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Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It
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Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It Hardcover -

by James Geary


From the publisher

Much more than a knack for snappy comebacks, wit is the quick, instinctive intelligence that allows us to think, say, or do the right thing at the right time in the right place. In this whimsical book, James Geary explores every facet of wittiness, from its role in innovation to why puns are the highest form of wit. Geary reasons that wit is both visual and verbal, physical and intellectual: there's the serendipitous wit of scientists, the crafty wit of inventors, the optical wit of artists, and the metaphysical wit of philosophers.

In Wit's End, Geary embraces wit in every form by adopting a different style for each chapter; he writes the section on verbal repartee as a dramatic dialogue, the neuroscience of wit as a scientific paper, the spirituality of wit as a sermon, and other chapters in jive, rap, and the heroic couplets of Alexander Pope. Wit's End agilely balances psychology, folktales, visual art, and literary history with lighthearted humor and acute insight, drawing upon traditions of wit from around the world.

Entertaining, illuminating, and entirely unique, Wit's End demonstrates that wit and wisdom are really the same thing.

Details

  • Title Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It
  • Author James Geary
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Pages 128
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher W. W. Norton & Company
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Bibliography, Illustrated, Index
  • ISBN 9780393254945 / 0393254941
  • Weight 0.8 lbs (0.36 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.8 in (21.59 x 14.48 x 2.03 cm)
  • Library of Congress subjects Wit and humor - Social aspects, Wit and humor - Psychological aspects
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2018030537
  • Dewey Decimal Code 809.7

Media reviews

Citations

  • Booklist, 09/15/2018, Page 9
  • Kirkus Reviews, 09/01/2018, Page 0
  • Shelf Awareness, 11/09/2018, Page 0
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Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

by Geary, James

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Wit's End : The Science, Psychology, and Soul of Wit

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Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

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Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

by Geary, James

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Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

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Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

by James Geary

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Norton & Company, Incorporated, W. W., 2018. Hardcover. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

Wit's End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

by Geary, James

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ISBN 13
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Description:
W. W. Norton & Company, 2018. Hardcover. Acceptable. Former library book; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Wit's End : What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It
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Wit's End : What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

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Wit's End : What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

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Wit's End : What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Wit's End : What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

by Geary, James

  • Used
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Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780393254945
ISBN 10
0393254941
Quantity Available
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Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
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This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
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Description:
Norton & Company Limited, W. W. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
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FREE shipping to USA