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8th out of 36 books
—
89 voters
This is a Book
From the renowned comedian, creator, star and executive producer/multiple title-holder of Comedy Central's Important Things with Demetri Martin comes a bold, original, and rectangular kind of humor book.
Demetri's first literary foray features longer-form essays and conceptual pieces (such as Protagonists' Hospital, a melodrama about the clinic doctors who treat only the fl...more
Demetri's first literary foray features longer-form essays and conceptual pieces (such as Protagonists' Hospital, a melodrama about the clinic doctors who treat only the fl...more
Hardcover, 269 pages
Published
April 25th 2011
by Grand Central Publishing
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i laughed a few times. a few times i didn't. ironic, clever, not clever enough, too clever, not ironic enough. hair.
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Maybe my expectations were too high. There were a few funny parts, but the longer "chapters" were extremely boring. He's one of my favorite stand-up comedians; he should stick to that.
While I understand that the style of the humor used in each piece does vary, This is a Book misses the mark when it comes to being a truly funny book.
This is the case most especially when it comes to the longer form selections. Some seem intended to be humorous, though not all, but many are flat and dry without any life to them. Socrates’s Publicist, Better Than Sex, A Christmas Carol (the Deleted Scene) and Eulogy all fell short in various ways, though mostly from excessive repetition and being...more
This is the case most especially when it comes to the longer form selections. Some seem intended to be humorous, though not all, but many are flat and dry without any life to them. Socrates’s Publicist, Better Than Sex, A Christmas Carol (the Deleted Scene) and Eulogy all fell short in various ways, though mostly from excessive repetition and being...more
Read this if you...
a) ...like to laugh out loud - not that disingenuous LOL stuff - real laughs. Here are some examples drawn from my own reading experience:
Types of Laughs Experienced By Me While Reading This Book:
i) Unexpectedly loud when I was trying to be quiet because my wife was sleeping
ii) Snort
iii) The kind where your body shakes and the cat on your lap wakes up and gives you a stern look
iv) A laugh followed up by the statement, "Oh, man. That's great.", followed by embarrassment...more
a) ...like to laugh out loud - not that disingenuous LOL stuff - real laughs. Here are some examples drawn from my own reading experience:
Types of Laughs Experienced By Me While Reading This Book:
i) Unexpectedly loud when I was trying to be quiet because my wife was sleeping
ii) Snort
iii) The kind where your body shakes and the cat on your lap wakes up and gives you a stern look
iv) A laugh followed up by the statement, "Oh, man. That's great.", followed by embarrassment...more
4 likes · like · see review
Nov 26, 2012
Margot
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
hilarious,
short-stories
I found Martin a bit less entertaining on paper than on screen, but still enjoyable. Lots of wordplay and narrative experimenting, some of which is effective. For example, an FAQ from a genie, a multiple-choice test to determine if the test-taker is a robot, a conversation with an alien about the concept of pets. And various drawings interspersed.
I did laugh out loud on the bus a couple of times, so that's good. Thanks, Demetri.
A couple of tastes:
"I have trouble communicating with my father. I a...more
I did laugh out loud on the bus a couple of times, so that's good. Thanks, Demetri.
A couple of tastes:
"I have trouble communicating with my father. I a...more
It is illegal to yell "fire" in a crowded theater. If there is a fire, please yell something else instead, like "Flames!" or "Smoke maker!" or "Bad hot!"
"Squirrel in Nearby Tree: ...What a bitch. I'm going to find out where she lives, go to her yard, and act crazy on her fence."
"No one ever thinks about the guy who was raised by the guy who was raised by wolves."
"He can't see anything outside of his little wolf bubble."
"Award given for excellence in judging strangers who are innocently walking b...more
"Squirrel in Nearby Tree: ...What a bitch. I'm going to find out where she lives, go to her yard, and act crazy on her fence."
"No one ever thinks about the guy who was raised by the guy who was raised by wolves."
"He can't see anything outside of his little wolf bubble."
"Award given for excellence in judging strangers who are innocently walking b...more
If you enjoy Demitri Martins stand-up comedy on Comedy Central and/or Important Things With Demetri Martin, then you will truly enjoy this book. In this book Demetri's sense of humor and wit really comes out in this and so does his creativity. The chapters in this book are hilarious and are very fun to tell about to friends with and share to them about this book.
"This is a book" will have you laughing out loud in quiet rooms(As it has for me plenty of times) and wanting to keep reading more....more
"This is a book" will have you laughing out loud in quiet rooms(As it has for me plenty of times) and wanting to keep reading more....more
Demetri Martin is the love child of Steve Martin and Jack Handy.
