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Shtick to Business: What the Masters of Comedy Can Teach You about Breaking Rules, Being Fearless, and Building a Serious Career
What do comedians know about killing it in business? Just ask a behavioral economist who teaches MBAs by day and decodes comedy by night. Dr. Peter McGraw —a business school professor, professional speaker, and founder of the Humor Research Lab (aka HuRL)—translates the genius and madness of the world’s funniest people into powerful prescriptions for professional success.
Drawing on cutting-edge research, case studies, and his own comedy successes (and failures), Peter reveals surprising business lessons from the masters of
The insights in Shtick to Business will help you improve innovation and outsmart the competition. You’ll build new skills—enhanced creativity, better decision-making, and a marketing mindset—to launch a business, tackle tough management problems, and build a serious career. And you’ll never have to tell a joke.
Drawing on cutting-edge research, case studies, and his own comedy successes (and failures), Peter reveals surprising business lessons from the masters of
The insights in Shtick to Business will help you improve innovation and outsmart the competition. You’ll build new skills—enhanced creativity, better decision-making, and a marketing mindset—to launch a business, tackle tough management problems, and build a serious career. And you’ll never have to tell a joke.
324 pages, Paperback
Published March 20, 2020
About the author
Peter McGraw
3 books36 followersDr. Peter McGraw is a bachelor, behavioral economist, and business school professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
He hosts the podcast Solo-The Single Person’s Guide to a Remarkable Life, he writes for Single Insights – The Science of Solos, and hosts The Solo Salon. His latest book, Solo: Building a Remarkable Life of Your Own, launches in 2024.
As a global expert on the scientific study of humor, McGraw founded the Humor Research Lab (aka HuRL) and has spent more than fifteen years examining the antecedents and consequences of humor. In 2014, he co-authored The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny. In 2020, he authored: Shtick to Business: What the Masters of Comedy can Teach You about Breaking Rules, Being Fearless, and Building a Serious Career.
As a marketing and psychology professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, McGraw has completed research that has been covered by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, BBC, TIME, CNN, Wired, and Harvard Business Review. McGraw has also written for Slate, Wired, Fortune, Huffington Post, and Psychology Today.
McGraw teaches graduate courses in Behavioral Economics for the University of Colorado, Boulder and MBA courses in Marketing Management for London Business School, University of California, San Diego’s Rady School, and University of Colorado, Boulder.
He has spoken at Fortune 500 companies, public events, and universities around the world.
He hosts the podcast Solo-The Single Person’s Guide to a Remarkable Life, he writes for Single Insights – The Science of Solos, and hosts The Solo Salon. His latest book, Solo: Building a Remarkable Life of Your Own, launches in 2024.
As a global expert on the scientific study of humor, McGraw founded the Humor Research Lab (aka HuRL) and has spent more than fifteen years examining the antecedents and consequences of humor. In 2014, he co-authored The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny. In 2020, he authored: Shtick to Business: What the Masters of Comedy can Teach You about Breaking Rules, Being Fearless, and Building a Serious Career.
As a marketing and psychology professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, McGraw has completed research that has been covered by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, BBC, TIME, CNN, Wired, and Harvard Business Review. McGraw has also written for Slate, Wired, Fortune, Huffington Post, and Psychology Today.
McGraw teaches graduate courses in Behavioral Economics for the University of Colorado, Boulder and MBA courses in Marketing Management for London Business School, University of California, San Diego’s Rady School, and University of Colorado, Boulder.
He has spoken at Fortune 500 companies, public events, and universities around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 5, 2021
Entertaining business/self-help book on applying some of the lessons of comedians to your own life, written by a professor at my local college (CU Boulder). As I'm in the twilight of my actual career, and had already picked up a lot of the personal habits along the way, I'm not sure I was the target audience, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
February 3, 2021
With the book finished and after loving McGraw's previous work, I can attest for a brand new "highly recommended." Not only does this volume very concretely summarize (and update) the theory of humor/comedy from McGraw's THE HUMOR CODE, but it also brings that theory very in tune with the competitive requirements of business and of professional careers of all kinds. 11/10 recommended.
February 18, 2023
This was an entertaining, insightful, and useful book that shows just how much we can learn from the comedy profession, even if you're not a 'proper business person' like me. McGraw draws on his knowledge and experience from his first book, The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny, and connects these with different aspects of the business world. These are added to by Shane Mauss, a professional comedian and friend of McGraw's, that adds to both the knowledge/experience side of things but also the portrayal of these as he gives his own versions and even contradicts McGraw in places (I did rather enjoy the little on page tete-a-tete these two had). Of course this is well researched and referenced where appropriate and while this is very much a book focused on being better at business, the lessons can also be used to be a better human too so regardless of whether you are a business bod or not, I would highly recommend this, even if your only takeaway is that academics do have a sense of humour.
