Product Description

We may not all be born comedians, but most people are naturally humorous, says Doni Tamblyn, comic-turned-trainer and president of HumorRules LLC. Tamblyn’s humorous techniques have brought serious results to clients such as Chevron, Wells Fargo, AstraZeneca, and other Fortune 500 companies, universities, and government entities. Now she offers these techniques to you in one intriguing, information-packed, and very funny book!

Combining the latest brain studies and humor research with the author's own 23 years of experience in comedy and corporate training, LAUGH AND LEARN is a fascinating look at what makes learners perk up, pay attention, and remember. It’s the first book that 1) explains the research that shows how humor can make information more memorable, 2) teaches communicators how to be funny without relying on joke-telling or novelty store items, and 3) gives specific, light-touch techniques that can be used by virtually anyone who seeks to present their message more effectively. This book will help teaching professionals to:

* Attract more learners to their programs

* Get and hold learners’ attention throughout the learning process

* Present curriculum memorably

* Positively affect learner attitudes

* Go beyond teaching facts, to encourage and model creative thinking (a much-sought ability in today’s organizations!)

* Improve performance scores both inside and outside of the classroom

* Enhance their own reputations as contributors to their organizations' bottom line

* Get "buy-in" from organizational decision-makers

Moreover, LAUGH AND LEARN is a true page-turner! Rich in insights, research data, showbiz secrets, and backstage anecdotes, it is a book that will be read and reread. From the very first chapter, readers will begin to see that professional development can actually be fun!

Wouldn't you like your learners to say the same?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #752732 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Review
An entertaining and practical book chock-full of tips, techniques, anecdotes, and exercises that show anyone how to use humor well. -- Dr. Joel Goodman, Director, The HUMOR Project, Inc., Saratoga Springs, NY

Combining learning and laughing is not easy, but Doni does it brilliantly (and with integrity). Highly recommended! -- Eric Jensen, author, Teaching with the Brain in Mind

I read the book twice! -- Applied Improvisation Network 2004

Should be required reading for anyone involved in teaching or training. (I wish some of my teachers had read it.) -- Malcolm Kushner, AFHC, author, Public Speaking for Dummies

Tamblyn provides necessary references to important cognitive studies, yet her writing style best reflects her background as a former comedian. -- Mills Quarterly Fall 2003

From the Publisher
According to the latest studies in adult learning theory, an environment that encourages spontaneity and a sense of humor can increase knowledge retention considerably. Successful trainers are beginning to realize that getting participants relaxed enough to become engaged in the subject matter -- and even have a little fun with it -- can produce serious results.

In LAUGH AND LEARN, author Doni Tamblyn draws on her experience working with Fortune 500 clients such as Chevron Corp and Wells Fargo Bank to show how teachers and training professionals can inject elements of emotion, humor, and creativity into their programs in order to spark engagement and understanding in their classes and training sessions.

If anyone should know about the use of comedy in a classroom setting, it’s Tamblyn. Having started as a professional stand-up comedienne, she first came into the world of training when hired by the State of California to teach traffic school. Surprisingly, she and her staff of 48 professional comics did not tell jokes! Instead, they facilitated fun games that let their learners wrestle and play with the curriculum, think creatively about it -- and get laughs from each other. The response to the program was overwhelming -- one student even asked if he needed to get another ticket in order to come back -- and it was from that experience that Tamblyn realized just how much an intelligent use of humor could facilitate adult learning.

Since then, Tamblyn has made a name for herself working with major organizations, becoming a frequently requested speaker at training conferences, and sharing a stunning revelation: that even trainers who don’t consider themselves to be naturally funny can use humor to draw participants in, help them think fast on their feet, and problem solve creatively.

In LAUGH AND LEARN, Tamblyn demonstrates with wit and keen insight how educators must foster a sense of intrinsic motivation among learners, getting them in on the act themselves and encouraging their own personal involvement in the material. The book is packed with 95 practical "rules," including:

• Don’t try to be funny -- just try to have fun

• Focus out, not in -- and let participants get in on the act

• Use positive humor, and avoid sarcasm like the plague

• Always acknowledge the "Bomb" (when humor falls flat)

LAUGH AND LEARN features dozens of exercises and thought-provoking games, as well as a special One-A-Day Plan on how trainers can boost their own Humor Quotient. Filled with ideas, tips, and valuable information, Laugh and Learn is a smart, one-of-a-kind book no trainer should be without.

From the Author
Most teachers and trainers believe, either from research or gut instinct, that humor helps people learn better. Relatively few, however, give much time to building this very easy skill.

One reason is that they don't think humor is a "skill" that can be "built." Humor is a gift, they believe. Either you're born with it or you're not. They're almost right. In actual fact, humor is a gift -- and you, I, and everyone else, was born with it.

Another reason teachers and trainers resist using humor is because of the possible negative repercussions. Maybe they will "bomb." Maybe they will inadvertently make an inappropriate joke. Maybe their topic is too serious for humor. Maybe a humorous, playful audience will be too hard to control. Some of these fears are well-founded. Most, as you will see in reading this book, are not.

Perhaps the most immediate cause for reticence is the simple fact that professional development costs money. When it comes to allocating scarce funds, one has to think carefully. Sure, speakers' and trainers' evaluation scores may go up when they use humor -- but will their listeners actually remember better? Score higher on exams? Do better on the job? Is there any proof that humor actually improves learning? Aren't we safer using the budget to build the currently-needed technical skills rather than training trainers to be funny?

This book is written to provide a low-risk, affordable way for teachers, trainers, and speakers to start putting humor to work for themselves. In the process, however, I freely confess that I hope to lead ALL communicators to an appreciation of how humor can help them convey virtually any topic far more effectively, resulting in substantial long-term benefits for themselves, their listeners, and their organizations. I can promise you one thing: If you are a former child, you are a veritable treasure trove of humor. Share the wealth.

Customer Reviews

Great contribution to the field!

I just completed Laugh and Learn and found it to be a helpful resource.

I have used humor in my training programs for a long time, but with some inconsistent results. The author's advice to focus on having fun (instead of trying to be funny) was a breakthrough for me and has resulted in improved instruction.

A Hilarious Book We Use as a College Text
We teach a graduate class at Western Michigan University entitled "Humor and Fun: The Brain's Best Learning Strategy." After much deliberation, we made LAUGH AND LEARN the required text for the course. We love the sound and accurate science on humor and brain function, and meanwhile it is a genuinely funny read. In short, the book both proves AND demonstrates the central point of the course: that fun really is the best learning strategy.

Our students include pre-school, middle school, high school, and college teachers, and even administrators. In spite of the fact that LAUGH AND LEARN was written primarily from a trainer's point of view, we find that it offers good stuff for all. We're delighted to report that the response to the book (and the class) has been excellent. We highly recommend this book for virtually any teaching professional.

Terrific book that really lives up to its title
As a corporate consultant and trainer, I'm always looking for ways to increase my effectiveness in helping clients really learn the material at hand. Like many, I don't consider myself particularly funny, and worry that I could do more harm than good by trying too hard to incorporate humor into workshops.

Doni Tamblyn does a terrific job not only showing the reader how to easily and safely insert humor, she also references fascinating research that clearly supports why humor is so critical to the learning process. The book is written in a friendly, approachable style that makes it a fun read, and I appreciate the handy index to the "95 Ways" listed at the beginning of the book for quick reference.

I highly recommend this book not only to other professional trainers, but to speakers and presenters of all types. Personally, after trying some of Tamblyn's strategies, I not only feel more confident in front of a room, but hey, I'm having more fun too. You can't beat that!