If you've seen and enjoyed his stand-up routines and/or his television show, I think it's safe to say you'll find this book laugh-out-loud funny.
I borrowed it from the library and liked it so much, I bought it for my Kindle. It's nice having something to read on the train home after a long day in the city - something to make you laugh and thank God you're not drinking milk at the same time causing it to shoot out of your nose.
Som...more
If you've seen and enjoyed his stand-up routines and/or his television show, I think it's safe to say you'll find this book laugh-out-loud funny.
I borrowed it from the library and liked it so much, I bought it for my Kindle. It's nice having something to read on the train home after a long day in the city - something to make you laugh and thank God you're not drinking milk at the same time causing it to shoot out of your nose.
Som...more
I zipped through this book in about a day, it's a light, easy read. There were moments when reading this book (at my job, as a librarian) when I laughed out loud and had to put it down so I wouldn't seem unprofessional. It starts off with a bang, and hooks the reader right away, just like a good comedy routine, movie or story. I brought it home expecting to be chuckling through the whole thing. Not so much. It's pretty hit-and-miss. What's funny is VERY funny, but some of the longer pieces just...more
'This is a Book' is a funny book. I have no idea who Demetri Martin is --I'm oblivious to contemporary culture-- but I like his irreverent outlook on life.
I felt this book represented a nice cross between John Hodgman and Monty Python's Flying Circus. There's the brilliant zany silliness of Palin, Cleese and Idle, the stodgy inbred intellectual eccentricities of Chapman, the obtuse imaginative renderings of Gilliam and the modern astute satirical observations of Hodgman.
There's a lot to be lov...more
I felt this book represented a nice cross between John Hodgman and Monty Python's Flying Circus. There's the brilliant zany silliness of Palin, Cleese and Idle, the stodgy inbred intellectual eccentricities of Chapman, the obtuse imaginative renderings of Gilliam and the modern astute satirical observations of Hodgman.
There's a lot to be lov...more
If you enjoy Martin's sense of humor (his stand-up, his TV show), you'll love this book. Some of the chapters feel like skits from his TV show. Then there are charts, drawings, and graphs that we're used to seeing in both his stand-up and TV stuff. There are short stories, one-liners, drawings, lists, and other stuff. The chapters are short and funny. This is the perfect kind of book to sit on the back of the toilet.
Some of the high points:
-Confessions of a White Guy with Dreadlocks
-A hospital...more
Some of the high points:
-Confessions of a White Guy with Dreadlocks
-A hospital...more
This is a very silly and funny book. I loved it. This is the kind of book I’m always looking for but so rarely find—one chock-a-block full of smart silliness and intellectual goofiness. (It gave me the same joy as reading Woody Allen’s Without Feathers or Side Effects.) It was love at first browse.
I first saw the book at an airport book store. I thought to myself “Demetri Martin. Is that the guy from The Daily Show?” I picked up the book to see if it was (it was) and started paging through. From...more
I first saw the book at an airport book store. I thought to myself “Demetri Martin. Is that the guy from The Daily Show?” I picked up the book to see if it was (it was) and started paging through. From...more
Comedian Demetri Martin's book is a weird collection of one-line jokes, cartoons, and strange (almost surreal) short stories. It's funny, in a kind of existential way. There really aren't any punchlines and the humor is, at times, so subtle that it can pass you right by. However, it is clever, witty, and most of all, highly entertaining.
When you laugh at Martin's jokes, you instantly feel superior to everyone else who didn't laugh at them because those people, obviously, just aren't as smart or...more
When you laugh at Martin's jokes, you instantly feel superior to everyone else who didn't laugh at them because those people, obviously, just aren't as smart or...more
5 likes · like · see review
Aug 03, 2011
Cheryl Gatling
added it
I heard Demetri Martin plugging this book in an interview, and, being a big fan of his stand-up, I ran right out and bought it. At first I was disappointed. Demetri Martin on the page just wasn't as funny as Demetri Martin on the stage. But then I learned to "hear" the words in my head as if spoken in Demetri's characteristic dry delivery, and it became funny again. The book format allows him to branch out a little, into the longer stories. But the longer stories are not his best. Demetri Martin...more
I'll start by saying I've never seen Demetri Martin perform stand-up, and I've never seen his TV show. My introduction to him was hearing him as a guest on NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and I was so fascinated by his sense of humor and the promise of a several-page long palindrome in this book that I decided to get it from the library. I am so, so glad that I did.
