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The Tao of Comedy: Embrace the Pause
There are a lot of stand-up comedy books out there. This book is like none of them. It is about the Art of Comedy, the Zen of Comedy, the Tao of Comedy. It is comedy from the soul instead of the head. It is about Ego-less comedy. Don’t Act. Be. You don’t do standup comedy; it does you.
- GenresComedyNonfictionWriting
324 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 20, 2014
Bobbie Oliver quotes comedian Garry Shandling as saying - It’s like taking a Buddhist temple bell, an authentic, two-thousand-year-old bell, ringing it and going, “Can you tell me why that rings so purely?” Because it’s the real thing.
This aptly describes her own book; it rings deep and true because it is based in the reality of learned truth, compassion, the way, in hard experience all anchored in authenticity, integrity and artistry.
I would have to say that for me personally, this is the best overall book on comedy I’ve ever read. This book touches upon aspects of comedy you don’t often ever hear discussed such as spirit, integrity, philosophy, ethics, and authenticity. This is a book written by an artist for those who consider comedy an art as I do, and I love how she delves into the tension between commerce and artistic expression. I enjoy that she treats her readers with respect, she’s honest and forthright but also considerate and clear. She explains WHY you need to do things, she just doesn’t tell you what to do.
I’ve been doing comedy over three years now, just now getting paid doing showcases and this book gave me guidance, hope, inspiration, useable techniques and overall strategy. It spoke to me in a voice I understood and was willing to trust and articulated things that rang true to my own personal experience. Her example embodies the comedian, teacher and person I would like to grow into being more like.
This book gives me confidence that I’ve been going about it the right way, that finding your voice and persona is really all about being true to yourself. On page one of the preface, Bobbie opens with, “Your comedy, your art, is an invitation to your Self. I have chosen to follow comedy as a spiritual path. What religion and I? I am comic.” Amen sister!
I also loved this passage from page two, “I also put forth this book as an answer to the people who have brought comedy down to the level of bullying. There is an ever-growing tangent of comics who use their position to be mean for the sake of being mean...I choose a nobler profession than Bully. I choose Social Philosopher. I choose Advocate for those without a microphone. I choose Artist and Seeker.” I feel like Bobbie is also an advocate for us who like her possess integrity, authenticity, have something to say and not just something to sell. She speaks for me and to me.
The biggest surprise and what she emphasizes the most, is the pause. The effective use of silence and pauses. I’m really getting how melodic and musical comedy can be, always knew that but to have it explicitly expressed and analyzed is an eye opener and real advantage. Slow down, enjoy the now.
Just a real gem and joy of a book! I’ve never been to a comedy workshop before, but I can’t imagine there would be anyone else I would even consider going to after reading her book!
This aptly describes her own book; it rings deep and true because it is based in the reality of learned truth, compassion, the way, in hard experience all anchored in authenticity, integrity and artistry.
I would have to say that for me personally, this is the best overall book on comedy I’ve ever read. This book touches upon aspects of comedy you don’t often ever hear discussed such as spirit, integrity, philosophy, ethics, and authenticity. This is a book written by an artist for those who consider comedy an art as I do, and I love how she delves into the tension between commerce and artistic expression. I enjoy that she treats her readers with respect, she’s honest and forthright but also considerate and clear. She explains WHY you need to do things, she just doesn’t tell you what to do.
I’ve been doing comedy over three years now, just now getting paid doing showcases and this book gave me guidance, hope, inspiration, useable techniques and overall strategy. It spoke to me in a voice I understood and was willing to trust and articulated things that rang true to my own personal experience. Her example embodies the comedian, teacher and person I would like to grow into being more like.
This book gives me confidence that I’ve been going about it the right way, that finding your voice and persona is really all about being true to yourself. On page one of the preface, Bobbie opens with, “Your comedy, your art, is an invitation to your Self. I have chosen to follow comedy as a spiritual path. What religion and I? I am comic.” Amen sister!
I also loved this passage from page two, “I also put forth this book as an answer to the people who have brought comedy down to the level of bullying. There is an ever-growing tangent of comics who use their position to be mean for the sake of being mean...I choose a nobler profession than Bully. I choose Social Philosopher. I choose Advocate for those without a microphone. I choose Artist and Seeker.” I feel like Bobbie is also an advocate for us who like her possess integrity, authenticity, have something to say and not just something to sell. She speaks for me and to me.
The biggest surprise and what she emphasizes the most, is the pause. The effective use of silence and pauses. I’m really getting how melodic and musical comedy can be, always knew that but to have it explicitly expressed and analyzed is an eye opener and real advantage. Slow down, enjoy the now.
Just a real gem and joy of a book! I’ve never been to a comedy workshop before, but I can’t imagine there would be anyone else I would even consider going to after reading her book!
May 21, 2021
This book is a refreshing look at standup comedy. Bobbie walks you through gathering ideas, honing them, and bringing them to the stage. She's the first person who has ever told me to literally write pauses into jokes. I look forward to implementing!
January 26, 2023
Fantastic book full of practical comedy advice and I love her philosophy of comedy. A great mix of meditation and exploration of what comedy is and can be. I’ll be passing this one around for sure
June 30, 2023
This is a good book for you if you area true beginner in comedy. If you are still looking to do your first open mic, there are some good pointers in here. The Tao part of it is really emphasized which was something I wasn't really interested in. I would have liked to see more technical advice on writing and performing comedy.
January 16, 2019
Total comedy game changer.
June 16, 2023
The best comedy book I’ve read, hands down.
November 16, 2023
Can’t wait to reread. Honestly if you have any interest in stand-up comedy, this is the book to read
March 4, 2018
I think this is the best book on standup I have read yet. The author evokes many of the feelings so familiar to those who have performed standup and puts them in context. She also writes so eloquently about the power of pauses as to make me eager to add more space to my own sets and keep digging for genuine self expression. There's not a lot of writing advice here, but she is great on finding the optimal state of mind for performance. Highly recommended for aspiring comedians.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews