-
On Living and Dying Well
- By: Cicero, Thomas Habinek
- Narrated by: John Hastings
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 18
In the first century BC, Marcus Tullius Cicero, orator, statesman and defender of republican values, created these philosophical treatises on such diverse topics as friendship, religion, death, fate and scientific inquiry. A pragmatist at heart, Cicero's philosophies were frequently personal and ethical, drawn not from abstract reasoning but through careful observation of the world. The resulting works remind us of the importance of social ties, the questions of free will and the justification of any creative endeavour.
By: Cicero, and others
-
The Plus
- Self-Help for People Who Hate Self-Help
- By: Greg Gutfeld
- Narrated by: Greg Gutfeld
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 985
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 852
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 847
Before Greg Gutfeld was a Fox News star and a New York Times best-selling author, he was a self-help writer for health magazines who had no idea what he was talking about. But now, after years of experience, he finally feels qualified to guide people on the journey of life - call this book punishment for his sins and a huge reward for you! In The Plus, Greg teaches you how to brainwash yourself into better behavior, retaining the pluses in your life and eliminating the minuses.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Classic Greg!
- By Nichelle Metcalfe on 08-02-20
By: Greg Gutfeld
-
Consider the Lobster
- And Other Essays
- By: David Foster Wallace
- Narrated by: David Foster Wallace, Robert Petkoff
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 575
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 479
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 476
Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult video starlets meet their fans in person? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in essays that are also enthralling narrative adventures.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
How this differs from the other version
- By Jonathan Penley on 12-26-17
-
Thinking About It Only Makes It Worse
- By: David Mitchell
- Narrated by: David Mitchell
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 722
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 633
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 622
Why is every film or tv programme a sequel or a remake? Why are people so f***ing hung up about swearing? Why do the asterisks in that sentence make it okay? Why do so many people want to stop other people doing things, and how can they be stopped from stopping them? These and many other questions trouble David Mitchell. Join him on a tour of the absurdities of modern life - from Ryanair to Richard III, Downton Abbey to phone etiquette, UKIP to hot dogs made of cats.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Good Book: Wrong Milieu
- By scott on 09-04-19
By: David Mitchell
-
Dreyer's English
- An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style
- By: Benjamin Dreyer
- Narrated by: Benjamin Dreyer, Alison Fraser
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 339
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 295
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 282
As Random House’s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike - not to mention his followers on social media - for deconstructing the English language with playful erudition. Now, he distills everything he has learned from the myriad books he has copyedited and overseen into a useful guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best prose foot forward.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
You'll be horrified at a lifetime of usage errors.
- By RTaylor on 05-16-19
By: Benjamin Dreyer
Publisher's summary
Can jokes win a hostile room, a hopeless argument, or even an election? You bet they can, according to Cicero, and he knew what he was talking about. One of Rome's greatest politicians, speakers, and lawyers, Cicero was also reputedly one of antiquity's funniest people. After he was elected commander-in-chief and head of state, his enemies even started calling him "the stand-up Consul". How to Tell a Joke provides a lively new translation of Cicero's essential writing on humor alongside that of the later Roman orator and educator Quintilian. The result is a timeless practical guide to how a well-timed joke can win over any audience.
As powerful as jokes can be, they are also hugely risky. The line between a witty joke and an offensive one isn't always clear. Cross it and you'll look like a clown, or worse. Here, Cicero and Quintilian explore every aspect of telling jokes - while avoiding costly mistakes. Presenting the sections on humor in Cicero's On the Ideal Orator and Quintilian's On the Orator's Education, How to Tell a Joke examines the risks and rewards of humor and analyzes basic types that listeners can use to write their own jokes.
Filled with insight, wit, and examples, including more than a few lawyer jokes, How to Tell a Joke will appeal to anyone interested in humor or the art of public speaking.
