I don't know man, he was a major talent and because of him a lot of magicians out there have fully working repertoires and routines. I get what you're saying about the one liners not being funny but there are two points to be made on that:
One is that it was a different time, different era. As recent as it seems, the world -and attitudes- has changed so dramatically someone like Aldo probably wouldn't recognise it.
The second point is what I feel is most important:
Context.
This book, listing joke line after line is doing nothing to read the audience or the room and gauge how receptive they are or how they are on what I'd call that laughter scale. If they are right at the bottom, or not even on it (if you consider it simply like a ladder) then the reaction is going to most likely be a flat one. People need to be whipped up, brought to a point where you can get them rolling from one joke to the next and then, if you threw in a few of these you would zee that they are well appreciated. But, starting 'dry' with some of these one liner puns is likely not going to work as a standalone comedic bit.
Just my opinion, of course!
I don't know why I got this.
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