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The pun also rises : how the humble pun revolutionized language, changed history, and made wordplay more than some antics / John Pollack.

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: New York : Gotham Books, c2011.Description: xxv, 212 p. ; 20 cmISBN:
  • 1592406238 (hardcover)
  • 9781592406234 (hardcover)
  • 9781592406753 (pbk.)
Subject(s):
Contents:
Cutting it up : the anatomy of a pun -- Labs and retrievers : how the brain fetches meaning from sound -- To pun or not to pun : the risible fall of puns through time -- Riddles of history : how puns conquered human imagination -- More than some antics : why puns matter.
Summary: A funny, erudite, and provocative exploration of puns, the people who make them, and this derided wordplay's remarkable impact on history. The pun is commonly dismissed as the lowest form of wit, and punsters are often unpopular for their obsessive wordplay. But such attitudes are relatively recent developments. In The Pun Also Rises, John Pollack--a former World Pun Champion and presidential speechwriter for Bill Clinton--explains why such wordplay is significant: It both revolutionized language and played a pivotal role in making the modern world possible. Skillfully weaving together stories and evidence from history, brain science, pop culture, literature, anthropology, and humor, this is an authoritative yet playful exploration of a practice that is common, in one form or another, to virtually every language on earth.--From publisher description.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 808.7 P771 Available 33111006376707
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Some people may dismiss puns as the lowest form of humor. But this attitude is a relatively recent development in the sweep of history. In The Pun Also Rises , John Pollack-a former presidential speechwriter for Bill Clinton, and winner of the world pun championship-explains how punning revolutionized language and made possible the rise of modern civilization. Integrating evidence from history, op culture, literature, comedy, science, business, and everyday life, this book will make readers reconsider everything they think they know about puns.

Pollock leads readers from the pyramids of ancient Egypt to the smoky coffeehouses of Newton's London to the high-tech labs of today's top neuroscientists. Along the way, he identifies what may be humanity's first known pun, recounts the deadly punning duels of Polynesian legend, details William Shakespeare's invention of the knock-knock joke, and discovers Thomas Jefferson's lost commentary on punning in America. Weaving a playful yet authoritative narrative, Pollack also explores how the brain processes humorous wordplay and suggest why-in evolutionary terms - punsters just might end up getting the last laugh.

Provocative and fun, The Pun Also Rises illuminates the powerful role that puns play in human creativity and progress, and why they will always be more than just some antics.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Cutting it up : the anatomy of a pun -- Labs and retrievers : how the brain fetches meaning from sound -- To pun or not to pun : the risible fall of puns through time -- Riddles of history : how puns conquered human imagination -- More than some antics : why puns matter.

A funny, erudite, and provocative exploration of puns, the people who make them, and this derided wordplay's remarkable impact on history. The pun is commonly dismissed as the lowest form of wit, and punsters are often unpopular for their obsessive wordplay. But such attitudes are relatively recent developments. In The Pun Also Rises, John Pollack--a former World Pun Champion and presidential speechwriter for Bill Clinton--explains why such wordplay is significant: It both revolutionized language and played a pivotal role in making the modern world possible. Skillfully weaving together stories and evidence from history, brain science, pop culture, literature, anthropology, and humor, this is an authoritative yet playful exploration of a practice that is common, in one form or another, to virtually every language on earth.--From publisher description.

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