The Elements of Stress and the Pursuit of Happy-ish in This Current Sh*tstorm

The Elements of Stress and the Pursuit of Happy-ish in this Current Sh*tstorm is a humorous handbook to help readers better deal with the challenges and headaches of our times, from overeating, to love problems, money woes, global warming, night sweats, winter itch, general anxiety, and so much more. Plus, forty stress-defusing cartoons from two of the best gag cartoonists in the world will help readers handle all the anxiety in today’s new world disorder–the perfect gift for fans of the original Elements of Style or anyone who has had it up to here.

About the Authors

Bob Eckstein on Points in Case – Bob Eckstein appears regularly in major publications as a humorist, cartoonist, award-winning illustrator, and New York Times bestselling author. He was nominated by the National Cartoon Society as Gag Cartoonist of the Year, twice, and selected in 2018 as the Erma Bombeck Humor Writer of the Month. He teaches Writing and Drawing at NYU.

Michael Shaw – Michael Shaw’s cartoons have appeared in The New Yorker since 1999 and have a habit of going viral—appearing on an ABC news special following the World Trade Tower attack and on 60 Minutes as one of New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff’s “top five favorites.” Shaw’s cartoon on The Charlie Hebdo shooting led to his appearance on Ronan Farrow Daily on MSNBC. His cartoons have appeared in The New Yorker Book of Literary Cartoons, The Complete Cartoons of The New Yorker, The Rejection Collection I and II, The New Yorker Encyclopedia of Cartoons, The Ultimate Cartoon Book series and in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Harvard Business Review, Weekly Humorist, and Prospect magazine.

More Book Details

• Paperback : 91 pages
• Publisher : Humorist Books (October 20, 2020)
• Dimensions: 5.51 X 8.5 X 0.15 inches

Editorial Reviews

“Hilarious, humorous—this book has it all, and everything.”
–The Daily Beast

“Two of the top humorists in America have created a stress-free way to enjoy stress.”
—Reader’s Digest

“Unlike with Strunk & White, I didn't stress out reading The Elements of Stress. In fact, I laughed out loud enough that I felt whatever the opposite of stress is.”
–Decider, Alexander Zalben

“This hilarious book will help you forget this oppressively dark period of human civilization for a good ten, eleven minutes. The Elements of Stress is a perfect respite from whichever unrelenting soul-crushing torment you’re currently experiencing.”
–McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Chris Monks

“2020 has been a menace to my stress-induced IBS. But thanks to the hilarious The Elements of Stress, I'm now only sick because I ate an entire pint of ice cream and a bag of Cheetos while reading this book.”
–Writer’s Digest, Cassandra Lipp

“Excellent jokes, a great line, prolific and occasionally profound… you'll enjoy the book. Bob Eckstein is rapidly becoming the Dean of American Cartooning.”
–American Bystander

“This is very, very funny. Eckstein + Shaw = hilarious.”
–InkSpill

Reviews from Fellow Authors

“Not to stress you out, but BUY THIS BOOK! IT’S VERY FUNNY!! BUY IT NOW!!!!”
–Jack Handey, author of Deep Thoughts

“This is the most useful funny book I have ever read or the other way around.”
–Bob Mankoff, former Cartoon Editor of The New Yorker

“This book made me laugh like hell. I was heavily sedated but it did. Looking forward to reading it more closely! Or at all.”
–Mike Sacks, Poking a Dead Frog, Stinker Lets Loose, Randy, Passable in Pink

“If this book doesn’t make you happy-ish, you’re hopeless-ish. Thanks, Bob and Michael!”
–Ron Hauge, Simpsons, Seinfeld, The Ren & Stimpy Show

“Bob Eckstein and Michael Shaw have penned a humorous, easy-to-digest self-help book for our times. They prove Erma Bombeck’s adage, ‘If you can’t make it better, you can laugh at it.’”
—Teri Rizvi, founder and director of the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop