A Lobotomy Patient's guide to joke writing, performing, and selling. An entertaining, easy to follow text and workbook that offers a comprehensive step by step formula for creating jokes as well as performing a stand-up routine. Class room tested exercises for defining your stage character. Are you an observer (Jerry Seinfeld), aggressor (Don Rickles), victim (Rodney Dangerfield), or alien (Steven Wright). Afraid of that blank piece of paper? This is the only "how t...

Following the success of his New York Times bestselling memoir Stories I Only Tell My Friends, acclaimed actor Rob Lowe returns with Love Life—a funny, heartfelt, and deeply personal collection of stories that “invites readers into his world with easy charm and disarming frankness” (Kirkus Reviews).In Love Life, Lowe continues to pull back the curtain on his life in Hollywood, delivering a candid and often hilarious take...

From the author of the highly acclaimed heavy metal memoir, Fargo Rock City, comes another hilarious and discerning take on massively popular culture—set in Chuck Klosterman’s den and your own—covering everything from the effect of John Cusack flicks to the crucial role of breakfast cereal to the awesome power of the Dixie Chicks.Countless writers and artists have spoken for a generation, but no one has done it quite like Chuck Klosterman. With an exhausti...

This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat!

In this hilarious and highly practical book, author and professional speaker Scott Berkun reveals the techniques behind what great communicators do, and shows how anyone can learn to use them well. For managers and teachers -- and anyone else who talks and expects someone to listen -- Confessions of a Public Speaker provides an insider's perspective on how to effectively present ideas to anyone. It's a unique, entertaining, and instructional romp through the embarrassments and tri...

Demonstrates what constitutes a good performance, what actors want from a director, what directors do wrong and more.

"Fascination . . . the most powerful of product attachments . . . this pioneering book helps us approach . . . the concept in a thoughtful . . . practical manner." —Tom Peters, national bestselling author of In Search of ExcellenceIn an oversaturated culture defined by limited time and focus, how do we draw attention to our messages, our ideas, and our products when we only have seconds to compete?Award-winning consultant and speaker Sally Hogshead t...

In Eminent Hipsters, musician and songwriter Donald Fagen, best known as the co-founder of the rock band Steely Dan, presents an autobiographical portrait that touches on everything from the cultural figures that mattered the most to him as a teenager, to his years in the late 1960s at Bard College, to a hilarious account of a recent tour he made with Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald.Fagen begins by introducing the 'eminent hipsters' that spoke to him as he was growing up (...

An invaluable guide on how to "lighten up" from a distinguished pro who has provided laughs for JAY LENO, BILLY CRYSTAL, STEVE MARTIN, ROBIN WILLIAMS, BRAD GARRETT, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, AND MANY MORE.Who hasn't wished for the perfect withering comeback line, a clever tension-breaking quip, or a winning flirtatious remark? Being funny is hard work and not everyone is a natural. How to Be Funny is a witty guide that teaches readers precisely how to be funnier in...

What really separates the best from the rest?We all know that it takes hard work, dedication, and the occasional dose of luck for someone to make it to the top of their chosen field. Yet, we also suspect that it takes a little something more—but what?The Art of Doing asks today’s most successful celebrities, businessmen, and iconoclastic achievers, “How do you succeed at what you do?” Illuminating, surprising, and profoundly inspiring, interviewees include:• 30 Rock S...

Get the core knowledge of a prestigious MFA education without the tuition.Have you always wanted to get an MFA, but couldn't because of the cost, time commitment, or admission requirements?Well now you can fulfill that dream without having to devote tons of money or time. The Portable MFA gives you all of the essential information you would learn in the MFA program in one book. Covering fiction, memoirs, personal essays, magazine articles, poetry, ...

Many people can write. But writing well enough to get published takes hours of practice, the ability to take criticism, and expert advice. Filled with stories and tips from published authors, this easy-to-use guide teaches you the basics of the writing craft. Whether you want to create poems or plays, children's books or online blogs, romance novels or a memoir, you'll learn to write more effectively and creatively. Published author, editor, and PR consultant Wendy Burt-Thomas