The Professor's Advanced Book of Whimsy

The Professor’s Advanced Book of Whimsy is a new collection of anecdotes, jokes and puzzles, and a follow up to the acclaimed The Professor’s Book of Whimsy published by the same author in 2018. The compilation also includes some reflections on the nature of wit and humour throughout the centuries.

The book is organised into nine themed chapters: Age Cannot Wither Her (on getting old); Exit Pursued by a Bear (pets and animals); In Nature’s Infinite Book of Secrecy (science and teaching); This Blessed Plot (The British); Brevity is the Soul of Wit (quotations and one-liners); And Thereby Hangs a Tale (parody and satire); Neither a Borrower nor a Lender Be (money and business); All the World’s a Stage (acting and politics); and Neither Rhyme nor Reason (nonsense and absurdity). 

In ’Age Cannot Wither Her’, we learn that Geordie has an unexpected inheritance to pass on to his family - a massive property portfolio distributed around the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. How did he come by this? The legend of the monkey washed up on Hartlepool beach during the Napoleonic Wars is told in the next chapter, ’Exit Pursued by a Bear’. Following his starring role in the previous book, Professor Skimbleshanks the tormentor of university administrators returns, albeit briefly, in the chapter entitled ’In Nature’s Infinite Book of Secrecy’. But this time he is upstaged by a three-legged chicken. And why did that chicken cross the road? Our greatest thinkers have divergent opinions. 

’Our Blessed Plot’ looks at the butt of jokes and surveys contributions to humour made by the various British classes - from Del Boy to Lady Bracknell. Could the British Royal Family ever become the butt of very cruel jokes? And, when the British say "very interesting", what do they really mean?

Back in the pub for a Friday night out, our welcoming landlord must contend with ghosts, robots and weasels, which must test the patience of the most tolerant publican. Also included in ’Brevity is the Soul of Wit’ are some thoughts of Tommy Cooper, Victoria Wood and the Reverend Spooner.

’And Thereby Hangs a Tale’ considers the role of parody and satire in humour. The wit can range from the absurdity and nonsense of Catch-22 to the dark (jokeless) humour found in Slaughterhouse-5. Jonathan Swift combines adventure with savage satire, mocking English customs and politics of the day in his eighteen century work Gulliver’s Travels.

Financial matters are the subject of ’Neither a Borrower nor a Lender Be’. A bit of cunning is all that is needed for a man to get his son married to Bill Gates’ daughter. In the early 1900s, Stephen Leacock was the most famous humorist writing in the English Language. He relates the problems he encounters on opening a bank account. ’All the World’s a Stage’ considers the contribution of practical jokers and jesters to English life before the Restoration of the monarchy.

The final chapter - ’Neither Rhyme nor Reason’ - begins with thoughts of the famous Eccles, created by Spike Milligan for the Goon Show.  The Bishop of Leeds was looking for a good joke he might tell at Christmas, but was he wise to ask Barry Cryer?

At the each of each chapter, readers are invited to explore a conundrum, a simple brainteaser, with the answer provided at the end of the book. These puzzles are brief, lighthearted and (mostly) not too taxing. The jokes, reflections and amusing anecdotes found in The Professor’s Advanced Book of Whimsy are a personal collection of material compiled by Michael C. Petty, a retired Professor of Engineering. Brenda Nash, a renowned artist printmaker, once again provides original line drawings.

Michael C Petty is an Emeritus Professor of Engineering at Durham University, UK. He is well known for publications in science and technology.

Brenda Nash is an acclaimed artist printmaker and illustrator from Suffolk. She has exhibited widely, and her prints are sought by collectors.