Comedy can soothe our pain, vent our anger, make us feel less alone, and provide the answer to life’s most difficult questions, such as "What do you call a man with a seagull on his head?"* It’s a social glue, but it can also be divisive, and the joke is on us if we don’t understand how it works.

So what are the rules? How does comedy do its magic, and why does it matter? Join professional comedy writer Joel Morris on a hilarious journey into the hidden world of shared laughter, where he reveals the mechanisms that make jokes work and what comedy can teach us about ourselves. Offering astute analysis of everything from stand-up to slapstick and sitcom to spoof, Morris examines comedic patterns, rhythms, and dynamics to uncover the algorithms that secretly underpin comedy.

Packed with gags and examples of comedy at its best—plus some invaluable tips on how to master that b’dum tish timing—Be Funny or Die is a fascinating investigation into how our species has developed and mastered this essential art form where laughter is the universal language and only the funniest survive.

*Cliff.