"The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart has been honored for being seriously funny.

Stewart, 42, has been awarded with the 2005 Thurber Prize for American Humor for the book "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction," which he co-wrote with David Javerbaum and Ben Karlin.

The writing partners were on hand to receive the award Monday night (Nov. 14) at New York's Algonquin Hotel.

"America (The Book)" presents a humorous, abbreviated history of American democracy and set up like a textbook, complete with discussion questions, classroom activities and special chapters.

The prize is named for author, humorist and New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber. The award was first awarded in 1996 and is considered the top prize for humor writing.

"Daily Show" has earned numerous Emmys, the most recent for outstanding variety series and writing on a variety show.