I'm a Joke and So Are You

'Joyfully entertaining. Full of warmth, wisdom and affectionate delight in the wonder and absurdity of being human.' Observer



'Funny, honest and heart-warming.' Matt Haig



What better way to understand ourselves than through the eyes of comedians - those who professionally examine our quirks on stage? In this touching and witty book, award-winning presenter and comic Robin Ince uses the life of the stand-up as a way of exploring some of the biggest questions we all face. Where does anxiety come from? How do we overcome imposter syndrome? What is the key to creativity? How can we deal with grief?



Informed by personal insights as well as interviews with some of the world's top comedians, neuroscientists and psychologists, this is a hilarious and often moving primer to the mind.



Robin Inceis co-presenter of the award-winning BBC Radio 4 show, The Infinite Monkey Cage. He has won the Time Out Outstanding Achievement in Comedy, was nominated for a British Comedy Award for Best Live show, and has won three Chortle Awards. He has toured his stand up across the world from Oslo to LA to Sydney, both solo and with his radio double act partner, Professor Brian Cox. He is the radio critic for the Big Issue and writes a monthly column about science for Focus Magazine. He appears regularly on both television and radio. He has two top-ten iTunes podcast series to his name.



Joyfully entertaining... full of warmth, wisdom and affectionate delight in the wonder and absurdity of being human.



Accessible [and] intriguing... a smart, laugh-out-loud book.



Funny, honest and heart-warming.



Clever, witty and wise. It's very revealing about the psychology of comedians - and the rest of us.



Clever, funny, kind and interesting - just like Robin.



Deceptively deep. Invaluable and inspiring.



Charming, funny, throbbingly intelligent... A memorable, joyful, gorgeous read



Moving, funny and interesting! Robin leads us on a fascinating journey through our often quirky minds.



Profound, compassionate, eye-wateringly funny and immensely human. Robin investigates the big questions of the human condition with the razor-sharp insights and sensibilities of one of our very best stand-up comedians.



One of the UK's most accomplished, versatile comedians.



Moving and insightful... This wide-ranging and well-researched book hides its deceptive depth in an easy to read, witty and conversational style.



Fascinating... One of the best books ever written about what it means to be a comedian... it's certainly a must-read for anyone interested in the workings of comedy and comedians, but probably for anyone interested in the workings of human beings in general.



Insightful, informed, touching and funny in equal measure.



Parts of the book are hilarious, parts of it heartbreaking... Easy to devour, and a real pleasure to read.



For a comedy book, Robin Ince's I'm a Joke and So Are You doesn't ask the usual question - 'What is wrong with comedians?' - but instead shows the quirks and weird thoughts we all fear are unique to ourselves are not as strange as we think. It's a book about the human mind and one that leaves you feeling a lot less alone in yours.



In addition to being royally entertained I was also educated...