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Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humour: A Lifetime Collection of Favourite Jokes, Anecdotes and Limericks with Copious Notes on How to Tell Them and Why
First published in 1972. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
431 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1971
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,367 books28.4k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 23, 2011
Dr. A's tome is as interesting for what it tells us about changes in humor since 1971 as information about the forming and presentation of jokes. As usual his work is informative and easy to read, and equally typical for his non-fiction work padded with personal references and editorial asides. Some readers will object; I find it adds to the fun of reading him.
Amazing how many "current" jokes were old stand bys forty years ago.
I especially liked his dipping into material from as early as the Greek republics.
Based on personal experience, I see no support for Asimov's hope that the quality of jokes (relative to ethnicity and gender imbalances) have improved since 1971. If anything, our humor is less erudite and more (what he would call) "raunchy", for reasons he anticipates in his discussions of the best milieu for telling and listening to jokes.
A fun read.
Amazing how many "current" jokes were old stand bys forty years ago.
I especially liked his dipping into material from as early as the Greek republics.
Based on personal experience, I see no support for Asimov's hope that the quality of jokes (relative to ethnicity and gender imbalances) have improved since 1971. If anything, our humor is less erudite and more (what he would call) "raunchy", for reasons he anticipates in his discussions of the best milieu for telling and listening to jokes.
A fun read.
December 13, 2018
Asimov’s Treasury of Humor, Isaac Asimov, 1971, 420pp., ISBN 0395126657
640 numbered jokes.
Asimov also tells us what makes a joke funny in concept—a sudden change in point of view, ideally in the last syllable of the joke—and gives advice on how to tell a joke, the difference between telling and writing a joke (p. 58, after joke 55), on joke-listening etiquette, and on when to stop. Asimov was quite the joke-teller, both in small groups and on the after-dinner platform, where he was a sought-after and frequent speaker.
Virtually all the jokes that mention a woman are misogynistic. Asimov admits, “If I were to refuse to tell any jokes in which women were unfairly treated, I would scarcely be able to tell a single joke that involved women at all, and I simply cannot carry my idealism that far.” (p. 77, after joke 79)
Asimov tells us about gambling: “My father said, ‘Thank God you lost.’ He was probably right. Winning first time might have hooked me. As it was, I never played again.” (pp. 82-83, joke 88)
Asimov mentions words and phrases that have changed meaning. “How many times have you heard the phrase ‘The exception proves the rule’ used to argue that a rule is all the stronger and more meaningful when you can point out times when it may be broken? The phrase, however, uses the word ‘prove’ in its older meaning of ‘test.’ Closer to the real meaning is, ‘The exception probes (investigates the validity and finds it wanting) the rule.’” (p. 93, between jokes 108 and 109)
I laughed longest at numbers 307 and 584. (Which tells you something about me, but nothing about whether you will laugh.) I laughed at numbers 1-6, 12-30, 32, 35, 41, 44, 46-52, 54-57, 62-66, 68, 73, 76-83, 89, 98-99, 104-106, 108, 110 (I know what God looks like)–112 (uselessness of education), 114-115, 118-119, 123-125, 129, 132, 136-138, 140, 142 footnote–144, 147, 150-151, 154, 159, 160, (July 20, 1969), 164, 167-168, 170, 177-178, 180, 182-183, 186, 188-189, 199, 204-205, 207-209, (Mark Twain is Asimov’s favorite writer: he always had the right word.), 214-215, 219-228, 236, 238, 241, (kids bring home puns with the zeal, and the effect, of a cat bringing in a dead mouse p. 171), 246.9, 247, 252, 254-255, 257-262, 264-268, 270-275, 277-279, 281, 283, 295-299, 301-303, 307, 313, 316-317, 319, 322-323, 326-331, 333, 345-346, 350.5, 353-359, 361-368, 370-371, 385, 387, 389-390, 392, 394-395, 397-398, 401, 405-408, 410, 412, 414-415, 418, (419 to Boston hospital: “to hell with the Pope!”), 422, 426, 432, 435, 438-440, 442-446, 448-451, 454, 456.5-458, 462-463, 465, 467-472, 475, 477-482, 184.5-485, 487, 492, 494-497, 499, 503-504, 508-510, 526, 545, 554, 565-570, 573-575, 578-579, 582-586, 593-594, 596-600, 610, 615-619, 621, 623-625, 635-640. Your mileage will vary. Part of what makes a joke funny is, you haven’t heard it before.
