A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Boardroom: Using Humor in Business Speaking

by Michael Iapoce

Book Overview

This is the first book to offer detailed advice on the effective use of humor in business situations such as presentations, meetings, or seminars. The author is a speech writer who has written for the CEOs of AT & T, Xerox, Monsanto, and the Bank of America. He has also written comedy for entertainers such as Rodney Dangerfield. Presents the basics of writing humorously in a clear, step-by-step fashion, and reveals invaluable tricks of the trade for...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471636495
• ISBN13: 9780471636496
• Release Date: August 1988
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 205 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Great Book -- It got me out of a jam

Struggling to put together a farwell speech for a fellow employee -- and not making any headway, I got a copy of this book. It helped me out of a jam. I made a darn good farwell speech (if I say so myself) by employing the tricks that the author of this book describes. (I also grabbed a handful of his jokes, all of which proved to be very funny to my audience.)I recommend this book to anyone who has to make a company presentation of any kind that could use a dose of humor. What makes this book so good is that you can make jokes of your own that fit the occassion -- it isn't just a run of the mill joke book.

It's Terrific!

Perhaps the best of its genre, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Boardroom" places the onus of boring corporate meetings on the speakers themselves. No one is too important to consider their audience, and Mr. Iapoce effectively nudges "suits" to loosen their ties and deliver their messages effectively. Its comedic tips are simply that: tips for catching the attention of listeners thus ensuring that one is "heard."Buy this one and share it at the office!

Excellent! It even works for lawyers!

Few gatherings cry out for humor as loudly as those in which all the attendees are lawyers. Let's face it: they're usually the joke, not the jokers. This book can enliven a discussion on "subordinated debentures." It should be required reading for anyone on the infamous "partner track."

This book saved my life.

I'm not the greatest speaker in the world to begin with, and I grabbed this book in desperation when I had to deliver some comments at a roast for a colleague who was retiring.The two evenings I spent with this book were well worth it. I discovered how to give a humorous presentation and my audience liked it!I highly recommend this book.