Podium Humor: A Raconteur's Treasury of Witty and Humorous Stories

by James C. Humes

In this book, a well-known speech writer and brilliant public speaker explains how to use humor effectively in speeches for every occasion and for any type of audience. Included are more than 600 humorous stories and anecdotes from the author's own collection -- stories and anecdotes that anyone can use to enliven a speech.

In Part One of "Podium Humor," the author discusses from the speaker's standpoint as well as from that of the audience. With numerous examples he explains what humor is made of, what triggers laughter, how to tell a story, and how to use humor to build suspense. From the basics supplied by the author, you learn how to develop your own humorous stories to suit your individual needs.

Part Two of the book features a cross-indexed collection of humor: anecdotes, stories, and one-liners on many topical subjects. The author shows you how to work these humorous pieces into your speech by suggesting "lead-in" lines for particular stories plus "bridge" lines to return to the main sppech.

Whether you wish to use humor to start or end a speech, to illustrate a point, or to establish rapport with an audience, "Podium Humor" will give you practical, easy-to-follow advice and a wealth of humorous material for use in your next speech.

Paperback

First published April 28, 1994

About the author

James C. Humes was Ronald Reagan's speechwriter. He also wrote speeches for George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon and Dwight Eisenhower. He has served as a communications advisor to major U.S. corporations, including IBM and DuPont. He is the author of twenty-three other books.

Reviews

[LAMONT D]

From my personal library: I read this years ago but did not use any of the material that I recall. I did mark a handful of items that I found humorous at the time. There are two parts to the book. Part one the author discusses humor from the speaker's standpoint. Part two the book as a collection of humor in various forms.