This Is a Book is possibly the funniest straight-ahead humor book I've read. (I am not counting The Onion's Our Dumb World or Jon Stew...more
This Is a Book is possibly the funniest straight-ahead humor book I've read. (I am not counting The Onion's Our Dumb World or Jon Stew...more
5 likes · like · see review
I loved this book. Which is ironic based on the fact that I only gave it four stars. There is a reason. See, I usually base a books star rating on how much I would recommend it to another person. In this case, I loved the book, but I don't know that other people would necessarily get it, so I wouldn't recommended it to everyone. Thus the 4 out of 5 stars.
Now that that's out of the way, why do I like this book? There are two types of humor that I like. Finding humor in everyday occurrences and c...more
Now that that's out of the way, why do I like this book? There are two types of humor that I like. Finding humor in everyday occurrences and c...more
I'd seen his standup, I'd watched Important Things and I got an inkling of something I learned about Demetri Martin from reading this book. A lot of comedians have a love of words and everything about them. If it's just you and a microphone making people laugh, you have to develop an affinity for wordplay. But it goes deeper with Martin. He observes, takes apart and repurposes language. There is a poem in this book which is one long palindrome. It should strike you as gimmicky or stupid or read...more
6 likes · like · see review
I have been a fan of Demetri Martin for years now, love his unusual and unique approach to comedy. This book is no different, it is chock full of short stories, and vignette's that could have been awesome gems if his sketch comedy show "Important Things with Demetri Martin" weren't canceled. One of my favorite sections in the book is the short "Titles" in which a US military General is talking to a newly landed Alien making contact, the alien refuses to talk to the President as there are many pr...more
I brought this book with me to europe this summer to help with the long plane rides and forced expeditions,it did its job. The book had me laughing out loud, if you like Demitri Martins stand up your going to love his book. I didnt finish the entire book on my vacation so when i found the book in my room i was more than willing the read it again.
The book is divided into short chapters which are basically short stories that can range from his signature drawing to his interpretations of socrates p...more
The book is divided into short chapters which are basically short stories that can range from his signature drawing to his interpretations of socrates p...more
I'm a big fan of Steven Wright. I once watched him perform a 2 hour routine. That's two hours of one-liners. Just remembering all that material is amazing to me. Martin is a Hipster Wright (not to be confused with the Stoner Wright, the late, great Mitch Hedberg). Now, that designation would usually be enough for me to stay far away from him and, in fact, I avoided Martin for years. Then I watched his Comedy Central show and was won over. He's actually a charming performer, more self-deprecating...more
One of the most hysterical books I have ever read (if not the most hysterical). I laughed out loud more times than I can count.
I had honestly never heard of Demetri Martin until I saw this book sitting in a pile on Marty’s desk (one of his students had chosen to annotate for their summer reading project). I decided to pick it up for the mere fact that I’m interested in reading what teenagers find appealing.
As a future high school English teacher, I’ve been reading books that teenagers can relate...more
I had honestly never heard of Demetri Martin until I saw this book sitting in a pile on Marty’s desk (one of his students had chosen to annotate for their summer reading project). I decided to pick it up for the mere fact that I’m interested in reading what teenagers find appealing.
As a future high school English teacher, I’ve been reading books that teenagers can relate...more
2 likes · like · see review
May 24, 2012
Aaron (Typographical Era)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011
Disclaimer: This is a review of This is an Audiobook which is a recording of stand-up comedian / author Demetri Martin reading from his collection This is a Book. This is not a review of Keri Smith’s collection of writing prompts This is not a Book nor is it a review of her recording of said masterpiece This is Not an Audiobook, if such a thing does in fact exist. This is also not a review of Michael (make it so!) Picard’s philosophical book This is not a Book which is aimed at stretching one’s...more
If your sense of humor runs towards the inane side of the spectrum you're going to like this book. Mine does and I found myself chuckling throughout it. I haven't read that many humor books but the ones I have tend to be autobiographical. This one really isn't. What it is, is random. You'll go from one story about an addiction to a megaphone, to a drawing of a 'fish fart,' to a crossword puzzle made entirely of the letter A (and laugh out loud clues to go along with it - for instance - 29 Across...more
This was a little gem I picked up from the library's recommended shelf. Kudos to the library for hiring an awesome person, because whoever recommended this book should get a raise. Too bad for local budget cuts, am I right?
