Its hard to imagine a better combination: philosophy and humor. This book is a delightful introduction to major philosophical themes. It uses jokes to illustrate each section. And, boy, do the jokes really help illuminate many philosophical insights and problems. The authors argue that jokes and philosophical concepts "are made out of the same stuff. They tease the mind in similar ways. That's because philosophy and jokes proceed from the same impulse: to confound our sense of the way things are, to flip our worlds upside down, and to ferret out hidden, often uncomfortable, truths about life. What the philosopher calls an insight, the gagster calls a zinger" (2).
One of my favorites: The optimist says,” The glass is half full.” The pessimist says, “The glass is half empty." The rationalist says, “This glass is twice as big as it needs to be” (17).
Another: “What exactly is the difference between capitalism and communism.’’ ... it’s really quite simple. Under capitalism, man exploits his fellow man. Under communism, the opposite is true" (163).
There are plenty of other great jokes. This is not the best book to explain philosophical concepts - but it sure makes philosophy fun. And it proves that most of our humor arises from wrestling with life's biggest themes.
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