A book about jokes, and why we tell them

My first book (way back in 2004) was a wide-ranging survey of jokes and their place in our culture. I wrote it with the collaboration of up-and-coming young comedian Jimmy Carr. I always relish the challenge of blending the learned with the light-hearted, and making obscure academic concepts broadly accessible. From theories about the function of laughter in evolutionary psychology, via Freud and Bergson to Lenny Bruce and Stewart Lee, with a whole bunch of playground humour and a joke on every page: this is the book that thanks God it was written in a lull between culture wars (and prior to a few awkward tax scandals).

Now a staple of downstairs loos across the UK, it was warmly received by the critics and bought by lots of people as a Christmas gift for their uncles and nephews.

Please enjoy some of my favourite customer reviews of The Naked Jape. Thank you to all its readers, both lovers and haters. Every sale is sacred.