Recommended Reading List

Achor, Shawn (2018). The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life.

Allen, Steve (1998). How to Be Funny.

Antion, Tom (1997). Wake ’em Up! How to Use Humor & Other Professional Techniques to Create Alarmingly Good Business Presentations.

Apatow, Judd (2016). Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy.

Bianculli, David (2010). Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour”

Carter, Judy (2020). The NEW Comedy Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Performing Stand-Up Comedy.

Cousins, Norman (1981). Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient.

Frazier, Ian (2011).  Humor Me: An Anthology of Funny Contemporary Writing (Plus Some Great Old Stuff Too).

Frieberg, Kevin & Freiberg, Jackie (1996). Nuts!: Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success.

Garland, Ron (1991). Making Work Fun: Doing Business With a Sense of Humor.

Gilbert, Daniel (2007). Stumbling on Happiness.

Gostick, Adrian & Christopher, Scott (2008). The Levity Effect: Why it Pays to Lighten Up.

Hemsath & Yerkes (1997). 301 Ways to Have Fun At Work.

Klein, Allen (1989). The Healing Power of Humor: Techniques for Getting Through Loss, Setbacks, Upsets, Disappointments, Difficulties, Trials, Tribulations, and All That Not-So-Funny Stuff.

Katz, Mark (2004). Clinton and Me: A Real Life Political Comedy.

Knoedelseder, William (2009). I’m Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-up Comedy’s Golden Era.

Kushner, Malcolm (1991). Light Touch: How to Use Humor for Business Success.

Lamott, Anne (1995). Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.

Martin, Steve (2008).  Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life.

McGhee, Paul E. (1996). Health Healing and Amuse System: Humor As Survival Training.

McGraw, Peter & Warner, Joel (2015). The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny.

Nesteroff, Kliph (2015). The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels and the History of American Comedy.

Orben, Robert (2000). Speaker’s Handbook of Humor.

Peale, Norman Vincent (2003). The Power of Positive Thinking.

Perret, Gene (2007). The New Comedy Writing Step by Step: Revised and Updated with Words of Instruction, Encouragement, and Inspiration from Legends of the Comedy Profession.

Robertson, Jeanne (2015). Don’t Let the Funny Stuff Get Away.

Ross, Bob (1998). Funny Business Solutions &: The Art of Using Humor Constructively.

Sacks, Mike (2009).  And Here’s the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on their Craft.

Sacks, Mike (2014). Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today’s Top Comedy Writers.

Schimmel, Robert (2008). Cancer on Five Dollars a Day (chemo not included): How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life.

Weinstein, Matt (1996). Managing to Have Fun: How Fun at Work Can Motivate Your Employees, Inspire Your Coworkers, and Boost Your Bottom Line.

Wilde, Larry (2000). Great Comedians Talk About Comedy.

Bolts-Weber, Nadia (2016). Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People

Cain, Susan (2013). Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.

Chapman, Gary (2015). The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts.

Frankl, Viktor E. (2006). Man’s Search for Meaning.

Goldstein, Joseph (2016). Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening

Hanh, Thich Nhat (1999). The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation.

Harris, Dan (2019). 10% Happier Revised Edition: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story

Kabat-Zinn, Jon (2013). Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness.

Kabat-Zinn, Jon (2005). Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life

Lamott, Anne (2000). Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith.

Pressfield, Steven (2012). The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles.

Rinpoche, Sogyal (2020). The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: The Spiritual Classic & International Bestseller: 25th Anniversary Edition.

Suzuki, Shunryu (2020). Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: 50th Anniversary Edition

Tolle, Eckhart (2004). The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment.

Bennis, Warren (2009). On Becoming a Leader.

Bethel, Sheila Murray (1990). Making a Difference: Twelve Qualities That Make You a Leader.

Brown, W. Steven (1987). 13 fatal errors managers make and how you can avoid them.

Carnegie, Dale (2017). How to Develop Self-Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking.

Colvin, Geoff (2010). Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else.

Covey, Stephen (2020). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition.

Frieberg, Kevin & Freiberg, Jackie (1998). Nuts!: Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success.

Pohlman, Randolph & Gardiner, Gareth (2000). Value Driven Management: How to Create and Maximize Value Over Time for Organizational Success.

von Oech, Roger (2008). A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative.

Communication

Alda, Alan (2018). If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating.

Grenny, McMillan & Switzler (2011). Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition.

Rosenberg, Marshall (2015). Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships (Nonviolent Communication Guides).

Writing

Bryson, Bill (2006). A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail.

King, Stephen (2010). On Writing.

Lamott, Anne (1994). Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.

Presentation Skills

Glickman, David (2018). Speaking of Funny: 77 Ways to Add Humor to Any Presentation.

Hoff, Ron (1992). I Can See You Naked.

Maguire, Jack (1998). The Power of Personal Storytelling: Spinning Tales to Connect with Others.

Morgan, Nick (2005). Give Your Speech, Change the World: How To Move Your Audience to Action.

Newstrom, John & Scannell, Edward (1980-1994). Games Trainers Play.   More Games Trainers Play.   Still More Games Trainers Play.   Even More Games Trainers Play.

Reynolds, Garr (2008). Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter) 3rd Edition.