More from the same
Related to this topic
-
Words on the Move
- Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally)
- By: John McWhorter
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,403
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,265
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,257
Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant "blessed"? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Review By a Fan
- By Margaret on 09-25-16
By: John McWhorter
-
Jewish Comedy
- A Serious History
- By: Jeremy Dauber
- Narrated by: Jeremy Dauber
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 174
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 151
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 151
In a major work of scholarship both erudite and very funny, Jeremy Dauber traces the origins of Jewish comedy and its development from Biblical times to the age of Twitter. Organizing his book thematically into what he calls the seven strands of Jewish comedy - including the satirical, the witty, and the vulgar - Dauber explores the ways Jewish comedy has dealt with persecution, assimilation, and diaspora through the ages. He explains the rise and fall of popular comic archetypes such as the Jewish mother, the JAP, and the schlemiel and schlimazel.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not funny
- By supermantwo on 08-31-20
By: Jeremy Dauber
-
Born to Kvetch
- Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods
- By: Michael Wex
- Narrated by: Michael Wex
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 174
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 93
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 93
As the main spoken language of the Jews for more than a thousand years, Yiddish has had plenty to lament, plenty to conceal. Its phrases and expressions paint a comprehensive picture of the mind-set that enabled the Jews of Europe to survive persecution: they never stopped kvetching about God, gentiles, children, and everything else.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating, but...
- By Christopher B. on 04-05-16
By: Michael Wex
-
The Trial of the Chicago 7: The Official Transcript
- By: Mark L. Levine - editor, George C. McNamee - editor, Daniel Greenberg - editor, and others
- Narrated by: J. K. Simmons, Jeff Daniels, Chris Jackson, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 269
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 229
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 227
In the fall of 1969 eight prominent anti-Vietnam War activists were put on trial for conspiring to riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. One of the eight, Black Panther cofounder Bobby Seale, was literally bound and gagged in court by order of the judge, Julius Hoffman, and his case was separated from that of the others.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Reminiscent of current discourse
- By Stephen Snead on 01-16-21
By: Mark L. Levine - editor, and others
-
Semicolon
- The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark
- By: Cecelia Watson
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 3 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 48
A pause-resisting, existential romp through the life and times of the world’s most polarizing punctuation mark. Through her rollicking biography of the semicolon, Watson writes a guide to grammar that explains why we don’t need guides at all and refocuses our attention on the deepest, most primary value of language: true communication.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Silly me; I thought it was about semicolons
- By Jeffrey D on 08-15-19
By: Cecelia Watson
-
The Elements of Eloquence
- Secrets of the Perfect Turn of Phrase
- By: Mark Forsyth
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,720
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,544
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,516
In his inimitably entertaining and wonderfully witty style, he takes apart famous phrases and shows how you too can write like Shakespeare or quip like Oscar Wilde. Whether you’re aiming to achieve literary immortality or just hoping to deliver the perfect one-liner, The Elements of Eloquence proves that you don’t need to have anything important to say - you simply need to say it well.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Who knew rhetoric could be so much fun?
- By Philo on 10-30-14
By: Mark Forsyth
-
Words on the Move
- Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally)
- By: John McWhorter
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,403
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,265
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,257
Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant "blessed"? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Review By a Fan
- By Margaret on 09-25-16
By: John McWhorter
-
Jewish Comedy
- A Serious History
- By: Jeremy Dauber
- Narrated by: Jeremy Dauber
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 174
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 151
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 151
In a major work of scholarship both erudite and very funny, Jeremy Dauber traces the origins of Jewish comedy and its development from Biblical times to the age of Twitter. Organizing his book thematically into what he calls the seven strands of Jewish comedy - including the satirical, the witty, and the vulgar - Dauber explores the ways Jewish comedy has dealt with persecution, assimilation, and diaspora through the ages. He explains the rise and fall of popular comic archetypes such as the Jewish mother, the JAP, and the schlemiel and schlimazel.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not funny
- By supermantwo on 08-31-20
By: Jeremy Dauber
-
Born to Kvetch
- Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods
- By: Michael Wex
- Narrated by: Michael Wex
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 174
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 93
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 93
As the main spoken language of the Jews for more than a thousand years, Yiddish has had plenty to lament, plenty to conceal. Its phrases and expressions paint a comprehensive picture of the mind-set that enabled the Jews of Europe to survive persecution: they never stopped kvetching about God, gentiles, children, and everything else.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating, but...
