NPR Laughter Therapy: A Comedy Collection for the Chronically Serious

by Peter Sagal

Looking for an alternative to the seriously reliable, soothing yet informative sound of NPR? Try NPR! Prepare to be surprised by this collection of interviews with some of the funniest personalities on the planet, and by the memorable, unbelievable news that delights NPR listeners on the 1st of April each year. Featuring comedy legends and NPR favorites:

Introduction by Peter Sagal
The World According to Stephen Colbert
OK Go’s Damian Kulash Crafts Pro Dial-Up Anthem
An Anthropologist Walks Into a Bar
Drew Carey Plays Not My Job
Roaches Drive Comedian to Bunk at Ikea
The Ups and Downs of Paula Poundstone
Phyllis Diller: Still Out for a Laugh
Starbucks’ Coffee Pipeline
Joan Rivers Hates You, Herself, and Everyone Else
New York City Preschool Starts DNA Testing for Admission
Mo Rocca’s Hard-Hitting Look at Presidential Pets
Which Supreme Court Justice Cracks the Most Jokes?
Backstage With Fred Willard and Martin Mull
Dog Talk
Eugene Levy Stays Smart, Even in the Cheapest Gag
Lunacorp to Project Images on the Moon
Mel Brooks, “Unhinged” and Loving It

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Comedy

Audiobook

First published April 16, 2013

Reviews

[Marlene · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a fan of NPR and find myself chuckling away at many of their productions. So when I found this audiobook, I was sure it would be a great break from my daily stress. And with a title like Laughter Therapy, one would consider the content to be funny. It was not. The only reason I finished it was because it had a running time of 2 hours 20 minutes. At 1.25 speed, I only had to suffer for a total of hour 45 min. Too long to be trapped in my car with a humorless audio book.

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda made our car-ride seem longer 😬😑

[Isabel Tueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love it when my nightly podcast listening counts for my goodread challenge.

[Gable Roth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book starts off by putting people down. I know it is all in jest since the whole book is about jokes and humor but it says something like "This is all about humor that those that are less intelligent will not understand." And with that, I guess I must be less intelligent. There were certainly some funny parts and the book as a whole was ok... but it wasn't on the level of Jim Gaffigan. He cracks me up. This was just an interesting collection of funny bits. Not what I was expecting. Thankfully it was short.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun! This quick read was just what I needed.

Delightful interviews with Phyllis Diller, Joan Rivers, Eugene Levy, Martin Mull, Fred Willard, Mel Brooks and others as well as original material produced by NPR like the story about LunarPro projecting advertisements on the moon and even fake constellations like the Nike swoosh. 😃

[MQR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't even sure what to expect with this The effects of such overbearance, for myself, usually are much more 'unsettling'. So the title alone on this book was definitely intriguing. Since this was something like a history of 20th century vitations...( kinda up my alley)... I definitely will visit again. Audiobook was superb.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of course some of these essays or recollections are funnier than others but it is also a look at life in middle America during the 50s (and early 60s I guess) and reflects the changing world brought on by technology, women more in the workplace, gender roles, etc. Interesting, cute and at times laugh out loud funny.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief. Not really a book, but audio format. Some of the items were funny and others really weren't that amusing. I AM one of those chronically serious people though, which is why I decided to listen to laughter therapy. I need to laugh more.

[NE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very short book that was purely for pleasure. It is essentially a hodgepodge of comedy sketches and interviews with famous comedians. It is a nice palate cleanser after any books that require much more attention and focus.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun collection of interviews with comedians and satirical "news" segments. Basically a podcast clip show in audiobook form, perfect to listen to while in the car, multitasking around the house, or when you just need a chuckle.

[Tara Blais Davison · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 I laughed during the Paula Poundstone interview, Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller and Martin Mullen interviews. The April Fools pranks were rather stale and possibly funnier in the midst of the time period in which they were meant.

[Scott Hendricks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall it was good. The interviews of the celebrities were the best part. There was some dryness to it, but maybe that’s what NPR supposed to be. It was good enough to pass the time, but would not be rushing to want to read it again.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was disappointed- this was not what I thought it was going to be. I normally love NPR stories but these were more about the psychology of and work done behind the scenes for comedy shows. They were not funny stories in and of themselves, which is what I was led to believe.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not life changing but delightful

[Heather McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lighter side to the news.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

MCPL 'Humor Me' Winter Reading Challenge
Short road trip audio listen. I enjoyed the clean clips of Paula Poundstone, Phyllis Diller, Joan Rivers, and Mel Brooks.

[Heatherterrybell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. It was fine, not my favorite

[Kelda Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

It made me laugh 50% of the time.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not a book, it’s a compilation of short interviews with comics. Some of them are fantastic. The ones that aren’t: skip em!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great interviews with Phyllis Diller, Martin Mull, Joan Rivers. Interesting look back. Funny made up news pieces.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a couple of funny bits, but mostly this is deeply unfunny.

[Melanie Kent · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to. Perhaps would have appreciated more if I were older and knew the people interviewed, but the content itself wasn’t too funny.

[Eny Fransiiska · Rating 3 out of 5]

its magic

[Kim Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyable!

[Alicia]

For 52 Books in 52 Weeks:
Not a novel

[Lisa Quenon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting yet not particularly funny.