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640 numbered jokes.
Asimov also tells us what makes a joke funny in concept—a sudden change in point of view, ideally in the last syllable of the joke—and gives advice on how to tell a joke, the difference between telling and writing a joke (p. 58, after joke 55), on joke-listening etiquette, and on when to stop. Asimov was quite the joke-teller, both in small groups and on the after-dinner platform, where he was a sought-after and frequent speaker.
Virtually all the jokes that mention a woman are misogynistic. Asimov admits, “If I were to refuse to tell any jokes in which women were unfairly treated, I would scarcely be able to tell a single joke that involved women at all, and I simply cannot carry my idealism that far.” (p. 77, after joke 79)
Asimov tells us about gambling: “My father said, ‘Thank God you lost.’ He was probably right. Winning first time might have hooked me. As it was, I never played again.” (pp. 82-83, joke 88)
Asimov mentions words and phrases that have changed meaning. “How many times have you heard the phrase ‘The exception proves the rule’ used to argue that a rule is all the stronger and more meaningful when you can point out times when it may be broken? The phrase, however, uses the word ‘prove’ in its older meaning of ‘test.’ Closer to the real meaning is, ‘The exception probes (investigates the validity and finds it wanting) the rule.’” (p. 93, between jokes 108 and 109)
I laughed longest at numbers 307 and 584. (Which tells you something about me, but nothing about whether you will laugh.) I laughed at numbers 1-6, 12-30, 32, 35, 41, 44, 46-52, 54-57, 62-66, 68, 73, 76-83, 89, 98-99, 104-106, 108, 110 (I know what God looks like)–112 (uselessness of education), 114-115, 118-119, 123-125, 129, 132, 136-138, 140, 142 footnote–144, 147, 150-151, 154, 159, 160, (July 20, 1969), 164, 167-168, 170, 177-178, 180, 182-183, 186, 188-189, 199, 204-205, 207-209, (Mark Twain is Asimov’s favorite writer: he always had the right word.), 214-215, 219-228, 236, 238, 241, (kids bring home puns with the zeal, and the effect, of a cat bringing in a dead mouse p. 171), 246.9, 247, 252, 254-255, 257-262, 264-268, 270-275, 277-279, 281, 283, 295-299, 301-303, 307, 313, 316-317, 319, 322-323, 326-331, 333, 345-346, 350.5, 353-359, 361-368, 370-371, 385, 387, 389-390, 392, 394-395, 397-398, 401, 405-408, 410, 412, 414-415, 418, (419 to Boston hospital: “to hell with the Pope!”), 422, 426, 432, 435, 438-440, 442-446, 448-451, 454, 456.5-458, 462-463, 465, 467-472, 475, 477-482, 184.5-485, 487, 492, 494-497, 499, 503-504, 508-510, 526, 545, 554, 565-570, 573-575, 578-579, 582-586, 593-594, 596-600, 610, 615-619, 621, 623-625, 635-640. Your mileage will vary. Part of what makes a joke funny is, you haven’t heard it before.
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January 23, 2012
Amazing insight from Asimov into why we laugh at a joke, with loads of annotations.
Also the best all-rounder collection of jokes I have ever encountered, some short, some long, and a whole section on bawdy jokes. Unbeatable in this category. Almost encyclopaedic, like Asimov's mind itself.
By the way, he includes one real-life anecdote where he asked a fellow writer, "When will your next book be coming out?" and the response to the prolific Asimov was, "And when will your next book not be coming out?"
