In Print

Made You Laugh!: The Funniest Moments in Radio, Television, Stand-Up, and Movie Comedy

Andrews McMeel Publishing, 192 pp., $29.95

Victim of mass-marketing strategies, the book's tawdry cover looks like that of something you might find in the bargain bin at your local drugstore. But this coffeetable collection of the greatest comic acts from stand-up, radio, TV, and the movies provides the reader with a captivating, and amusing, history of comedy as it adapts to the changing cultural landscape and mediums of the 20th century. Good commentary deepens our appreciation of its subject; Made You Laugh makes funny moments even funnier and shows the reader that comics, good comics, do more than make audiences laugh: They deliver precise blows to cultural juggernauts. From radio's golden age to the Borscht Belt to Chris Rock, Made You Laugh documents the personalities and social struggles behind the wit. Garner also knows that the timing and rhythm of a Richard Pryor or a Sam Kinison cannot be conveyed through a book, so he has included a 3-hour DVD hosted by Carl and Rob Reiner that, chapter by chapter, provides footage for many of the comic moments mentioned in the book. It's a great addition, sort of like a class field trip to the zoo. So, if you want to wrap a little thoughtfulness around your humor this holiday season, check out this multimedia barrel of laughs.