March 28, 2021
Engaging and useful read even for non-business types
I don’t have an MBA or a small business, but I was able to apply a lot of the theories in this book to my my writing hobby and to life in general. I also liked learning about the histories and lifestyles of so many comedians.
I don’t have an MBA or a small business, but I was able to apply a lot of the theories in this book to my my writing hobby and to life in general. I also liked learning about the histories and lifestyles of so many comedians.
April 2, 2020
By emulating the funniest people, you can craft a better career and a smarter business. –Dr. Peter McGraw
This book is gold.
As a small business owner, I am constantly searching for ways to make my brand stand out, and unique approaches to “cut through the clutter” as McGraw so eloquently puts it.
As the authority on what makes things funny, Dr. Peter McGraw calls attention to innovative approaches to solving problems in business by examining them through the lens of comedy.
Through encouraging the application of comedic techniques honed by comedy masters such as: Chris Rock, Tina Fey and Joan Rivers, McGraw makes a solid case for how to get ahead in business. McGraw, the world’s leading researcher of what makes things funny, examines the practices that make comedians successful, and demonstrates how to apply those practices to business so that you can level up in your career. Whether you are a Fortune 500 executive or an entrepreneur about to launch, this book will challenge you to “think funny.”
With its witty quips and punny asides, this text is superbly crafted—I highly recommend it to anyone involved in business.
This book is gold.
As a small business owner, I am constantly searching for ways to make my brand stand out, and unique approaches to “cut through the clutter” as McGraw so eloquently puts it.
As the authority on what makes things funny, Dr. Peter McGraw calls attention to innovative approaches to solving problems in business by examining them through the lens of comedy.
Through encouraging the application of comedic techniques honed by comedy masters such as: Chris Rock, Tina Fey and Joan Rivers, McGraw makes a solid case for how to get ahead in business. McGraw, the world’s leading researcher of what makes things funny, examines the practices that make comedians successful, and demonstrates how to apply those practices to business so that you can level up in your career. Whether you are a Fortune 500 executive or an entrepreneur about to launch, this book will challenge you to “think funny.”
With its witty quips and punny asides, this text is superbly crafted—I highly recommend it to anyone involved in business.
April 5, 2020
I had never thought about the fact that comedy is one of the few things artificial intelligence can't do better than humans. Really interesting point. And that's just the first of many great connections that McGraw makes between comedy and business. He shows how comedians are risk takers, improvise, use the rule of 3 to draw attention and then surprise an audience, and dozens of other valuable ideas that will help readers be bolder in their work and interaction with others. Also, even though McGraw is a professor, his book doesn't read like a text book. It's light-hearted, engaging and with a personal touch. Bonus--the comedy playlist he provides! Enjoy this one. Especially while it's only $.99 on Kindle!
May 30, 2020
Permission to Put Yourself Out There
As a writer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur, my biggest challenge has so far been exposing myself to the world and finding my audience. This book not only gives me permission to put myself out there, it shows me how to do it, and explains how to make it work. I look forward to listening to Peter's podcast and incorporating his ideas into my daily life. Shtick to Business is also a very fun read. I recommend it to anyone with a creative spark who dreads the business side of making a living with their creativity.
As a writer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur, my biggest challenge has so far been exposing myself to the world and finding my audience. This book not only gives me permission to put myself out there, it shows me how to do it, and explains how to make it work. I look forward to listening to Peter's podcast and incorporating his ideas into my daily life. Shtick to Business is also a very fun read. I recommend it to anyone with a creative spark who dreads the business side of making a living with their creativity.
April 29, 2020
Jeremy Gutsche's twin books of Create the Future + The Innovation Handbook appears very adroit, but no so innovative. I think he refers to Peter Drucker numerous times, while the business community has listened to his wisdom for over 50 years. So Gutsche offers some sound advice in a disjointed manner. I found the many graphics annoying and disruptive. Overall I found this to be old wine in a very colorful new bottle.
May 31, 2020
I've been a fan of McGraw's work for the last couple of years because his intersection of interests are similar to my own.
This book is a fun, easy read where you get a venn diagram of success in comedy, success in business and what you can do to zone in on how it applies to you.
Read it.
This book is a fun, easy read where you get a venn diagram of success in comedy, success in business and what you can do to zone in on how it applies to you.
Read it.
December 8, 2020
Good read on business relevant lessons from comedians.
January 6, 2025
Fascinating book.
Enjoyed the anecdotes about comedy and business.
Enjoyed the anecdotes about comedy and business.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews