Holiday books: Humor

Whiter Shades of Pale: The Stuff White People Like, Coast to Coast, From Seattle's Sweaters to Maine's Microbrews, by Christian Lander (Random House; 232 pages; $15 paperback). Sea salt, world music, Anthony Bourdain, and yes, San Francisco - it's all here.

Understand Rap: Explanations of Confusing Rap Lyrics You and Your Grandma Can Understand, by William Buckholz (Abrams Image; 181 pages; $12.95 paperback). Although it's probably best to spare Grandma the literal translation of "I'm about to get my Bill Clinton on."

Two Gentlemen of Lebowski, by Adam Bertocci (Simon & Schuster; 203 pages; $12.99 paperback). "The Knave abideth."

Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race, by Jon Stewart (Grand Central; 246 pages; $27.99). Full of some of the best material Jon Stewart (or his interns) has ever written.

I Found This Funny: My Favorite Pieces of Humor and Some That May Not Be Funny at All, edited by Judd Apatow (McSweeney's; 476 pages; $25). No doubt the first - and last - time the names Ernest Hemingway and Adam Sandler will appear in the same table of contents.

This article appeared on page FE - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle