Top Ten Gift Ideas for the Humor Book Lover

1. America, the Book: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction [Teacher's Edition], Jon Stewart, $16.99
An abbreviated history of democracy from the people who bring you Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart". It includes everything you'd expect from a real teacher's edition of a handbook, including "Discussion Questions" that are somewhat questionable themselves, "Classroom Activities" you wouldn't dream of using in a real classroom and plenty of visual aids. Even the pilgrims are lampooned in the book, where they escaped religious persecution n their homelands to "instigate some persecution of their own". A chapter describes the story of how the media went from public informant to corporate lackey, a harsh critique of the state of today's media. A lighthearted and sometimes insightful look at today's politics, this book is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

2. I Feel Bad About My Neck, Nora Ephron, $10.99
A collection of 15 essays in 160 pages, Ephron offers tribute to women both in their prime and those who are post-menopausal. Choosing a lighter approach to aging, her witty musings entertain and delight the young and old alike with an intelligent viewpoint that refuses to take itself seriously. She doesn't recoil from the subject about sex after 60, although she does briefly reminisce about her stint as an intern for JFK and regrets not having an affair. Truly a delight for women of any age.

3. The Pop-Up Book of Celebrity Meltdowns, Melcher Media, $17.97
From the same people who brought you the Pop-Up Book of Phobias and the Pop-Up Book of Sex now offers a mocking look at celebrities who have completely lost it at one point or another. Everyone has a bad day, but when it's a star who breaks down, it's front-page news. The Pop-Up Book of Celebrity Meltdowns features ten of the most highly-publicized break downs of recent years. Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" is prominent, followed by Tom Cruise's maniacal actions on Oprah and a birds-eye view of O. J. Simpson's Bronco. Wild moments in celebrity history are captured perfectly in this gift book, proves just how human celebrities really are.

4. The Complete Calvin And Hobbes, Bill Watterson, $99.00
A three-volume boxed set of every Calvin and Hobbes strip ever created pays fitting tribute to a comic that recalled the golden era of comic strips. Weighing enough to crush a 5-year-old child, and with a 250,000-copy "limited edition" first printing, the publisher has gone on record saying this is "the heaviest and most expensive book ever to hit the New York Times best seller list." The autobiographical introduction by the solitary Watterson reveals the story of an artist struggling to create an entire world within the limitations of a few inches. The "limited edition" set is a fitting compliment to Watterson's dedication, and to the amazing ability of the comic strip to stay alive even in today's technologically advancing world.

5. Homeland Insecurity, Onion Editors, $13.95
The Onion, America's most famous tongue-in-cheek news source, is back and better than ever with this collection. Covering everything from stupid people to stupid politicians, America's stupidity is chronicled quite well with The Onion. This collection features the archives from November 2004 to December 2005, which will interest new fans and bring a nostalgic tear (or maybe that's just indigestion) to the seasoned reader.

6. I Like You: Hospitality Under The Influence, Amy Sedaris, $16.50
Sedaris's guide to throwing a party brings the readers back to a time when "entertainment" was more old-fashioned, but with a new spin on it. She offers instructions and real recipes, but mixes in some other interesting tips which is the entire reason for purchasing the book. She suggests some tricks for dealing with nosey visitors (like the old "marbles in the medicine chest") and gives you lessons in etiquette when dealing with delicate situations. Weaving practicality with hilarity is her specialty, making this book a delight to read.

7. I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This (and Other Things That Strike Me As Funny), Bob Newhart, $16.29
At 77, Newhart regales his audience (you) with jovial stories of his various successes and failures over the years. The reader feels like an intimate acquaintance as Newhart covers everything from his marriage to parenting, his sitcoms, golf fun times with celebrity friends. His narrative is dotted with humorous asides, and he reveals how some of his best sketches came into being.

8. Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck Dictionary II, Jeff Foxworthy, $12.00
Foxworthy's altered explanations for dictionary terms are back, featuring unconventional substitutes for such words as "assassin" and "honor student". For lovers of all things Foxworthy, or friends who frequently misuse words in their vocabulary.

9. The Rejection Collection: Cartoons You Never Saw, And Never Will See, In The New Yorker, Matthew Diffee, $15.95
Sam Gross, a cartoonist who has been contributing to the New Yorker since 1962, has more than 12,000 rejected cartoons. Matthew Diffee asked him and other cartoonists to rescue these hilarious lost gems and contribute to a book, resulting in The Rejection Collection, "a place where good ideas go when they die." Whether they were too risqué, or just plain too weird for The New Yorker, these cartoons have never been seen before now.

10. Uncle John's Curiously Compelling Bathroom Reader, Bathroom Reader's Institute, $12.99
From the cover: "With Uncle John's Curiously Compelling Bathroom Reader, the dedicated folks at the Bathroom Readers' Institute offer fast-acting, long-lasting relief for their legions of fans who have been suffering without a new infusion of the series' trademark trivia and obscure and fascinating facts. Number 18 in the series, this book is divided into short, medium, and long sections for any duration of stay." Perfect for the bathroom, or any room of the house, this collection of stories, trivia and weird facts would be a welcome addition (or at least a funny one) to anyone's home.