- By Christopher B. on 04-05-16
By: Michael Wex
-
The Trial of the Chicago 7: The Official Transcript
- By: Mark L. Levine - editor, George C. McNamee - editor, Daniel Greenberg - editor, and others
- Narrated by: J. K. Simmons, Jeff Daniels, Chris Jackson, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 269
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 229
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 227
In the fall of 1969 eight prominent anti-Vietnam War activists were put on trial for conspiring to riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. One of the eight, Black Panther cofounder Bobby Seale, was literally bound and gagged in court by order of the judge, Julius Hoffman, and his case was separated from that of the others.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Reminiscent of current discourse
- By Stephen Snead on 01-16-21
By: Mark L. Levine - editor, and others
-
Semicolon
- The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark
- By: Cecelia Watson
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 3 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 48
A pause-resisting, existential romp through the life and times of the world’s most polarizing punctuation mark. Through her rollicking biography of the semicolon, Watson writes a guide to grammar that explains why we don’t need guides at all and refocuses our attention on the deepest, most primary value of language: true communication.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Silly me; I thought it was about semicolons
- By Jeffrey D on 08-15-19
By: Cecelia Watson
-
The Elements of Eloquence
- Secrets of the Perfect Turn of Phrase
- By: Mark Forsyth
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,720
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,544
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,516
In his inimitably entertaining and wonderfully witty style, he takes apart famous phrases and shows how you too can write like Shakespeare or quip like Oscar Wilde. Whether you’re aiming to achieve literary immortality or just hoping to deliver the perfect one-liner, The Elements of Eloquence proves that you don’t need to have anything important to say - you simply need to say it well.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Who knew rhetoric could be so much fun?
- By Philo on 10-30-14
By: Mark Forsyth
-
How to Speak and Write Correctly
- By: Joseph Devlin
- Narrated by: Shawn Grisden
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
This book has no pretension about it whatever -- it is neither a Manual of Rhetoric, expatiating on the dogmas of style, nor a Grammar full of arbitrary rules and exceptions. It is merely an effort to help ordinary, everyday people to express themselves in ordinary, everyday language, in a proper manner.
By: Joseph Devlin
-
Plato's Greater Hippias
- By: Plato
- Narrated by: Ray Childs
- Length: 1 hr and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 30
Hippias of Elis travels throughout the Greek world practicing and teaching the art of making beautiful speeches. On a rare visit to Athens, he meets Socrates, who questions him about the nature of his art. Socrates is especially curious about how Hippias would define beauty. They agree that beauty makes all beautiful things beautiful, but when Socrates presses him to say precisely what he means, Hippias is unable to deliver such a definition.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
What is Beauty???
