It's not often I consider buying a book based on a book review in the newspaper. For one thing, I hardly ever read such reviews (there are few if any in our local newspaper, which I just resubscribed to this weekend in exchange for a gift card to the supermarket I was shopping in at the time). And the last time I read a book after reading a positive review, I was not exactly impressed.
Since Philip Roth is considered "the most compelling of living authors" by New York magazine, I thought I ought to read something by him, and Everyman had the advantage of being short. I don't regret having read it, as I try to read more widely than just what I know I already like - but I'm not running out to get any more Philip Roth books from the library.
But a book about the history and philosophy of joke-telling - that is exactly the sort of book I am drawn to. I've never heard of Jim Holt before, but if Stop Me If You've Heard This is as enjoyable to read as of it is, I expect to like it very much. Just to be sure, I read the provided online as well. Yes, I already think it's worth buying.
According to Epstein, "Mr. Holt's taste in jokes runs to the subtle, not the raucous," which suits me just fine. My husband enjoys a very wide range of humor, from Gary Larson's to and a great deal more. We both enjoy comics, and books by , but in general I seem to have trouble appreciating the humor that makes people guffaw loudly.
So a book combining humor with history and philosophy is much more to my taste. One reason I enjoyed Umberto Eco's so much was its discussion of philosophy and theology and the unusual question of whether Christ ever laughed, all in the context of a medieval murder mystery. One of the few books on humor I've purchased previously is Joseph Telushkin's - which is as much about the Jews as about their jokes.
I'm not sure what it says about me that even my humorous reading has to have a serious side. But personally, I think the best humor always does.