FUNNY BONES

A chiropractor’s book of jokes and gags.

Friedman, who has multiple degrees and is the author of a college-level textbook on the nervous system, has practiced chiropractic and alternative medicine for decades. Named by the Hollywood Reporter as “The Chiropractor to the Stars,” his clients have included John Travolta and Anthony Hopkins, and he has been a contributing writer for Newsweek, Reader’s Digest, and other national publications. In this lighthearted book of jokes, he embraces the maxim that laughter is not only the best medicine, but has been scientifically proven to release endorphins and serotonin, induce euphoria, and increase immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies. Like Dr. Patch Adams, whom Friedman has interviewed on his radio show, the author has amassed a vast repertoire of jokes, puns, and other gags that he uses to “entertain or simply keep a patient’s mind off the pain they are experiencing.” Barring a brief introduction regarding the science of laughter, the bulk of the book comprises one-liners and inoffensive gags that span from eye-roll–inducing dad jokes (the music most chiropractors listen to is “hip-pop”) to sidesplittingly funny, admittedly juvenile, scatological humor (one entire chapter is devoted to fart jokes, given the proclivity of chiropractic patients to release gas during procedures). While most of the jokes are family friendly, like one that renames cars after bones (i.e., the “Ford Fibula” and “Kia Clavicle”), the chapter “Couples Comedy” offers PG-13 fare in the form of mild sex jokes. Accompanying each chapter are humorous illustrations drawn and captioned by the author. While many of the jokes may be a bit corny or only funny within the context of a doctor’s office, Friedman offers a template for medical practitioners to approach their patients with amusing quips that dispel awkward tension inside examination rooms. That these do not rely on stereotypes or other offensive tropes is a model on how to bring humor into a professional setting. Most important is the author’s golden rule to never laugh “at anyone in my office” and to only laugh “with them.”

A rollicking collection of good-natured humor designed to put patients at ease.