- By Samson Caudle on 07-26-17
By: Plato
-
Let There Be Laughter
- A Treasury of Great Jewish Humor and What It All Means
- By: Michael Krasny
- Narrated by: Michael Krasny
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 52
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 48
Michael Krasny has been telling Jewish jokes since his bar mitzvah, and it's been said that he knows more of them than anyone on the planet. He certainly states his case in this wise, enlightening, and hilarious book that not only collects the best of Jewish humor passed down from generation to generation but explains the cultural expressions and anxieties behind the laughs.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
It's great and I don't like joke books Highly recommend for you. Just hilarious
- By michael gort on 06-15-17
By: Michael Krasny
-
Notes from the Underground (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Constance Garnett - translator
- Narrated by: Pete Simonelli
- Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 292
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 247
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 245
Isolated from society in a tenement basement in St. Petersburg, a malicious former civil servant vents his resentments. In the rambling notes that follow, we are exposed to the inner turmoil of the Underground Man, who represents the voice of his generation. An emotional, paranoid knot of contradictions, the spiteful narrator is also desperate to join a society he loathes, if only to prove his superiority to it.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing
- By Bryan on 02-19-19
By: Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and others
-
Socrates
- A Man for Our Times
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 161
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 138
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 140
Acclaimed historian and best-selling author Paul Johnson’s books have been translated into dozens of languages. In Socrates: A Man for Our Times, Johnson draws from little-known resources to construct a fascinating account of one of history’s greatest thinkers. Socrates transcended class limitations in Athens during the fifth century B.C. to develop ideas that still shape the way we think about the human body and soul, including the workings of the human mind.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Plat-Soc-Paul
- By Megasaurus on 11-17-12
By: Paul Johnson
-
Oh, the Things I Know! A Guide to Success, or, Failing That, Happiness
- By: Al Franken
- Narrated by: Al Franken
- Length: 2 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 232
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 51
What does a megasuccess like Al Franken - best selling author, Emmy-award winning television star, and honorary Ph.D. - have to say to ordinary people like you? Well, as Dr. Al himself says, "There's no point in getting advice from hopeless failures." Filled with wisdom, observations, and practical tips you can put to work right away, this is a cradle-to-grave guide to living, an easy-to-follow user's manual for human existence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Oh The Things I Know
- By Mmday on 04-27-03
By: Al Franken
-
Gumption
- Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers
- By: Nick Offerman
- Narrated by: Nick Offerman
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,671
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,207
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,185
The star of Parks and Recreation and author of the New York Times best seller Paddle Your Own Canoe returns with a second book that humorously highlights 21 figures from our nation’s history, from her inception to present day - Nick’s personal pantheon of “great Americans". After the great success of his autobiography, Paddle Your Own Canoe, Offerman now focuses on the lives of those who inspired him. From George Washington to Willie Nelson, he describes 21 heroic figures and why they inspire in him such great meaning.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Swagger and mirth
- By Tamara Shope on 09-14-15
By: Nick Offerman
-
Rules for Radical Conservatives
- Beating the Left at Its Own Game to Take Back America
- By: David Kahane
- Narrated by: John Allen Nelson
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 135
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 98
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 99
The vast right wing conspiracy has found its General Patton, and his name is David Kahane. Kahane's pseudonymous, satiric column for National Review Online, lampooning the Left via his Hollywood-radical persona - Stephen Colbert's liberal doppelganger - is must-listening for political aficionados of all stripes. Now, from the inside, Kahane proudly exposes the secret and not-so-secret winning strategies (and vulnerabilities) of the Left.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Disappointed
- By Henry W. Baker on 05-30-16
By: David Kahane
-
You Say Potato: A Book About Accents
- By: Ben Crystal, David Crystal
- Narrated by: David Crystal, Ben Crystal, Jane Savage, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 69
Some people say 'sconn' while others say 'schown'. He says 'bath' while she says 'bahth'. You say 'potayto'. I say 'potahto'. And - wait a second, no one says 'potahto'. No one's ever said 'potahto'. Have they? From reconstructing Shakespeare's accent to the rise and fall of received pronunciation, actor Ben Crystal and his linguist father, David, travel the world in search of the stories of spoken English.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Wish there were more native recordings.
- By Matt Dobler on 07-01-16
By: Ben Crystal, and others
-
The Speechwriter
- A Brief Education in Politics
- By: Barton Swaim
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 136
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 122
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 122
Everyone knows this kind of politician: a charismatic maverick who goes up against the system and its ways, but thinks he doesn't have to live by the rules. Using his experience as a speechwriter, Barton Swaim tells the story of a band of believers who attach themselves to this sort of ambitious narcissist.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A well-written complainers guide
- By Kindle Customer on 08-03-15
By: Barton Swaim
-
Created Equal
- Clarence Thomas in His Own Words
- By: Michael Pack, Mark Paoletta
- Narrated by: Charles Constant, Shamaan Casey, Pamela Klein
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 225
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 202
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 201
Born into dire poverty in the segregated South and abandoned by his father as a child, Justice Clarence Thomas triumphed over seemingly insurmountable odds to become one of the most influential justices on the Supreme Court. Yet after three decades of honorable service, few know him beyond his contentious confirmation and the surrounding media firestorm. Who is Justice Clarence Thomas, in his own words? Created Equal builds on dozens of hours of groundbreaking one-on-one interviews with Thomas to share a new, expanded account of his powerful story for the first time.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Justice Thomas, the epitome of a “Real American Man”!