Also the best all-rounder collection of jokes I have ever encountered, some short, some long, and a whole section on bawdy jokes. Unbeatable in this category. Almost encyclopaedic, like Asimov's mind itself.
By the way, he includes one real-life anecdote where he asked a fellow writer, "When will your next book be coming out?" and the response to the prolific Asimov was, "And when will your next book not be coming out?"
October 16, 2013
The author ststed that he would provide commentary about humor and why certain jokes were funny,
I read the first 95 jokes. They provided me with not one funny joke, not even one single chuckle.
Often, I found myself continuing to read along after the joke had ended and right into his commentary about why the joke was funny.
I missed the humor, and punch line, time and time again.
Didn't bother finishing it.
I read the first 95 jokes. They provided me with not one funny joke, not even one single chuckle.
Often, I found myself continuing to read along after the joke had ended and right into his commentary about why the joke was funny.
I missed the humor, and punch line, time and time again.
Didn't bother finishing it.
March 1, 2008
More than just a joke book, Asimov takes a deeper look at what humor is and how it's constructed. Every kind of joke is covered along with advice on how to tell it, timing, etiquette, choice of words, etc. People still don't laugh at my jokes, but at least now I know that it's their fault, not mine.
December 14, 2016
A joke book interspersed with the author's ideas about the nature of humor, what situations and audiences best appreciate different types of jokes, and how jokes have developed over time.
November 1, 2016
Given that this is a collection of 640 jokes are not original with Asimov, it is not surprising that there are many that the reader will have heard. Most likely some of them several times over. Yet, like the great song, a good joke can still make us laugh when repeated.
Most of the jokes have been in circulation for some time, so the reader will often recognize the basic plot of the joke, even when it has been altered. Nearly all are clean enough to say in front of children, although due to the often subtle nature of the humor, this is adult comedy.
Asimov includes copious notes on the background of the jokes as well as how deliver them and the best context. In keeping with Asimov’s deep background of knowledge, there are some jokes that the general reader will not understand.
The eleven categories are:
*) Anticlimax
*) Shaggy Dog
*) Paradox
*) Put-down
*) Word Play
*) Tables Turned
*) Jewish
*) Ethnic
*) Religion
*) Marriage
*) Bawdy
The jokes are also indexed based on number and subject matter, making this a valuable reference for someone needing a joke for a specific occasion.
Most of the jokes have been in circulation for some time, so the reader will often recognize the basic plot of the joke, even when it has been altered. Nearly all are clean enough to say in front of children, although due to the often subtle nature of the humor, this is adult comedy.
Asimov includes copious notes on the background of the jokes as well as how deliver them and the best context. In keeping with Asimov’s deep background of knowledge, there are some jokes that the general reader will not understand.
The eleven categories are:
*) Anticlimax
*) Shaggy Dog
*) Paradox
*) Put-down
*) Word Play
*) Tables Turned
*) Jewish
*) Ethnic
*) Religion
*) Marriage
*) Bawdy
The jokes are also indexed based on number and subject matter, making this a valuable reference for someone needing a joke for a specific occasion.
March 21, 2012
Not just entertaining, but insightful and informative as well. Asimov almost comes off as arrogant as he very frankly explains why we laugh and what is funny, and offers examples from his own formidable collection. And in the end, if he is being arrogant, he absolutely earns it. His analysis of humor is spot on and I find myself referencing it frequently in conversation. I was also delighted to read several jokes that are still around today, both mutated ones and those that are still in tact. Unfortunately some of the jokes are now a bit dated, and some, like those in the chapter on Jewish humor, are a bit inaccessible to the uninitiated. They are still worth reading, however, for the further insight into why they are funny.
July 18, 2009
Some amusing jokes and stories. This was fun to read in stages.
June 21, 2018
"The best joke book."
