And Here’s the Kicker is a must read for anyone who has ever put pen to paper in attempt to make others laugh. The brainchild of Mike Sacks, a former writer at The Washington Post who now contributes to Vanity Fair, the book features interviews with a wide variety of comedy writers about the craft of comedy writing. Far more than a Chris Farley Show-esque series of sitdowns where the author asks inane questions like “remember when you created The Office?,” these interviews tend to feature slightly less famous subjects taking far more extensively about process – when they write, what they feel informs their style and approach to humor, the mechanics of a good monologue joke, etc.

Not only do these slightly less obvious choices (he interviews Stephen Merchant instead of Ricky Gervais, Allison Silverman instead of Stephen Colbert, and Paul Feig instead of Judd Apatow) create more honest and interesting interviews, but the range of time he covers is pretty incredible. The oldest subject in the book wrote for Milton Berle, and he includes people behind some of the most recent comedy touchstones like Arrested Development and The Colbert Report). After that he does manage to land some big names, too: Dick Cavett, David Sedaris, and Dave Barry all have great interviews in the book.

Sacks deserves a lot of credit for his editing of each interviewee as well. Knowing what to include, what to cut from the several hours he spent with each person must have been a challenge… but it seems like the best its have all made it to the page. Sacks also knows how to get a subject’s voice and cadence across on the page – an under appreciated skill – and his capturing of the quirks of language and recall that, say, 93-year-old Irving Brecher had in person really add something as you read. Every interview has little nuggets tucked away in it, and almost every writer was a story that is entertaining or at least relates a behind the scenes sense of something every comedy nerd knows. Bottom line: for the price of admission, the wisdom and anecdotes contained within this book are best deal you’ll find. Next time you’re in the bookstore ignore that “Comedy Bible” with the wacky cover and grab this one instead.

Greg Maughan is of the founder and current executive director of the Philly Improv Theater. There are great live shows at the theater this week and next.

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