- By the walton's on 06-23-22
By: Michael Pack, and others
-
Fifth Business
- The Deptford Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Robertson Davies
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 793
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 695
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 688
This first novel in The Deptford Trilogy introduces Ramsay, a man who returns from World War I decorated with the Victoria Cross but who is destined to be caught in a no man's land where memory, history, and myth collide. As we hear Ramsey tell his story, we begin to realize that, from childhood, he has influenced those around him in a perhaps mystical, perhaps pernicious way.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Been waiting for this
- By Vinity on 12-10-11
By: Robertson Davies
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
How to Win an Election
- An Ancient Guide for Modern Politicians
- By: Quintus Tullius Cicero, Philip Freeman - translator
- Narrated by: Doug Kaye
- Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 342
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 300
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 299
How to Win an Election is an ancient Roman guide for campaigning that is as up-to-date as tomorrow's headlines. In 64 BC when idealist Marcus Cicero, Rome's greatest orator, ran for consul (the highest office in the Republic), his practical brother Quintus decided he needed some no-nonsense advice on running a successful campaign.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
How to be a politician ...
- By Benedict on 07-31-13
By: Quintus Tullius Cicero, and others
-
How to Have a Life
- An Ancient Guide to Using Our Time Wisely (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Seneca, James S. Romm - editor
- Narrated by: Esther Wane
- Length: 1 hr and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 5
Who doesn't worry sometimes that smart phones, the Internet, and TV are robbing us of time and preventing us from having a life? How can we make the most of our time on earth? In the first century AD, the Stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger offered one of the most famous answers to that question in his essay "On the Shortness of Life"—a work that has more to teach us today than ever before.
By: Seneca, and others
-
How to Do the Right Thing
- An Ancient Guide to Treating People Fairly (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Seneca, Robert A. Kaster - editor translator introduction
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 4
There are times when we've all felt that we haven't been treated as we deserve—that we've been misjudged, shortchanged, or given a raw deal. And, at one time or another, other people have probably felt that we've treated them just as unfairly. How to Do the Right Thing draws on the principles of ancient Stoicism as articulated by the Roman statesman and philosopher Seneca to help listeners better navigate one of the most important practical questions of daily life—how to do right by others.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Unnecessary citations
- By Jose on 05-05-24
By: Seneca, and others
-
How to Say No
- An Ancient Guide to the Art of Cynicism (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Diogenes, M. D. Usher - translator
- Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
- Length: 2 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10
How to Say No is a delightful collection of brief ancient writings about Cynicism that captures all the outrageousness, wit, and wisdom of its remarkable cast of characters—from Diogenes in the fourth century BCE to the column-stander Symeon Stylites in late antiquity.
By: Diogenes, and others
-
How to Flourish
- An Ancient Guide to Living Well (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Aristotle, Susan Sauve Meyer - translator introduction
- Narrated by: Hannibal Hills
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is one of the greatest guides to human flourishing ever written, but its length and style have left many readers languishing. How to Flourish is a colloquial new translation by Susan Sauve Meyer that makes Aristotle's timeless insights about how to lead a good life more engaging and accessible than ever before.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
foundations of human deisions
- By gymmaster on 10-01-23
By: Aristotle, and others
-
Prepared
- A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios
- By: Mike Glover, Jack Carr - foreword
- Narrated by: Mike Glover, Ray Porter
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 907
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 858
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 853
Most people think that being prepared for catastrophe means stocking up on MREs and building a bunker in their backyard, but this approach leaves you vulnerable in the real world of car accidents, natural disasters, grid failures, and global pandemics. Prepared overturns today’s paranoid survival wisdom and teaches the foundational skills of preparedness that will not only help you build situational awareness and achieve greater mobility but that will also help you build resilient mental habits.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
A bit of fear mongering
- By JOHN DAVIS on 07-13-23
By: Mike Glover, and others
-
How to Win an Election
- An Ancient Guide for Modern Politicians
- By: Quintus Tullius Cicero, Philip Freeman - translator
- Narrated by: Doug Kaye
- Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 342
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 300
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 299
How to Win an Election is an ancient Roman guide for campaigning that is as up-to-date as tomorrow's headlines. In 64 BC when idealist Marcus Cicero, Rome's greatest orator, ran for consul (the highest office in the Republic), his practical brother Quintus decided he needed some no-nonsense advice on running a successful campaign.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
How to be a politician ...
