Before & Laughter

A memoir and self-help manual by one of the country's most treasured comedians - for anyone who feels stuck in a rut but doesn't have the tools or self-belief to shake things up

In his mid-twenties, Jimmy was bored, boring, unfulfilled and underachieving. He wasn't exactly depressed, but he was very sad. Think of a baby owl whose mum has recently died in a windmill accident. He was that sad. This book tells the story of how Jimmy turned it around and got happy, through the redemptive power of dick jokes.

Written to take advantage of the brief window between the end of lockdown and Jimmy getting cancelled for saying something unforgivable to Lorraine Kelly, this book is as timely as it is unnecessary.

Because you might be interested in Jimmy's life but he's damn sure you're a lot more interested in your own, Before & Laughter is about both of you. But mainly him. It tells the story of Jimmy's life - the transformation from white-collar corporate drone to fake-toothed donkey-laugh plastic-haired comedy mannequin - while also explaining how to turn your own life around and become the you you've always dreamt of being. At just 20, it's cheaper than Scientology, quicker than therapy, and significantly less boring than church.

Before & Laughter contains the answers to all the big questions in life, questions like:

What's the secret to happiness?

Is Jimmy wearing a wig?

What happened with that tax thing?

What's the meaning of life?

Is Jimmy's laugh real?

Can those teeth bite through vibranium?

And for readers in the West Country: yes, there are pictures (actually, sorry, there are no pictures, but there's a book about a hungry caterpillar you'll love).

Because it's Jimmy Carr - recently scientifically proved to be the funniest comedian in the UK - there are jokes, jokes and more jokes throughout. If laughter really was the best medicine, the NHS would be handing out this book in Nightingale Hospitals.

Fascinating, thoughtful and insightful - are all words that appear in the book.

“Riveting- Daily MailAn utterly sincere guide for people to achieve bigger things in life - Guardian”

Riveting

Daily Mail
An utterly sincere guide for people to achieve bigger things in life Guardian
Very funny and very beautiful, packed with jokes and genuinely wise advice Chris Evans
So good. I've loved every second of reading it James Corden

A hilarious book that will be adored by Jimmy's fans. Both of them

David Walliams

Made me laugh, made me think, what more do you want from a comedian's memoir?

Alastair Campbell

I was really annoyed at how good this book is and that's the biggest compliment I can give

Romesh Ranganathan
Very, very funny - a great read Gary Davies, The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show
At last, a selfless biography that aims to inspire and does. Also, of course, very, very funny Rich Hall
It's the first life advice book from someone whose life you would actually want Katherine Ryan

Jimmy Carr is an award-winning comedian, television host and writer, goddamnit.

One of the biggest-selling comedy acts in the world, Jimmy consistently does stand-up to sell-out crowds, performing his shows at venues in over forty countries. That's a lot of countries. In fact, the only thing that's been on a more extensive world tour in the last five years, is coronavirus.

Before making the move to streaming, Jimmy was one of the bestselling acts in the comedy DVD market, selling over 2 million copies. And to this day his DVDs continue to form the centrepiece of many Oxfam Shop window displays.

His last tour, 'Best of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits', sold over half a million tickets globally with the current show, 'Terribly Funny', looking set to exceed that figure by the end of 2022. Unless someone eats another bat pangolin sandwich.

Jimmy is a household name in UK television, well-known for hosting Channel 4's 8 Out Of 10 Cats, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Big Fat Quiz Of The Year in addition to presenting Comedy Central's Roast Battle UK and Your Face Or Mine. He is a regular on all the top panel shows, including QI and A League Of Their Own, has performed as part of The Royal Variety Performance three times, and a judge on BBC1's I Can See Your Voice. Jimmy's hair has appeared in both The LEGO Movie (2014) and The LEGO Movie 2 (2019).

He was also the first UK comedian to sign a stand-up deal with streaming behemoth Netflix in 2015, releasing two specials on the platform, Funny Business (2016) and Best Of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits (2018).

Before & Laughter is his first attempt at an autobiography. He might even write another one. Depending on next year's tax bill.

A memoir and self-help manual by one of the country's most treasured comedians - for anyone who feels stuck in a rut but doesn't have the tools or self-belief to shake things up In his mid-twenties, Jimmy was bored, boring, unfulfilled and underachieving. He wasn't exactly depressed, but he was very sad. Think of a baby owl whose mum has recently died in a windmill accident. He was that sad. This book tells the story of how Jimmy turned it around and got happy, through the redemptive power of dick jokes.Written to take advantage of the brief window between the end of lockdown and Jimmy getting cancelled for saying something unforgivable to Lorraine Kelly, this book is as timely as it is unnecessary. Because you might be interested in Jimmy's life but he's damn sure you're a lot more interested in your own, Before & Laughter is about both of you. But mainly him. It tells the story of Jimmy's life - the transformation from white-collar corporate drone to fake-toothed donkey-laugh plastic-haired comedy mannequin - while also explaining how to turn your own life around and become the you you've always dreamt of being. At just 20, it's cheaper than Scientology, quicker than therapy, and significantly less boring than church. Before & Laughter contains the answers to all the big questions in life, questions like: What's the secret to happiness? Is Jimmy wearing a wig? What happened with that tax thing? What's the meaning of life? Is Jimmy's laugh real? Can those teeth bite through vibranium? And for readers in the West Country: yes, there are pictures (actually, sorry, there are no pictures, but there's a book about a hungry caterpillar you'll love).Because it's Jimmy Carr - recently scientifically proved to be the funniest comedian in the UK - there are jokes, jokes and more jokes throughout. If laughter really was the best medicine, the NHS would be handing out this book in Nightingale Hospitals.Fascinating, thoughtful and insightful - are all words that appear in the book.

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