Random House New Releases - Humor - Between November 29, 2008 and December 29, 2009.

It's Just Like I Told You by Tom Bodett

2009-12-15T00:30:00-05:00

It's Just Like I Told You 25 Years of Comments and Comic Pieces
Written by Tom Bodett
Read by Tom Bodett

The compilation audiobook featuring Tom Bodett's most beloved stories.

Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves by Duncan Birmingham

2009-12-01T00:30:00-05:00

Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves Featuring Over 150 Suicidal Pets!
Written by Duncan Birmingham

PEOPLE LOVE THEIR PETS.

SOME PEOPLE LOVE THEIR PETS
A LITTLE TOO MUCH.

Who could blame Mr. Whiskers for trying to high-dive from a penthouse window or Fluffy for crawling into a washing machine? After being dressed up for Halloween, married off in elaborate weddings, toted everywhere in baby backpacks, or just plain coddled within an inch of their sanity by obsessively doting owners, these pets are on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Or worse. They’d call the suicide hotline–but they don’t have fingers.

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel�

2009-11-24T00:30:00-05:00

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me
Written by Howie Mandel� and Josh Young

A frank, funny, no-holds-barred memoir that reveals the Deal or No Deal host’s ongoing struggle with OCD and ADHD–and how it has shaped his life and career.

Howie Mandel is one of the most recognizable names in entertainment–respected by his peers and beloved by audiences as the host of the enormously popular prime-time game show Deal or No Deal. With a career that spans three decades and many different show-business platforms–he’s a renowned stand-up comedian who continues to perform more than 150 sold-out shows a year, he created the award-winning TV show Bobby’s World, he’s starred in feature films and the hit TV series St. Elsewhere, and he’s also hosted his own daytime talk show–he’s one of the most versatile performers anywhere. But there are aspects of his personal and professional life he’s never talked about publicly–until now.

Eleven years ago, Mandel first told the world about his “germophobia.” He’s recently started discussing his adult ADHD as well. Now, for the first time, he reveals the details of his struggle with these challenging disorders. He catalogs his numerous fears and neuroses and shares entertaining stories about how he has tried to integrate them into his act. “If I’m making myself laugh,” he writes, “then I’m distracted from all the other things going on in my head that are, at times, torturous.” And he speaks frankly and honestly about the ways his condition has affected his personal life–as a son, husband, and father of three.

Fans who’ve been dying to know “the deal” behind Mandel’s remarkable rise through the show-business ranks will be rewarded with many never-before-told anecdotes, each one generously leavened with Mandel’s trademark humor. There are tales from every phase of his colorful career–from his early days as a teenage carpet salesman and aspiring stand-up comic to his stint opening for Diana Ross, his six years on St. Elsewhere, and beyond.

As heartfelt as it is hilarious, Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me is the story of one man’s effort to draw comic inspiration out of his darkest, most vulnerable places. It’s sure to please Howie Mandel’s legion of fans–and provide hope to the millions who strive to succeed in spite of OCD and ADHD.

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel�

2009-11-24T00:30:00-05:00

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me
Written by Howie Mandel�

Ant Farm by Simon Rich

2009-11-11T00:30:00-05:00

Ant Farm And Other Desperate Situations
Written by Simon Rich

In Ant Farm, former Harvard Lampoon president Simon Rich finds humor in some very surprising places. Armed with a sharp eye for the absurd and an overwhelming sense of doom, Rich explores the ridiculousness of our everyday lives. The world, he concludes, is a hopelessly terrifying place–with endless comic potential.

–If your girlfriend gives you some “love coupons” and then breaks up with you, are the coupons still valid?

–What kind of performance pressure does an endangered male panda feel when his captors bring the last remaining female panda to his cage?

–If murderers can get into heaven by accepting Jesus, just how awkward is it when they run into their victims?

Join Simon Rich as he explores the extraordinary and hilarious desperation that resides in ordinary life, from cradle to grave.

"Hilarious." –Jon Stewart

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon

2009-11-03T00:30:00-05:00

Nightlight A Parody
Written by The Harvard Lampoon

About three things I was absolutely certain. First, Edwart was most likely my soul mate, maybe. Second, there was a vampire part of him–which I assumed was wildly out of his control–that wanted me dead. And third, I unconditionally, irrevocably, impenetrably, heterogeneously, gynecologically, and disreputably wished he had kissed me.

And thus Belle Goose falls in love with the mysterious and sparkly Edwart Mullen in the Harvard Lampoon’s hilarious send-up of Twilight.

Pale and klutzy, Belle arrives in Switchblade, Oregon looking for adventure, or at least an undead classmate. She soon discovers Edwart, a super-hot computer nerd with zero interest in girls. After witnessing a number of strange events–Edwart leaves his tater tots untouched at lunch! Edwart saves her from a flying snowball!–Belle has a dramatic revelation: Edwart is a vampire. But how can she convince Edwart to bite her and transform her into his eternal bride, especially when he seems to find girls so repulsive?

Complete with romance, danger, insufficient parental guardianship, creepy stalker-like behavior, and a vampire prom, Nightlight is the uproarious tale of a vampire-obsessed girl, looking for love in all the wrong places.

Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon

2009-11-03T00:30:00-05:00

Nightlight A Parody
Written by The Harvard Lampoon

The Emergency Gift Book by Potter Style

2009-10-27T00:30:00-05:00

The Emergency Gift Book More Than 100 Instant Gifts to the Rescue!
Written by Potter Style

Are you pressed for time or prone to procrastination? Do you hate to shop? Or maybe you simply dislike shopping for other people? Emergency Gift Book to the rescue for the slacker and the stumped alike! This book contains everything you need to acknowledge family, friends, coworkers, cohabitants, and loved ones whenever a special occasion comes out of freaking nowhere. Inside you'll find IOU coupons, nifty gift card enclosures (to use instead of generic store packaging), and hilarious DIY-on-the-fly novelty gifts, all of which you can punch out and present to friends and loved ones (so much better than showing up with nothing but excuses).

Furry Logic: Don't Worry! by Ashleigh Brilliant

2009-10-27T00:30:00-05:00

Furry Logic: Don't Worry! Don't Worry!
Written by Jane Seabrook and Ashleigh Brilliant

Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack by Jim Davis

2009-10-27T00:30:00-05:00

Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack
Written by Jim Davis

THREE BOOKS IN ONE A TRIPLE HELPING OF GARFIELD HUMOR
MEANS THREE TIMES THE FUN!

He used to be perfect, but now he’s even better! Garfield, the fat cat with the super sized ego, is back in the spotlight, dissing his dimwitted owner Jon – even pilfering his pants. Some cats chase mice; Garfield prefers to take legal action. When down on the farm, the city kitty puts up with-and puts down-Jon and his barnyard brother. No wonder Garfield’s often in a bad mood.

But no matter what, he’s always in the mood for food!

The Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack series collects the Garfield comic-strip compilation books in a new, full-color format. Garfield may have gone through a few changes, but one thing has stayed the same: his enormous appetite for food and fun. So enjoy some super sized laughs with the insatiable cat, because too much fun is never enough!

GARFIELD BEEFS UP
GARFIELD GETS COOKIN’
GARFIELD EATS CROW

Be Happy That . . . by Pat Mellon

2009-10-13T00:30:00-05:00

Be Happy That . . . This Book Isn't Coated in Poison, Plus 100 Other Reasons to Cheer Up
Written by Melissa Heckscher, Jordan Burchette and Pat Mellon

No matter how bad it gets, you know one thing is true…it can always be worse.

Inside this book are 101 upbeat, offbeat reasons to be happy:
•All beaches aren't made of quicksand.
•You respond to gravity.
•You haven't been hollowed out for use as a canoe.
•Drinking hot cocoa doesn't make you invisible.
•People can't see thought bubbles over your head.
•You no longer have to bathe with your siblings.

That's What She Said by T. J. Jefferson

2009-10-13T00:30:00-05:00

That's What She Said Women Reveal What Men Really Need to Know
Written by T. J. Jefferson

The book was called Everything Men Understand About Women.

Upon opening it, the reader found 100 blank pages. Get it?

Very funny. But it gave T. J. Jefferson an idea. If men know nothing about the fairer sex, then why not go straight to the source? After all, if your toilet is backed up, you don't call your dentist, you call a plumber. So he asked strangers (and even some celebrities, such as Madonna, Shakira, Demi Moore, and Cameron Diaz) to fill the blank pages of his book.

In That's What She Said, Jefferson shares 100-plus tips he's gathered from women of all ages and backgrounds in a collection of entries in their own words that are offbeat, funny, sometimes mean, often poignant–but always honest. For men, it's not a book on how to get a woman to go home with you but on how to keep her attention once you have it. And for women, think of it as an entertaining look at what other ladies are going through. You may find vindication ("amen, sister") or put it down, relieved that you aren' t "as crazy as her" or that your man isn't a complete cad.

Organized by topics, including love, sex, beauty, lying, and listening, this is the ultimate look into the mind of today's modern woman.

That's What She Said by T. J. Jefferson

2009-10-13T00:30:00-05:00

That's What She Said Women Reveal What Men Really Need to Know
Written by T. J. Jefferson

What to Expect When You're Expected by Mike Loew

2009-10-13T00:30:00-05:00

What to Expect When You're Expected A Fetus's Guide to the First Three Trimesters
Written by David Javerbaum
Illustrated by Mike Loew

This new second edition is filled with the latest, most accurate wombhood information, including comforting answers to hundreds of questions, such as

• “My mother just took a sip of white wine. Am I going to end up looking like some Chernobyl baby now?”
• “So far Mommy is spending most of her pregnancy in a state of stress, anxiety, and depression. Which one should she focus on?”
• “I’m kicking as hard as I can, but Mom says it feels like ‘butterflies fluttering.’ Am I doing something wrong?”
• “Why do my parents blast Mozart at me every night right when I’m trying to sleep?!?”
• “To the nearest hundred, how many people should Mommy invite to my birth?”

From the Trade Paperback edition.

What to Expect When You're Expected by Mike Loew

2009-10-13T00:30:00-05:00

What to Expect When You're Expected A Fetus's Guide to the First Three Trimesters
Written by David Javerbaum
Illustrated by Mike Loew

Baddies by David Stromberg

2009-10-06T00:30:00-05:00

Baddies
Written by David Stromberg

A hilariously absurd graphic collection

Cult cartoonist David Stromberg has been dubbed "Thurber on speed" at the legendary Gotham Book Mart. It's easy to see why in the weird world of Baddies, an absurdist graphic collection of gags, ideas, and late night thoughts that harkens back to the days of witty New Yorker cartoonists . . . even as it seems so edgy as to be completely new.

Baddies looks aslant at everyday life, unearthing its most hilarious and ridiculous aspects amidst even our darkest fears and phobias. Inhabited by an antic and eclectic assortment of odd-ball characters, who star in chapters such as "Action and Its Doubt," "The Day and Its Battle," "Mystery and Its Carnality," these captioned cartoons capture a world forever veering off from the normal, the rational, and the "well adjusted."

And they introduce us to a startlingly original artist, where the art and the writerly wit combine in a way that's both disarmingly funny and strangely familiar, not to mention refreshingly, bitingly smart.

My Lead Dog Was A Lesbian by Brian Patrick O'Donoghue

2009-09-30T00:30:00-05:00

My Lead Dog Was A Lesbian Mushing Across Alaska in the Iditarod--the World's Most Grueling Race
Written by Brian Patrick O'Donoghue

O'Donoghue tells what happened when he entered the 1991 Iditarod, along with 17 sled dogs with names like Rainy, Harley and Screech. O'Donoghue braved snowstorms, sickening wipeouts, and endured the contempt of more experienced racers. Narrated with icy elan and self deprecating wit, this is a true story of heroism, cussedness, and astonishing dumb luck.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

The Werewolf's Guide to Life by Bob Powers

2009-09-29T00:30:00-05:00

The Werewolf's Guide to Life A Manual for the Newly Bitten
Written by Ritch Duncan and Bob Powers

