Funny Business: An Introduction to Comedy With Royalty-Free Plays and Sketches

Rating:
Summary: NOT Funny - and only for Teens
Review: Although the basic tenants of comedy are presented here, the sketches that are used as illustrations are: (a) not funny and (b) useful for teens or younger only. This book seems geared to for middle school teaching usage when there's not much other material around. I put together sketches each year for a community variety show and was looking for some new inspiration. Hopefully, I thought, this book could give some "Second City" types of baselines. This book definitely did NOT come even close. Additionally, the AMAZON write-up did not properly identify that the book is geared to young themes and interests, ignoring older funny-bones.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference book
Review: Marsh Cassady has really nailed all of the forms of comedy in a concise, fun and easy to read way. It's difficult to explain comedy without making it unfunny. Cassady successfully engages the reader with scenes that illustrate how irony, incongruity, absurdity, and other classic methods of tickling our funny bones, work. I originally thought that Funny Business would be a good gift for a graduating senior but soon wanted it for my own reference. I highly recommend Funny Business.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference book
Review: Marsh Cassady has really nailed all of the forms of comedy in a concise, fun and easy to read way. It's difficult to explain comedy without making it unfunny. Cassady successfully engages the reader with scenes that illustrate how irony, incongruity, absurdity, and other classic methods of tickling our funny bones, work. I originally thought that Funny Business would be a good gift for a graduating senior but soon wanted it for my own reference. I highly recommend Funny Business.