I've been a fan of Demetri's stand-up, but never an avid follower of his comedic career. That is, until now. He's a genius, plain and simple. The book is a random assortment of vignettes ranging in topics and writing styles. My favorite chapters include:
-Cat-tastrophe, the mak...more
I've been a fan of Demetri's stand-up, but never an avid follower of his comedic career. That is, until now. He's a genius, plain and simple. The book is a random assortment of vignettes ranging in topics and writing styles. My favorite chapters include:
-Cat-tastrophe, the mak...more
Demitri Martin's "This is a Book" is just his television show, "Important Things" in book form (which was just his stand-up routine in skit comedy form). Its nothing earth shattering, but it's really damned funny.
Martin's humor is very clever, but his real strength lies in the tedious lengths to which he'll go for a laugh. There are lots of his usual drawings and graphs that take all of 10 or 15 seconds to absorb and chuckle at. But then you come upon something like a crossword puzzle where ever...more
Martin's humor is very clever, but his real strength lies in the tedious lengths to which he'll go for a laugh. There are lots of his usual drawings and graphs that take all of 10 or 15 seconds to absorb and chuckle at. But then you come upon something like a crossword puzzle where ever...more
Not bad, not great, about what you'd expect from this particular comedian. I find him funny, and his TV show often leaves me in stitches, but a lot of his style of humor doesn't translate terribly well to the page. It's certainly not laugh out loud funny the way some of Woody Allen's books (like Without Feathers) are. It's a perfect book to have hanging around the bathroom, which incidentally, is where I retrieved the copy I borrowed from my buddy. He had it hanging in a magazine rack directly o...more
I really want to rate this book well, but I think it would be a little dishonest. If you've seen his show, you know that Martin has some of the most brilliantly funny bits ever--at graphs, funny concepts, and one-liners, he is nearly peerless. Unfortunately, this book (like the show) goes off the rails when it tries to flesh these very funny concepts into longer sketches. So, like the sketches are the weakest parts of the show, the long chapters are the weakest parts of the book. Lots of brillia...more
Hilarious! Laughed at (almost) every page.
I was not familiar with this guy's humor, but someone recommended this book, so I picked it up in the bookstore, expecting little. But "How to Read This Book" made me chuckle, and "Announcements" got to me, too, because I'd just sat through an evening event with what seemed like interminable announcements, some of them almost as absurd as "In the event of a fire, please use the fire exits—but not the one on the right wall...."
By the time I got to "Hotli...more
I was not familiar with this guy's humor, but someone recommended this book, so I picked it up in the bookstore, expecting little. But "How to Read This Book" made me chuckle, and "Announcements" got to me, too, because I'd just sat through an evening event with what seemed like interminable announcements, some of them almost as absurd as "In the event of a fire, please use the fire exits—but not the one on the right wall...."
By the time I got to "Hotli...more
May 13, 2012
Rebecca
added it
I have been waiting for this book ever since I discovered its existence last year. I could of course have purchased it as a hard back but because I’m cheap I waited for the paperback release. Needless to say the wait was worth it because I loved this book so much!
I am someone who loves books written by comedians as they always have this whole level of hilarity that is consistent throughout the entire book.
Not only are there hilarious passages and commentaries there are a lot of pictures that mad...more
I am someone who loves books written by comedians as they always have this whole level of hilarity that is consistent throughout the entire book.
Not only are there hilarious passages and commentaries there are a lot of pictures that mad...more
2 likes · like · see review
I have a great deal of affection for Demetri- I loved him from the first time his Comedy Central special aired. I don't think that his comedy translates well to print, though. I expected to chuckle to myself throughout the whole book, but only a few sections made me laugh out loud. Those sections were the bits where the jokes were short and to the point, much like Demetri's stand up. I liked the chapters about statistics and one-liners, and his drawings (fantastic, as always). There were other c...more
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![This Is an Audiobook [With Earbuds]](http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348943652s/10414498.jpg)
Demetri Martin is an American comedian, actor, artist, musician, writer and humorist. Martin is best known for his work as a stand-up comedian, contributor on The Daily Show and for his Comedy Central show Important Things with Demetri Martin.
Martin is known for being an unconventional stand-up comic. He uses extensive wordplay (particularly paraprosdokians), one-liners, and drawings on a "large p...more
More about Demetri Martin...
Martin is known for being an unconventional stand-up comic. He uses extensive wordplay (particularly paraprosdokians), one-liners, and drawings on a "large p...more
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“100% of the people who give 110% do not understand math.”
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