May 7, 2026
Maybe 1 in 10 jokes are amusing; 1 in 50 are actually funny. The commentary between jokes is absolutely unnecessary and completely tedious. Lots of the jokes are really anecdotes that happened to Asimov himself; this book is thus unintentionally autobiographical. There is a lot of self-aggrandizement in these jokes. It comes as no surprise to read that Asimov thought only two people surpassed his intellect: Carl Sagan and Marvin Minsky. There is a lot of this arrogant awkwardness in this book. There's also some weirdness throughout, like this story Asimov relates about his daughter:
???
When my daughter was eleven, her mother took her shopping and, among other things, bought her a nightgown. My daughter was in great excitement over it, and although it was well past her bedtime when they arrived home, nothing would do but that she model it for me at once. She put it on, rushed into the living room, and pirouetted for me. I nodded my approval. "Very sexy, Robyn," I said. "Very sexy." She stared at me in great annoyance. "Very sexy? she said. "What good is it look very sexy when you're going to bed?"
???
February 9, 2026
If this wasn't an Asimov book I wouldn't have finished it. I have a lot more patience as I try to read through his 100's and 100's of published books. Some of it is among the best I've ever read that open my mind to knew experiences and thoughts. Some of it is like this and is dated and not really beneficial other than to earn him a paycheck. My favorite as always is when he talks about himself and the little funny anecdotes. The written jokes themselves weren't great. There were whole sections on Jewish and ethnic jokes that I didn't get too much out of. Can't win them all I guess. It was interesting to see some of the jokes that have been around quite some time and Asimov did give a few useful tips on the how of joke telling. Just not enough good to make it worth your time.
July 11, 2018
Well, I love Isaac Asimov, but this book is a little lame. The jokes are dated - the book was published in the early 70s - and his explanations of why a particular joke is funny are overly long and tedious. But, really, Isaac Asimov and humor is a strange combination so I didn't know what to expect. So R.I.P. Isaac Asimov. I loved everything else I've read of yours!
August 23, 2024
The jokes are old a\. But I gave it in top rating because the important part of the book is the dialogue about how to tell,a joke. Textile it and more books can be sold,
Isaac Asimov is my hero. He must have been a great teacher. I don’t know how he produces so much work.
Isaac Asimov is my hero. He must have been a great teacher. I don’t know how he produces so much work.
July 13, 2021
Instructions on how to tell jokes and offering of categorized jokes interspersed with tales from his life.
January 9, 2017
A little more old-fashioned than Asimov Laughs Again. Enjoyable, but not as relatable to me.
May 12, 2020
Still in the process of reading it - I'm barely 10% through. So far, it seems a little too clean, in contrast to the next joke book (which I read first).
The thing is, the dirty book made him seem like a lecher, but it also showed him as rather a normal, genuine person. If it weren't for the fact that he's old, he wouldn't have seemed like a lecher. I enjoyed getting to know him and his family. This book seems so restrained and impersonal (so far) that I'm not at all sure there'll be much about Asimov the man in it. I never realized I wanted to get to know him!
Finished reading - 3.5 stars
Quite nice! I will admit, though, that I enjoyed the bawdy section more than others. Didn't get a lot of the race/history/Jew jokes. The book was too long, and had too many jokes. I was also frustrated by my inability to tell any of the jokes - which kind of made the book a waste of time.
The thing is, the dirty book made him seem like a lecher, but it also showed him as rather a normal, genuine person. If it weren't for the fact that he's old, he wouldn't have seemed like a lecher. I enjoyed getting to know him and his family. This book seems so restrained and impersonal (so far) that I'm not at all sure there'll be much about Asimov the man in it. I never realized I wanted to get to know him!
Finished reading - 3.5 stars
Quite nice! I will admit, though, that I enjoyed the bawdy section more than others. Didn't get a lot of the race/history/Jew jokes. The book was too long, and had too many jokes. I was also frustrated by my inability to tell any of the jokes - which kind of made the book a waste of time.
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October 26, 2011I pulled this off the shelf because I was looking for a citation for the joke that ends "The chef says he refuses to butcher an entire elephant just for one cutlet."