Have you been attacked by a wolf-like creature in the last 30 days? Was it after the sun had set and under a full moon? If you answered, “yes” to both these questions, there’s a very good chance that you were bitten by a werewolf. You now have less than a month before the full moon returns and with it your first transformation into a savage, bloodthirsty beast.
Survival is an option, but first, know this:
* Werewolves are real.
* The majority of lycanthropes who do not have access to this book die during or shortly after their first transformations, generally due to heart failure, gunshot wounds, exposure, drowning or suicide.
* Hollywood horror movies are NOT to be used as guides to living as a werewolf. Their goal is not to educate, but to entertain. As a result, they are largely ignorant of the realities of the condition.
* Ignorance creates monsters; lycanthropy does not.
* You are not a monster.
The Werewolf's Guide to Life cuts through the fiction and guides you through your first transformation and beyond, offering indispensable advice on how to tell if you’re really a werewolf, post-attack etiquette, breaking the news to your spouse, avoiding government abduction, and how to not just survive, but thrive. You cannot afford to not read this book. Your very life depends on it.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Alice, Let's Eat by Calvin Trillin

2009-09-23T00:30:00-05:00

Alice, Let's Eat Further Adventures of a Happy Eater
Written by Calvin Trillin

“Trillin is our funniest food writer. He writes with charm, freedom, and a rare respect for language.”
–New York magazine

In this delightful and delicious book, Calvin Trillin, guided by an insatiable appetite, embarks on a hilarious odyssey in search of “something decent to eat.” Across time zones and cultures, and often with his wife, Alice, at his side, Trillin shares his triumphs in the art of culinary discovery, including Dungeness crabs in California, barbecued mutton in Kentucky, potato latkes in London, blaff d’oursins in Martinique, and a $33 picnic on a no-frills flight to Miami. His eating companions include Fats Goldberg, the New York pizza baron and reformed blimp; William Edgett Smith, the man with the Naughahyde palate; and his six-year-old daughter, Sarah, who refuses to enter a Chinese restaurant unless she is carrying a bagel (“just in case”). And though Alice “has a weird predilection for limiting our family to three meals a day,” on the road she proves to be a serious eater–despite “seemingly uncontrollable attacks of moderation.” Alice, Let Eat amply demonstrates why The New Republic called Calvin Trillin “a classic American humorist.”

“One of the most brilliant humorists of our times . . . Trillin is guaranteed good reading.”
–Charleston Post and Courier

“Read Trillin and laugh out loud.”
–Time

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Adland by James P. Othmer

2009-09-15T00:30:00-05:00

Adland Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet
Written by James P. Othmer

Liar's Poker meets The Tipping Point meets Mad Men-a hilarious, personal, and sneakily profound chronicle of the past, present, and future of the advertising business.

Adland is a book about advertising. Which is to say, it's a book about every issue and aspect of life on our morally conflicted, culturally challenged, ubiquitously branded planet.

On one level it's the wickedly funny, compelling personal chronicle of the rise and fall of a modern-day ad man; a riveting insider's look at the astonishing transformation taking place in advertising's hottest idea factories; and an introduction to the people whose job is to know what makes us tick, what makes us lean in, what we think we need and don't know that we want.

But take a step back from the tales of lavish shoots, agencies on the brink, and pampered mega-brands and Adland becomes much more: a snapshot of how we live our lives on this earth at this particular moment . . . thirty seconds at a time.

Funny, profound, deeply thoughtful, and utterly unique, this book is both a wildly amusing ride in Adland, brilliantly recounted, and an exploration of the value of life in the information age.

Random House New Releases - Humor - Between November 29, 2008 and December 29, 2009.

