Wit's End

“Wit’s End is delicious.” – Stephen Fry“James Geary has produced a rich cornucopia of wit and its origins in the wittiest literary way possible. A delight.” – Julia Hobsbawm“Geary presents a history of wit with all the intellectual force and facility that the more learned reader might expect…” – Times Literary Supplement”… there’s a fascinating exploration of visual wit in the form of an art-history lecture. With humour and verve and by the variety of his style, Geary shows wit to be multifaceted, subtle, ambiguous and akin to wisdom.” – The Irish Times“… convey[s] the power of wit to refresh the mind…” – The Wall Street Journal“Playful, fiercely intelligent, silly, funny and immensely informative - [Wit’s End] makes for a breathless read that leaves you feeling enormously enriched. The reinvention from chapter to chapter is a masterstroke and keeps the subject matter joyously buoyant.” – Reece Shearsmith“Wit’s End juggles scholarship, humorous anecdote and critical insight with a diabolical, almost sinister dexterity. No shrinking violet, Geary fully intends to strut his stuff, to glitter and beguile, and he does so with remarkable ingenuity and chutzpah.” – The Washington Post“Geary is a keen storyteller, promiscuous with quotes and figures. One could do worse at a cocktail party than simply opening his book at random and reading aloud.” – The New Yorker”… playful, occasionally chaotic road trip through comedy’s links to innovation and creativity.” – Discover

James Geary is the author of four previous books, including the New York Times bestseller The World in a Phrase, and is the deputy curator at Harvard University’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism. A sought-after speaker and avid juggler, he lives near Boston, Massachusetts.