NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER โข In these hilarious essays, theย Saturday Night Liveย head writer and Weekend Update co-anchor learns how to take a beating.
โI always wanted to punch his face before I read this book. Now I just want to kick him in the balls.โโLarry David
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Cosmopolitan โข Vulture โข Parade
If thereโs one trait that makes someone well suited to comedy, itโs being able to take a punchโmetaphorically and, occasionally, physically.ย
From growing up in a family of firefighters on Staten Island to commuting three hours a day to high school and โseeing the sightsโ (like watching a Russian woman throw a stroller off the back of a ferry), to attending Harvard while Facebook was created, Jost shares how he has navigated the world like a slightly smarter Forrest Gump.
Youโll also discover things about Jost that will surprise and confuse you, like how Jimmy Buffett saved his life, how Czech teenagers attacked him with potato salad, how an insect laid eggs inside his legs, and how he competed in a twenty-five-man match atย WrestleManiaย (and almost won). You'll go behind the scenes at SNL and Weekend Updateย (where he's written some of the most memorable sketches and jokes of the past fifteen years).ย And youโll experience the life of a touring stand-up comedianโfrom performing in rural college cafeterias at noon to opening for Dave Chappelle at Radio City Music Hall.
For every accomplishment (hosting the Emmys), there is a setback (hosting the Emmys). And for every absurd moment (watching paramedics give CPR to a raccoon), there is an honest, emotional one (recounting his motherโs experience on the scene of the Twin Towersโ collapse on 9/11). Told with a healthy dose of self-deprecation,ย A Veryย Punchableย Faceย reveals the brilliant mind behind some of the dumbest sketches on television, and lays bare the heart and humor of a hardworking guyโwith a face you canโt help but want to punch.