“A lively and fascinating introduction filled with provocative insights and scientific discoveries…written with the warmth and light touch that the subject deserves.”
Steven Pinker
“Revolutionary…a model of constructive scientific thinking.”
Sunday Times (London)
A groundbreaking, fun to read anthropological study of laughter…fresh and revealing.”
Booklist
“Laughter proves a fascinating topic.”
The New York Times
“Fascinating…One of those rare books that actually changes a reader’s perception of his surroundings…and a reminder to readers that there’s always a little more to notice in day-to-day social exchange than we ordinarily let ourselves see.”
Seattle Union Record
“Scanning brains and eavesdropping on chimps, researchers are figuring out why we chuckle, guffaw and crack up”
Newsweek
“Pulls off the trick of transforming the commonplace business of laughter into something strange and new.”
Financial Times (UK)
“Laughter isn’t about jokes, it’s about relationships. That’s why it’s no fun to laugh alone.”
Boston Herald
“Some seriously funny research…Readers may laugh out loud…Full of questions that tickle a reader’s curiosity.”
The Dallas Morning News
“Provine’s well-written, often amusing and always fascinating expose presents laughter in all its complexity and with all its contradictions.”
Scientific American
“A beautiful book…written with panache and humor.
V. S. Ramachandran
“After reading Provine, laughter will never be just laughter again.”
Terrence W. Deacon
“It’s hard to overstate how overdue Provine’s book is, or how good it is…A masterful job of collecting fascinating anecdotes.”
James W. Kalat
“Provine’s appealingly unembarrassed goofy curiosity…allows him to stage his geekiness with gusto.”
Elle
“It’s fascinating—enjoy.”
Arizona Republic
“Enjoyable fairground tour of the science of the laugh.”
Guardian (UK)
“A pioneering investigation into the hows and whys of what it means to chuckle.”
The Scotsman (Scotland)
“Nice lightness of touch…packed with fascinating quirky facts.”
Daily Mail (UK)
“Breezy yet scholarly review of laughter.”
Sacramento Bee
“Crisply written and often hilarious.”
Evening Standard (UK)
