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Impractical Jokes is the story of a real-life feud between Charlie Pickering’s dad and his dad’s best mate, who enjoyed a 10-year battle of prank-pulling one-upmanship.

The series of ludicrous, but always delightful, practical jokes begins when Charlie’s dad lands in the pool at a barbecue. The retaliation is a Corleone-esque water pistol fight in a five-star restaurant.

Before long, it gets into real estate damage, dead animals, toilet seats and a street full of fire engines, as the jokes get bigger, dafter, funnier and definitely more dangerous. In between the antics, we learn a little about the Pickering family.

Impractical Jokes is based on a stand-up routine by Charlie Pickering — comedian, TV host and now author. It’s a straightforward story that lacks a little depth and detail, but makes up for it by being immensely readable and very entertaining, with Pickering’s affable style and intelligent humour shining through.

This is a book that doesn’t demand to be taking too seriously — just like Charlie’s dad’s lesson for life — and for that reason, Pickering’s approach and pitch are perfect.

*Lee McGowan works at Riverbend Books, Brisbane. This review courtesy of Bookseller+Publisher’s books blog Fancy Goods.