Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #148365 in Books
• Published on: 1998-08-24
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From Publishers Weekly
After his wife died from a rare liver disease, Klein wrote The Healing Power of Humor, which explained how laughter had helped him recover from her untimely death. Calling himself a "jollytologist," the author, who lectures and leads seminars on humor, enlarges on this earlier theme by presenting a welcome compilation of many personal stories culled from his research into death and dying. These show the important role of laughter as well as tears in the grieving process. Although Klein stresses that humor should not be used to cover up grief, he believes that, for the patient as well as loved ones, appropriate laughter is a refreshing and therapeutic tonic in the face of illness and death. Among the examples he provides are the sustaining power of humor for the terminally ill living in hospices, as well as the amazing capacity of AIDS patients to make jokes that ease their pain ("In my condition, I don't even buy green bananas anymore"). He describes the bravery of very sick children who seek out light moments to help them cope with their disease and includes the experiences of concentration camp survivors who sustained their will to live through humor. Never glib, Klein's affirmations allow a crucial measure of relief for moments of distress, or in the face of loss. Editor, David Groff; agent, Shelley Roth.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

So Many Heroes
Much of our popular culture defines heroism as laughing in the face of death. Square-jawed heroes and voluptuous heroines in books and movies show us what they're made of as they make light of their impending demise.

Allen Klein writes about heroes, death, and laughter, too. Klein's heroes aren't cartoon characters, they're ordinary people. They are you and me. Klein's heroes haven't been chained in the path of an onrushing train. They're teathered to an IV during chemo-therapy or living with a chronic condition that won't kill them but just make life more difficult as time goes by. Klein's heroes have one thing in common; their ability to laugh at themselves and their situations. They've also given others The gift of laughing with them.

Allen Klein has done a remarkable thing. Rather than celebrate heroism by elevating it out of our grasp, he celebrates it by bringing it to a level where its accessible to all of us. Klein's heroism is facing our time here with dignity, optimism, and a sense of humor in spite of an uncertain future. That's living. That's dying. That's the point.

A treasure--for caregivers, students, and you
Years ago, I learned about the work of Norman Cousins, then editor of "The Saturday Review." My late father was a real fan of that magazine and told me about Cousin's then radical ideas about how humor could help healing. His work is covered in his 1979 book, Anatomy of an Illness (Norton). Since then, I've had an interest in humor and how it helps us cope with the trials and tribulations of life.

Allen Klein has taken the concept a step further, exploring in great detail how humor helps us cope with death. As I began the book, I read about Klein's experience with the death of his father. Thoughts of my father's death came creeping into my consciousness. Do I want to read this book? I continued reading, and I'm glad I did. This book is a fascinating sociological study of humor and death. It's very well done, so well that the book could qualify as a college textbook as well as a very interesting read . . . and even a valuable guidebook for people working in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, or caring for a loved one.

The organization of The Courage to Laugh was obvious, and made the book easier to read, understand, and absorb. Part I answers the question, "Is Death Too Serious for Humor?" with four strong background chapters. The second part of the book, Seeing Demise Thru Humorous Eyes, is filled with an amazing collection of wit and understanding from a wide variety of sources. I became so engaged with this material, that I couldn't put the book down. I just kept reading! I also enjoyed the last part of the book, Leave' Em Laughing, that looks at the subject through the eyes of those who are dying.

Highly recommended for anyone dealing with death and dying or studying the topic. If you're a student of humor, this book is a treasure.

An Amazing Concept..."The Courage to Laugh!"
After having read and loved one of Allen's other books, "The Healing Power of Humor," I read this book as soon as it came out. Before reading "The Courage to Laugh," I never thought about connecting courage with laughter. Now I never separate the two concepts! In this book, Allen refers to clowns and their courage. I was not a "Caring Clown" (a clown that works specifically in health care) when I first read this book. I am now. Some days I need to muster a lot of courage to connect with people who are old and dying. One thing I learned from this book is that even a nanosecond of relief from pain through humor can make a profound difference is a person's life. A second idea (of many) I've embraced is the spiritual component of laughter and mirth. Thanks to you, Allen, my spirit is soaring!