Funny Thing Is, by philosopher and playwright Stephen Evans, is a witty, insightful look at what constitutes and characterizes comedy. With its accessible style and straightforward approach, it follows in the vein of Harry Frankfurt’s popular philosophy work On Bullshit but hews closer to the literary style of continental philosophy than the anglophone analytical tradition and draws helpfully from the author’s background in theater.

From the nature of laughter to philosophical reflections, the connections drawn between major thinkers and comedy's impact on daily life makes for thought-provoking reading, and certainly will power book club and classroom discussions.