Review of "The Bedside Bachelor," edited by Paul Steiner

Review of

The Bedside Bachelor, edited by Paul Steiner


Four out of five stars

 Nothing demonstrates how the verbal characteristics of a society has changed over the years than what is acceptable in humor for public consumption. This book of jokes was published in 1957, when what was considered a blue joke was more innuendo than description. Yet, for the time, saying many of these in polite society would have been considered scandalous.  

 Many of the jokes would have been acceptable, despite the expression on the cover, “Gags, Gals and Wicked Wit.” With nary a swear word in sight, these jokes take you back to a time when humor did not require profanity to be effective. As is usually the case in a book of jokes, the caliber covers a wide range, some of which is the quality and the rest personal taste.