Encyclopedia of Humor Studies

Mark Twain famously said, "The truth is the funniest joke ever told." But this raises an important question: What the heck is so humorous about humor, anyway? Among the 300-plus signed entries in this far-ranging work are a triad of articles that attempt to answer that very query. "Appreciation of Humor" covers theories of what makes us find something funny; "Brain, Neuropsychology of Humor" discusses the anatomical and chemical pathways involved in laughter; and "Cognitive Aspects" informs the reader that, literally and figuratively, mirth is just a state of mind. Other entries concentrate on such disparate topics as "Genres and Styles of Comedy," "Insult and Invective," "Jokes," "Limericks," "Puns," "Slapstick," and "History of Humor," 11 articles on which examine the evolution of jocularity throughout various eras and locales. Entries are uniformly well written and researched, each concluding with cross-references and a further-reading list. The work aims to fill a gap in the professional literature. As Attardo (linguistics and dean, Coll. of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts, Texas A&M Univ.-Commerce; former editor in chief, Humor: International Journal of Humor Research; Prosody and Humor) states, "There was no single resource available that would provide a comprehensive, broad-based introduction to the entire field of humor studies."