What do comedians know about killing it in business? Just ask a behavioral economist who teaches MBAs by day and decodes comedy by night. Dr. Peter McGraw—a business school professor, professional speaker, and founder of the Humor Research Lab (aka HuRL)—translates the genius and madness of the world’s funniest people into powerful prescriptions for professional success.
Drawing on cutting-edge research, case studies, and his own comedy successes (and failures), Peter reveals surprising business lessons from the masters of comedy:
- What Bill Murray and Groucho Marx know about career management.
- Why Dave Chappelle and Joan Rivers are a blueprint for brand building.
- What Tina Fey and Amy Poehler can teach you about leadership and teamwork.
- How Jerry Seinfeld’s daily rituals made him the wealthiest comic alive.
Author
Dr. Peter McGraw is a behavioral economist, professional speaker, and expert on the scientific study of humor.
A marketing and psychology professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, McGraw investigates the interplay of emotions, judgment, and choice. His research has been covered by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, BBC, TIME, CNN, Wired, and Harvard Business Review.
McGraw teaches graduate courses in behavioral economics for the University of Colorado Boulder and MBA courses in marketing management for London Business School, University of California San Diego's Rady School, and University of Colorado Boulder. He speaks at Fortune 500 companies, public events, and universities around the world.
As the director of the Humor Research Lab (aka HuRL), he has spent ten years examining the antecedents and consequences of humor. In 2014, he co-authored The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny. McGraw has written for Slate, Wired, Fortune, Huffington Post, and Psychology Today.
McGraw hosts I'M NOT JOKING, a podcast that looks at the lives of funny people from entertainment, business, science, and the arts. He also hosts Funny or True?, a live comedy gameshow that pits comedians against scientists to see who has the best blend of brains and funny bone.
He is currently assisting a production company to develop a TV show based on his life.