- By Benedict on 07-31-13
By: Quintus Tullius Cicero, and others
-
How to Have a Life
- An Ancient Guide to Using Our Time Wisely (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Seneca, James S. Romm - editor
- Narrated by: Esther Wane
- Length: 1 hr and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 5
Who doesn't worry sometimes that smart phones, the Internet, and TV are robbing us of time and preventing us from having a life? How can we make the most of our time on earth? In the first century AD, the Stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger offered one of the most famous answers to that question in his essay "On the Shortness of Life"—a work that has more to teach us today than ever before.
By: Seneca, and others
-
How to Do the Right Thing
- An Ancient Guide to Treating People Fairly (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Seneca, Robert A. Kaster - editor translator introduction
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 4
There are times when we've all felt that we haven't been treated as we deserve—that we've been misjudged, shortchanged, or given a raw deal. And, at one time or another, other people have probably felt that we've treated them just as unfairly. How to Do the Right Thing draws on the principles of ancient Stoicism as articulated by the Roman statesman and philosopher Seneca to help listeners better navigate one of the most important practical questions of daily life—how to do right by others.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Unnecessary citations
- By Jose on 05-05-24
By: Seneca, and others
-
How to Say No
- An Ancient Guide to the Art of Cynicism (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Diogenes, M. D. Usher - translator
- Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
- Length: 2 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10
How to Say No is a delightful collection of brief ancient writings about Cynicism that captures all the outrageousness, wit, and wisdom of its remarkable cast of characters—from Diogenes in the fourth century BCE to the column-stander Symeon Stylites in late antiquity.
By: Diogenes, and others
-
How to Flourish
- An Ancient Guide to Living Well (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers Series)
- By: Aristotle, Susan Sauve Meyer - translator introduction
- Narrated by: Hannibal Hills
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is one of the greatest guides to human flourishing ever written, but its length and style have left many readers languishing. How to Flourish is a colloquial new translation by Susan Sauve Meyer that makes Aristotle's timeless insights about how to lead a good life more engaging and accessible than ever before.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
foundations of human deisions
- By gymmaster on 10-01-23
By: Aristotle, and others
-
Prepared
- A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios
- By: Mike Glover, Jack Carr - foreword
- Narrated by: Mike Glover, Ray Porter
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 907
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 858
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 853
Most people think that being prepared for catastrophe means stocking up on MREs and building a bunker in their backyard, but this approach leaves you vulnerable in the real world of car accidents, natural disasters, grid failures, and global pandemics. Prepared overturns today’s paranoid survival wisdom and teaches the foundational skills of preparedness that will not only help you build situational awareness and achieve greater mobility but that will also help you build resilient mental habits.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
A bit of fear mongering
- By JOHN DAVIS on 07-13-23
By: Mike Glover, and others
What listeners say about How to Tell a Joke
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anony 2112
- 12-05-23
Funny, modern translation
The performance is great and funny. Many of the jokes don’t land as we lack the cultural knowledge or language to properly place it, but the translator brings as much of Cicero’s humor to us as I’ve ever seen in a translation.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 04-17-21
Very entertaining and enlightening
Some of the quips did go over my head but I have the physical copy so I can revisit them. Very subtle humor but still holds true to today when it comes to humor. Gives you an insight on the philosophical nature of comedy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!