For professional comedians, their primary goal is to make people laugh. For everyone else humor can be the envelope in which another message is sent and therefore will be received with pleasure. This book is designed precisely to help you make your own efforts at humor more effective in achieving the primary goals of your interaction: to solidify friendships, preserve a marriage, obtain employment, close sales, conduct therapy, defuse conflict, or simply enjoy life more.   Humor is a quality nearly all of us claim in ourselves and one which we seek and highly value in others. We love a sense of humor in our dates and mates, our children, and everyone with whom we have social contacts. When humor making is successful, we are drawn closer to other people and share a bonding emotional experience. We enjoy life more and our troubles seem to lessen instantly.    There are many proven ways to enhance our senses of humor in ourselves and even our children. Humor making can be taught and developed to a very high level, thus increasing our chances for social and even economic success.   Just Kidding: Using Humor Effectively is for adults who enjoy humor and who would like to be funnier.  It includes definitions of funniness and examples of both helpful and harmful humor. It describes the relevant comedic and psychological rules for making humor effective. The book points out the danger signs for offensive humor and how to make the decision to “say it or stuff it.” Examples of successful and unsuccessful humor from comedians to politicians are used throughout to illustrate the many varieties of humor and how context and audience make a difference. Finally, a variety of fun exercises are offered to build the skills for effective humor making.  

"Franzini (psychology, emeritus, San Diego State Univ.; Kids Who Laugh: How To Develop Your Child’s Sense of Humor) presents an analysis of the niche field of humor research and explores how to make humor more effective. While the primary goal of professional comedians is to make people laugh, for the rest of us, humor can make our interactions more effective. Franzini explores the relevance of political correctness, situations when humor is inappropriate, effective humor pitfalls, spontaneous humor, and strategies that will help avoid failed humor. Examples of successful and unsuccessful humor from comedians and politicians help illustrate its many varieties and demonstrate how context and audience determine whether or not something is funny. Franzini also provides exercises that help build the skills for effective humor. VERDICT Investigating the relatively specialized area of the psychology of humor, this book will appeal to lay readers. Professional psychologists may find it a nice supplement to Rod A. Martin’s The Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach, Robert R. Provine’s Laughter: A Scientific Investigation, and the peer-reviewed Humor: International Journal of Humor Research." - Library Journal

"Franzini describes how to increase and improve the use of humor in everyday life. This discussion is not for professionals although there are plenty of references to other books on how to be funny and research on laughter and comedy. The style is charming and conversational but the goal is serious. Humor can make work and play more pleasant and improve any social relationship. This book is a positive contribution to the literature on the value and application of humor." - The Humorous Times

"Franzini (emer., psychology, San Diego State Univ.) attempts to show how to use humor in interactions at home, at work, and at play. The suggested readings include most of the how-to-be-funny books available. Franzini's style is charming and conversational, which permits the presentation of plenty of material that, though amusing, should not be used with casual acquaintances. Indeed, most of the instruction warns what not to do and thus avoid the irritation requiring 'just kidding.' Political incorrectness is thoroughly defined by example and the importance of knowing one's audience emphasized. As for improving skill, the strategy is to pay attention to what is amusing and practice with friends who have the same goal. The author supports his arguments with empirical evidence, not the case with most instructional books in the field. . . . This book is a valuable presentation of the importance of humor in everyday life. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. " - CHOICE

"Louis Franzini has written a useful self-help book for...Americans who wish to attain a greater mastery of the act of being humorous in an everyday social setting....Franzini’s book...[is] designed to help its readers make their own efforts at humour more effective in achieving the primary goals of their interaction...and it should prove useful to its readers." - Israel Journal of Humor Studies