Learning To Laugh When You Feel Like Crying

Klein has written a poignant and easily readable guide to the grieving process based on his personal and professional experiences. The book is a wonderful companion in one's darkest hours and feels like a warm, nourishing hug from a dear and loving friend. It will soothe one's heart and warm one's soul. It has all the tools one needs to bounce back from loss of any kind.

A tragicomic story of bad dates, bad news, bad performances, and one girl's determination to find the funny in high school from the author of Denton Little's Deathdate. Winnie Friedman has been waiting for the world to catch on to what she already knows: she's hilarious. It might be a long wait, though. After bombing a stand-up set at her own bat mitzvah, Winnie has kept her jokes to herself. Well, to herself and her dad, a former comedian and her inspiration. Then, on the second day of tenth grade, the funniest guy in school actually laughs at a comment she makes in the lunch line and asks her to join the improv troupe. Maybe he's even . . . flirting? Just when Winnie's ready to say yes to comedy again, her father reveals that he's been diagnosed with ALS. That is . . . not funny. Her dad's still making jokes, though, which feels like a good thing. And Winnie's prepared to be his straight man if that's what he wants. But is it what he needs? Caught up in a spiral of epically bad dates, bad news, and bad performances, Winnie's struggling to see the humor in it all. But finding a way to laugh is exactly what will see her through. **A Junior Library Guild Selection**

Here's a different angle on humor--it can be a spiritual practice, an expression of a theology of joy, hope, and grace. Humor is so valuable, for it offers self-care, healing, and renewal, precious gifts in times of pressure and tension. Olson begins by telling of three unforgettable friends who lived their lives with joy and zest--a practice that opened doors and aided their own sense of well-being. Playfully, he continues by exploring the known benefits of humor. Next considered is the amazing variety of humor in the Bible, a basic theology of a laughing God, and the caring ethic of humor that emerges from this theology. Finally, there is a discussion of how this practice of humor enriches worship, caregiving, and administration. Laughter in a Time of Turmoil draws to a close considering spiritual disciplines/practices and why humor belongs among these practices. Suggestions are then offered on how to grow in this spiritual practice. Discussion questions are provided for each chapter to help groups enjoy their conversations about the book. This book will help you think and laugh, or laugh and think (take your pick) and then be on your way rejoicing.

Winner of the Best New Book Award of 2017 from the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor! Kids have a fantastic way of looking at the world, and they are often kind, curious, and completely honest about the things they experience. We tend to lose those natural traits as we get older, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In Allen Klein’s new book, people share stories of the lessons they’ve learned from children, from the hilarious anecdotes that make you think to the out-of-nowhere, insightful thoughts on modern issues. Secrets Kids Know. . . That Adults Oughta Learn will help you get back to your unbiased childhood mind, all the while entertaining you with the incredible things that could only come out of the mouth of a child.

The Grateful Life is a guide to discovering – and realizing – one’s dreams though a positive attitude. Through years of research and practice, authors Nina Lesowitz and Mary Beth Sammons have discovered that grateful living can transform lives. Grateful people are happier people. They are healthier and less stressed. They report much higher levels of satisfaction with their relationships, and are less likely to credit “luck” with the good fortune of others. This book contains inspiring stories about those who practice gratitude as a spiritual practice to rise out of adversity to new life, and it will also show how grateful living is central to the good life and to attracting abundance. Filled with motivational quotes, resources and exercises, The Grateful Life will help people on their journey to create the life they’ve always wanted. Taking the concept of Living Life as a Thank You to the next level, The Grateful Life includes absorbing and transformative stories from the frontlines of real people, who unveil the secret to achieving success – big and small in life.

I realize that with this book, I am like a voice crying in the wilderness, as everybody else is crying at the sad state of the black community and finding nothing good to say about us. I dare to believe and argue that we are still mighty people, with much to be proud of. So what I have done with this book is just talk about what I personally feel are the strong points of the black as people and community. You can choose to say that I am living in a fantasy world if you want. But I am confident that African Americans are going to eventually show the world that they are indeed a noble race and that they have much to offer society. History has proven that when things are at their worst is when the tide changes and victory is won. I strongly believe that we are on the verge of a breakthrough as far as our overcoming the problems that presently beset us. I want to show with this book that we are as capable as any other race of growing stronger from the obstacles we face and struggle with. These hard times are ultimately going to make us stronger and give us a hell of a story to tell our grandchildren and write in the history books for future generations to read.

I wrote this book from my experiences in the present time of my life. This book will teach you how to find your voice and help you figure out who you are. You will also learn how to pin point people who are there for you and who are "toxic ticket holder" the ones who are just there for the show. You must teach people how to treat you. By the end of this book you will have the essentials to walk into a what could be a potential stressful situation, and walk away from it with your dignity, your character and more important your voice. Others will know what you will and will not stand for. You will learn how not to look to others for validity... Validation is for parking, not people.You will figure out that you already had all the tools to do this, you just lost your instruction manual somewhere along the path of life.

Humor gets very little respect! While references to the importance of having a sense of humor are liberally sprinkled throughout the popular media, and it is usually mentioned as one of the qualities of effective employees, it is rare to find purposeful humor practice. Humor is without a doubt the one quality that most of us agree is needed in life. However, it is rare to find serious applications on the benefits of applying humor in everyday life and in our world of work. When the federal government tried to incorporate humor into a staff development program of a federal agency, there was an outcry. It seems that humor was thought to be a waste of taxpayer money, and the program was axed. The purpose of Using Humor to Maximize Living is to affirm, sustain, and encourage people in the practice of humor not only as a personal tool to optimize a healthy life style, but also to maximize the benefits of humor in everyday life. Check out the research that includes a review on the use of humor to nurture creativity, to increase the capacity for memory retention, to support an optimal work environment, and to build safe communities that reflect the relational trust necessary for maximizing living.