Of Max Eastman’s thoughtful 1936 treatise on making humor, William F. Fry, author of the new foreword, states: ＂he assumed the posture of a learned, senior mentor (at age fifty-three) sharing
knowledge and beliefs dispensed from his brain and heart.＂ The 54 chapters in eight sections meditate on such diverse topics as: how to entertain a baby, the humor handicap of being grown-up,
infant and adult laughter, the definition of wit, funny things and people, poetic humor, comical figures of speech, puns, exaggeration as a weapon, the American bled of humor, sarcasm and the
irony of fate, matrimony and humor, degrees of biring, slapstick and agressive humor, Freud and risqué humor, why truth is humorous, and how to tell good jokes from bad. Concluding the text are
the author’s ＂ten commandments of the comic arts,＂ as well as quotations from other humorists on humor. Originally published: New York: Simon and Schuster, 1936. Annotation ©2009 Book News,
Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
