The Best of the Harvard Lampoon: 140 Years of American Humor

The Best of the Harvard Lampoon: 140 Years of American Humor (Touchstone, $26) is the first anthology ever produced by the venerable humor magazine, which began in 1876. President Ulysses S. Grant is said to have been warned against reading the Lampoon as it would leave him “in stitches” and unable to lead the government. Since then, contributors to the magazine have gone on to write for The National Lampoon, The New Yorker, Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock and many other publications, movies, and TV shows. Included here are some very funny people, including B.J. Novak, Henry Beard, Andy Borowitz, George Plimpton, Conan O’Brien, John Updike, and Patricia Marx to name just a few.