How to Tell a Joke: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Humor (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers)
Language: English
Published by Princeton University Press, 2021
- Hardcover
- Used

Seller: Greenworld Books, arlington, TX, U.S.A.Greenworld Books
AbeBooks seller since June 20, 2025
Condition: Used - Good
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Fast Free Shipping – Good condition. It may show normal signs of use, such as light writing, highlighting, or library markings, but all pages are intact and the book is fully readable. A solid, complete copy that's ready to enjoy.
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- Title
- How to Tell a Joke: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Humor (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers)
- Author
- Cicero, Marcus Tullius
- Publisher
- Princeton University Press
- Publication year
- 2021
- Condition
- good
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0691206163
- ISBN 13
- 9780691206165
- Series
- Book 16 of 46: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers
Timeless advice about how to use humor to win over any audience
Can jokes win a hostile room, a hopeless argument, or even an election? You bet they can, according to Cicero, and he knew what he was talking about. One of Rome’s greatest politicians, speakers, and lawyers, Cicero was also reputedly one of antiquity’s funniest people. After he was elected commander-in-chief and head of state, his enemies even started calling him “the stand-up Consul.” How to Tell a Joke provides a lively new translation of Cicero’s essential writing on humor alongside that of the later Roman orator and educator Quintilian. The result is a timeless practical guide to how a well-timed joke can win over any audience.
As powerful as jokes can be, they are also hugely risky. The line between a witty joke and an offensive one isn’t always clear. Cross it and you’ll look like a clown, or worse. Here, Cicero and Quintilian explore every aspect of telling jokes―while avoiding costly mistakes. Presenting the sections on humor in Cicero’s On the Ideal Orator and Quintilian’s The Education of the Orator, complete with an enlightening introduction and the original Latin on facing pages, How to Tell a Joke examines the risks and rewards of humor and analyzes basic types that readers can use to write their own jokes.
Filled with insight, wit, and examples, including more than a few lawyer jokes, How to Tell a Joke will appeal to anyone interested in humor or the art of public speaking.
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Greenworld Books
arlington, TX, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since June 20, 2025
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