Jennifer Aaker - Humour, Seriously

Humour is magical. It can make fear and pomposity vanish and creativity and resilience appear in their place. The ultimate guide to using the magical power of funny as a tool for leadership and a force for good, Humour, Seriously is an intoxicating mix of science, strategy and slapstick a knee-slapping, mind-expanding tour de force Daniel H. Pink, number one New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive and A Whole New Mind

A smart, funny, brilliant book on how to be smart about being funny, brilliantly. And Im not just saying that because they say I am smart, funny and brilliant in it. Buy it Sarah Cooper, comedian and author of 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings

Business is serious and the world is serious, especially right now. That means we need the ideas described in Humour, Seriously even more than ever. Not because levity and humour are ways to relieve the pressure of serious times, although they are, but because they unlock our humanity in the moments where we most need it Tim Brown, Chair of IDEO and author of Change By Design

Ive learned (often the hard way) that the best way to be taken seriously is to not take yourself too seriously. My teams are always at their best when approaching problems with levity, which entails both humility and optimism and always engenders trust. Plus, its more fun like this book! Eric Schmidt, former CEO and Executive Chair of Google (Alphabet)

Fresh, profound and consistently entertaining. Aaker and Bagdonas bring some irresistibly compelling science to the art and application of humour Kelly Leonard, Executive Vice President of The Second City

A sharp, incisive and genuinely funny read that translates knowledge of the world of comedy to tools that actually work in the world of business Anne Libera, Director of Comedy Studies at The Second City

If you think your workplace would work better if everyone laughed more, this is your playbook Chip Heath, number one New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Moments

Ive always used humour as a secret weapon at Spanx. Jennifer and Naomi make a scientific case for the importance of using humour not only in business but in life. Its an incredible way to connect with customers and build culture This book will help anyone embrace the power of laughter and humour, both Sara Blakley, founder and CEO of Spanx

Humour is a powerful tool for fostering connections between people. Its an act of social courage that, when used correctly, has a transformative effect. Humour, Seriously gives us the tools we need to deploy humour expertly in any environment Susan Cain, number one New York Times bestselling author of Quiet

Eye-opening, hilarious and absolutely original, Humour, Seriously will change the way you think on the job, about the world, and in your life Leslie Blodgett, founder and former CEO of Bare Essentials

Of all the known ways to ruin humour, the most common start with the words research, analyze and professor. The bad news is that this book features all of those words. Prominently. The good news is that against all odds, youll actually have fun reading it. It probably wont turn you into Ali Wong, Dave Chappelle or Hannah Gadsby, but it will give you a much deeper appreciation of how they think and teach you some new ways to make people laugh Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

In this eye-opening, important and utterly enjoyable book, Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas use science to explain how humour at work (and in life) helps alleviate stress, anxiety and burnout. Come for the humour, stay for the insights Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post and CEO of Thrive Global

If this book and Brad Pitt walked into a bar, and I could only pick one, Id take the book home with me Nancy Lublin, former CEO, Crisis Text Line and DoSomething.org

Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas have written a remarkable book for a remarkable moment in history. I long ago learned that when weighed down by serious matters, one may best be taken seriously by seeking out a certain light-heartedness as an expression of humility, optimism and confidence on the road to the serious business of nurturing trust and leading others Joel Peterson, Chairman of Jetblue Airways

This myth-busting, grin-inducing, data-driven humdinger of a book simply nails what Ive clung on to for years: that humour can be more than ephemeral entertainment. When appropriately curated, it creates the right culture for success. In fact, absence should be a cause for concern. You may eat your five-a-day and walk ten thousand steps but when did you last check if there was enough laughter in your life, in your team, in your business? If you had a centuries-old, tried and tested tool that enhances rapport, creativity, collaboration, resilience, leadership, mental and physical health, sales and more why wouldnt you use it? Neil Mullarkey, author, speaker, improviser and co-founder of Londons Comedy Store Players

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*AND HOW ANYONE CAN HARNESS IT. EVEN YOU

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First published in the United States of America by Currency, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York 2020
First published in Great Britain by Penguin Business 2020

Copyright Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas, 2020

The moral right of the author has been asserted

ISBN: 978-0-241-98681-3

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

To our parents, grandparents, and Connor (who is neither).

To Carla and Andy and the countless people who were with us on this journey.

To those who do good and devote their lives to serving others. To the present.

* * *

Look to this day!

For it is Life,

The very Life of Life.

Lets talk about humour. But first, lets talk about stories.

The typical story has three acts that go something like this: The first act tells the audience what the problem is and why they should care. The second act is where it all goes wrongso very, very wrong. The third act is where, unlike in real life, it all gets resolved. How exactly it ends, though, is, just like in real life, always a surprise.