Comedy High

by Stephen Manes

From the author of Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days!, hilarious satire about growing up contrarian in an all-American Bright lights! Dancing girls! Cheap eats! Gambling (but only if you're over 21). Sun! Fun! The world's third-largest man-made volcano! What more could a guy ask for?Plenty. Ivan Zellner and his father have just moved to Carmody, Nevada. It calls itself "The Future Entertainment Capital of the World." Ivan calls it "the toilet bowl." To him, the tacky town is an endless traffic jam full of tourists in search of cheap thrills and quick bucks. The air smells like rotten eggs. The tap water can make you sick. And the new high school, in a remodeled hotel, offers courses in performing, sports, hospitality, gambling and comedy--not, Ivan suspects, the finest preparation for college.Home? To Ivan, Carmody seems more like an alien planet. But when he meets other kids who feel the same was, a funny thing happens on the way to high school--in fact, lots of funny things in a Labor Day weekend like no other. Once more, the blisteringly funny pen of Stephen Manes has produced a totally original, totally hilarious slice of American life. It's a sure Comedy High is high comedy

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 1992

About the author

Stephen Manes (born 1949) wrote the "Digital Tools" column that appeared in every issue of Forbes until recently when he took a break. He is expected to return in the future. He is also co-host and co-executive editor of the public television series "PC World's Digital Duo," a program he helped create.

Manes was previously the Personal Computers columnist for the Science Times section of The New York Times and a regular columnist for InformationWeek. He has been on the technology beat since 1982 as a columnist and contributing editor for PC Magazine, PC/Computing, PC Sources, PCjr, and Netguide. The now defunct Marketing Computers named him one of the four most influential writers about the computer industry and called him "a strong critical voice."

From April 1995 to December 2008, he also wrote the "Full Disclosure" column, anchoring the back page of PC World.

Manes is coauthor of the best-selling and definitive biography Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry--and Made Himself the Richest Man in America. He also wrote The Complete MCI Mail Handbook and programmed much of the Starfixer and UnderGround WordStar software packages.

Manes is also the author of more than 30 books for children and young adults, including the Publishers Weekly bestseller Make Four Million Dollars by Next Thursday! and the award-winning Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days!, which was adapted for the public television series Wonderworks. His books include the cult favorites Chicken Trek and The Obnoxious Jerks and have won a commendation from the National Science Foundation, International Reading Association Children's Choice awards, and kid-voted awards in five states. His writing credits also include television programs produced by ABC Television and KCET/Los Angeles and the 70s classic 20th Century-Fox movie Mother, Jugs & Speed.

Manes is currently serving his fourth term as an elected member of the National Council of the Authors Guild, the country's oldest organization of book authors. Born and raised in the hills of Pittsburgh, he now lives in hillier Seattle.

Reviews

[Stephanie Franklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes, you just need to revisit a book and remind yourself that your taste in books wasn't all that great. Still, it was a nice palate cleanser.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading this book in middle school and it made me wish I grew up in a town that could be called a Planet of the Weird if only the town's economy didn't hinge upon gambling and bars. The characters teach a relatively healthy perspective about the alcohol and gambling environment and manage to avoid the vices in excess while working in the adult gaming industry. It's still a little seedy in places just because the setting is decorated with these elements. Also, it's a bit light on comedy writing education, rather just telling kids cracking jokes is a remedy for a life situation that stresses you out. Dear kids: If you want to learn to write comedy, get a Twitter account to post jokes on when not practicing with friends (or if you are just shy but want to meet comedians!) and read Comedy Writing Step By Step by Gene Perret. Also, you don't have to perform in bars anymore and can make Youtube videos or perform at bookstores or library open mics for immediate audience reactions. But the book is very funny much like Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days. I was hoping for more reviews here to jog my memory!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ivan is not thrilled to move to Carmody, Nevada. And all the hype from his cousin and the city boosters has not convinced him that he can expect much of an education from the new high school that is being built in one of the older town casinos.

So, this is a book about changing attitudes, and there is no preaching. In fact, you'll enjoy that Ivan and his friends seem to be a lot more concerned about the quality of their education than the people who are supposed to be teaching them.

Carmody is an interesting city, and Ivan may never get used to the heat, but he does come to appreciate the different approach his fellow citizens take to life. It is all a gamble, after all.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

What.