Comedians are the best storytellers and the men on this list are among the best in the business. Instead of on stage, they’re telling their funniest stories in longform in these bestselling books. With commentary on the mundane, profane, and insane, you won’t believe some of these tales.
Disclaimer: These memoirs are known to cause chuckles, chortles, guffaws, and shrieks of glee.
From legendary comics to young blood on the scene, here are the top 5 comedy books by funny guys to read this National Humor Month.
How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents by Jimmy O. Yang
Standup comic, actor and fan favorite from HBO's Silicon Valley and the film Crazy Rich Asians shares his memoir of growing up as a Chinese immigrant in California and making it in Hollywood.
Featuring many hilarious stories, while sharing some hard-earned lessons, How to American mocks stereotypes while offering tongue in cheek advice on pursuing the American dreams of fame, fortune, and strippers.
"Being a comedian, [Jimmy O. Yang] naturally tells his story in a hilarious way, with self-deprecating humor being the norm of the book." — Tulsa Book Review
American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson
In his memoir American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson, host of The Late, Late Show, traces his journey from working-class Glasgow to the comedic limelight of Hollywood and American citizenship. Moving and achingly funny, American on Purpose moves from Ferguson’s early life as an alcoholic to his stint on The Drew Carey Show to his decision to become a U.S. citizen in its unique and honest look at his version of the American dream.
“A fine writer, witty, reflective, and candid.... Ferguson is a kinetic cutup teeming with foolishness, brilliance, defiance, and heart. All this is captured in his book as an entertaining connect-the-dots journey.” — Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin
The riveting, mega-bestselling, beloved and highly acclaimed memoir of a man, a vocation, and an era named one of the ten best nonfiction titles of the year by Time and Entertainment Weekly.
Born Standing Up is a superb testament to the sheer tenacity, focus, and daring of one of the greatest and most iconoclastic comedians of all time.
"Absolutely magnificent. One of the best books about comedy and being a comedian ever written." — Jerry Seinfeld, GQ
Dirty Daddy by Bob Saget
A New York Times bestseller • Millions of viewers know and love Bob Saget from his role as the sweetly neurotic father Danny Tanner on the smash hit Full House, and as the charming wisecracking host of America's Funniest Home Videos. And then there are the legions of fans who can't get enough of his scatological, out-of-his-mind stand-up routines, comedy specials, and outrageously profane performances in such shows as HBO's Entourage and the hit documentary The Aristocrats.
“Hilarious and at times heartbreaking . . .” — Vanity Fair
A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir by Colin Jost
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In these hilarious essays, the Saturday Night Live head writer and Weekend Update co-anchor learns how to take a beating.
Told with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, A Very Punchable Face reveals the brilliant mind behind some of the dumbest sketches on television, and lays bare the heart and humor of a hardworking guy—with a face you can’t help but want to punch.
“This is a good memoir in that it proves Jost is . . . not the things we think of him. He’s lived a colorful life, he’s a dutiful student of comedy, and his book is so well-written one realizes that his voice has immensely shaped the tone of SNL for many years.” — Vulture
For even more laughs, check out Five Hilarious Memoirs By Funny Ladies To Read This National Humor Month.