ISAAC ASIMOV'S TREASURY OF HUMOR

Unplugged Isaac's at the typewriter again, this time playing for laughs, guffaws, cackles, squeals, wheezes, whatever he can get. His treasury includes over 600 funny (and most are funny) stories, jokes, limericks, puns — all grouped into eleven general interest categories, like 'Jewish,' 'Marriage,' 'Bawdy,' and 'Put-down'; in addition there's a subject index which ranges from 'Absent-mindedness' to 'Zoo,' with 'Men's rooms' somewhere in between. But what mainly distinguishes this from standard laugh-and-giggle fare are Asimov's helpful adjurations on the nature of humor (e.g., "the one necessary ingredient in every successful joke is a sudden alteration in point of view") and his tips to beginners, which include "don't bowdlerize unless you must," and to punsters, "cultivate a thick skin and a philosophic attitude." Isactly.