I've puzzled through the index (which confusingly refers to joke numbers rather than page numbers), and I think that joke is not in this book. But since I've hauled the thing down, I might as well read it again. I think it may be where I first encountered many other classic jokes, if not the one I was looking for.
Yes, there are several of the classics, and some I've encountered elsewhere. A useful compendium, worthy of a better index.
But not anything like unabridged. And it's somewhat dated, of course. Isaac Asimov was born in 1920, and would have mostly been telling jokes up until the early 1970s, probably. He seldom revisited things he'd written, since he was often off on another four or five books by then.
An updated version would be worthwhile, and one that's not quite so cuturally outdated.
I've puzzled through the index (which confusingly refers to joke numbers rather than page numbers), and I think that joke is not in this book. But since I've hauled the thing down, I might as well read it again. I think it may be where I first encountered many other classic jokes, if not the one I was looking for.
Yes, there are several of the classics, and some I've encountered elsewhere. A useful compendium, worthy of a better index.
But not anything like unabridged. And it's somewhat dated, of course. Isaac Asimov was born in 1920, and would have mostly been telling jokes up until the early 1970s, probably. He seldom revisited things he'd written, since he was often off on another four or five books by then.
An updated version would be worthwhile, and one that's not quite so cuturally outdated.
July 6, 2012
This book may be easily described as a text book for those who want to write on humor. Isaac Asimov, the author, has mastered the art of humor and has systematized the creation and expression of humor stories or jokes. His classification of humor stories is very informative.
The author's interlocutory remarks are no doubt educative but for a casual leader they are redundant. Knowing this the author suggests to skip them if the reader feels like that but also warns that the reader is likely to miss something valuable. He is right; but I admit that I could not resist the temptation to skip in some places.
A few jokes do not measure up to what may be called 'good standard'; had I edited it, the size of the book would have been reduced to half of it. No doubt, an interesting book.
June 4, 2015
Es como un libro de chistes escrito por Arévalo tras conseguir su doctorado en bioquímica. 640 chistes de los que hay 5 salvables. Y lo peor, con diferencia, aguantar los consejos de Asimov para contarlos con más "gracia", desmenuzando y analizándolos de manera bastante inane. Eso cuando deja de echarse flores y de fardar. Ejemplo: "Estábamos en una cena y por algún motivo yo estaba en la cabecera de la mesa (en realidad el motivo es que yo era el invitado de honor)[...]"
No, doctor Asimov, no es usted bueno en todo lo que hace. De hecho en varias facetas (incluyendo la de escritor de novela larga de ficción, en mi poco popular opinión) es inferior a la media.
No, doctor Asimov, no es usted bueno en todo lo que hace. De hecho en varias facetas (incluyendo la de escritor de novela larga de ficción, en mi poco popular opinión) es inferior a la media.
January 14, 2010
This is an awesome completely dry analytical view of humor for the complete nerd!!! I read it in HS instead of attending one of my classes that was completely and incredibly boring and I don't regret missing that class in the slightest! This book is really quite entertaining for the detail oriented mind with an interest in humor analysis.
July 17, 2012
Asmimovs Science fiction novels have dated well and feel as fresh and relevant today as when they were written.
Unfortunatly, his humour hasn't and this book feels really dated. Admittedly lots of the jokes/anecdotes relate to the Jewish religion/ way of life, which I know very little about, but I get the sense that even then I'm not sure If I'd find it funny.
Unfortunatly, his humour hasn't and this book feels really dated. Admittedly lots of the jokes/anecdotes relate to the Jewish religion/ way of life, which I know very little about, but I get the sense that even then I'm not sure If I'd find it funny.
August 21, 2009
The Good Doctor presents a collection of jokes,anecdotes, and limericks, with accompanying criticism of how they work (or don't).
September 20, 2016
I found this little gem while browzing books at a yard sale. Loved it!
March 6, 2009
In anyone's hands but Asimov's, I'd probably rate this a 2.
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August 30, 2018Great
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews