Laughter is the best medicine. And so in the interest of our listener’s health, Talkish, The Halli Casser-Jayne Show brings you a chuckle when joining me at my table at Halli Casser-Jayne dot com is the co-author of LIFE IS A JOKE, 100 LIFE LESSONS (WITH PUNCH LINES), Gordon Javna, and Jeremy Dauber, the author of JEWISH COMEDY: A SERIOUS HISTORY.

Did you hear the one about the Italian Chef? He pasta way. Bada bada bing. Did you laugh at the classic one liner? Maybe, maybe not so much. Jokes. Who writes this stuff? And what is the difference between a good joke and a great joke. According to brothers Gordon and John Javna, in their new book seriously funny book LIFE IS A JOKE, 100 LIFE LESSONS (WITH PUNCH LINES) a great joke not only will make you laugh, a great joke will make you think. Jokes, they assert, are portals of discovery—they can get a message across in a way that’s clear, humorous, and often practical. A work of wit and wisdom With 100 life lessons accompanied by 100 hilarious jokes, LIFE IS A JOKE straddles self-help and entertainment while offering a refreshing new take on a book of wisdom.

Is laughter the best medicine? Ah, that age old question: Are the Jewish people funnier than everyone else? And if they are, why? If not, are they almost as funny as everyone else? The truth be told, over the last century, the Jewish people have become known for humor—and, perhaps, for a particular kind of humor -- Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Groucho Marks, Woody Allen, Sarah Silverman, Larry David, Nichols and May, Jerry Seinfeld and John Stewart are just a few names we recognize. And the story of Jewish comedy is as vast and variegated as the many Jewish comics and their individual style. In his new book JEWISH COMEDY: A SERIOUS HISTORY, Jeremy Dauber, professor of Yiddish language, literature and culture at Columbia University explores, defines, and catalogs the history of Jewish humor, taking us on a smart and funny ride.

Laughter is the best medicine, Jewish comedy, life is a joke, an exploration of humor on Talkish, The Halli Casser-Jayne Show. For more information visit Halli Casser-Jayne dot com.