It's Just Like I Told You by Tom Bodett

It's Just Like I Told You 25 Years of Comments and Comic PiecesWritten by Tom Bodett Read by Tom Bodett

Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves by Duncan Birmingham

Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves Featuring Over 150 Suicidal Pets!Written by Duncan Birmingham

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel�

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me Written by Howie Mandel� and Josh Young

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel�

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me Written by Howie Mandel�

Ant Farm by Simon Rich

Ant Farm And Other Desperate SituationsWritten by Simon Rich

Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon

Nightlight A ParodyWritten by The Harvard Lampoon

Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon

Nightlight A ParodyWritten by The Harvard Lampoon

The Emergency Gift Book by Potter Style

The Emergency Gift Book More Than 100 Instant Gifts to the Rescue!Written by Potter Style

Furry Logic: Don't Worry! by Ashleigh Brilliant

Furry Logic: Don't Worry! Don't Worry!Written by Jane Seabrook and Ashleigh Brilliant

Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack by Jim Davis

Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack Written by Jim Davis

Be Happy That . . . by Pat Mellon

Be Happy That . . . This Book Isn't Coated in Poison, Plus 100 Other Reasons to Cheer UpWritten by Melissa Heckscher, Jordan Burchette and Pat Mellon

That's What She Said by T. J. Jefferson

That's What She Said Women Reveal What Men Really Need to KnowWritten by T. J. Jefferson

That's What She Said by T. J. Jefferson

That's What She Said Women Reveal What Men Really Need to KnowWritten by T. J. Jefferson

What to Expect When You're Expected by Mike Loew

What to Expect When You're Expected A Fetus's Guide to the First Three TrimestersWritten by David Javerbaum Illustrated by Mike Loew

What to Expect When You're Expected by Mike Loew

What to Expect When You're Expected A Fetus's Guide to the First Three TrimestersWritten by David Javerbaum Illustrated by Mike Loew

Baddies by David Stromberg

Baddies Written by David Stromberg

My Lead Dog Was A Lesbian by Brian Patrick O'Donoghue

My Lead Dog Was A Lesbian Mushing Across Alaska in the Iditarod--the World's Most Grueling RaceWritten by Brian Patrick O'Donoghue

The Werewolf's Guide to Life by Bob Powers

The Werewolf's Guide to Life A Manual for the Newly BittenWritten by Ritch Duncan and Bob Powers

Alice, Let's Eat by Calvin Trillin

Alice, Let's Eat Further Adventures of a Happy EaterWritten by Calvin Trillin

Adland by James P. Othmer

Adland Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded PlanetWritten by James P. Othmer

It's Just Like I Told You 25 Years of Comments and Comic Pieces
Written by Tom Bodett
Read by Tom Bodett

Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves Featuring Over 150 Suicidal Pets!
Written by Duncan Birmingham

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me
Written by Howie Mandel� and Josh Young

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me
Written by Howie Mandel�

Ant Farm And Other Desperate Situations
Written by Simon Rich

Nightlight A Parody
Written by The Harvard Lampoon

Nightlight A Parody
Written by The Harvard Lampoon

The Emergency Gift Book More Than 100 Instant Gifts to the Rescue!
Written by Potter Style

Furry Logic: Don't Worry! Don't Worry!
Written by Jane Seabrook and Ashleigh Brilliant

Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack
Written by Jim Davis

Be Happy That . . . This Book Isn't Coated in Poison, Plus 100 Other Reasons to Cheer Up
Written by Melissa Heckscher, Jordan Burchette and Pat Mellon

That's What She Said Women Reveal What Men Really Need to Know
Written by T. J. Jefferson

That's What She Said Women Reveal What Men Really Need to Know
Written by T. J. Jefferson

What to Expect When You're Expected A Fetus's Guide to the First Three Trimesters
Written by David Javerbaum
Illustrated by Mike Loew

What to Expect When You're Expected A Fetus's Guide to the First Three Trimesters
Written by David Javerbaum
Illustrated by Mike Loew

Baddies
Written by David Stromberg

My Lead Dog Was A Lesbian Mushing Across Alaska in the Iditarod--the World's Most Grueling Race
Written by Brian Patrick O'Donoghue

The Werewolf's Guide to Life A Manual for the Newly Bitten
Written by Ritch Duncan and Bob Powers

Alice, Let's Eat Further Adventures of a Happy Eater
Written by Calvin Trillin

Adland Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet
Written by James P. Othmer