Huge stand up comedy fan. Loved the book

This seems like one of those books that will I will consistently look back on.

Has some good interviews from big name comedians and provides insight into what it takes to make it in comedy. Some of the references are a little outdated but that’s because most of the interviews were conducted in the 90’s. I’d recommend this to read though!

Too academic and outdated. I've done standup, and reading Richard Jeni's thoughts from the '90s isn't helpful.

The book was great and I liked the interviews with the comedians, although I was not interested in them all but some of them were great and gave some thoughtful insights.

Over all I give this book 4 stars.

This was a great book that I highly recommend to others pursuing the art of stand-up comedy; an insightful and fun read.

I really liked the introduction... The conversations with the comedians was a little repetitive for me, and I knew I was more interested in certain comedians than others...

This is a terrific book for a student of standup. Ajaye's tips for beginning standups are brief, but absolutely essential: he covers how to prepare, how to find your voice, and how to deal with that inevitable (yes, inevitable) first flop. The interviews (which make up most of the book) are equally invaluable, because they're about the craft of standup itself -- not "were you a class clown", not "where do you get their ideas", but the actual details of the process of writing and performing jokes. Ajaye interviews his subjects from the perspective of a comedian, which affords a nuts and bolts discussion of the craft of comedy you're not going to find elsewhere. If you're an aspiring standup, I can't recommend this book enough.

great this great really