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20-Minute Vacations: Quick, Affordable, and Fun “Getaways” from the Stress of Everyday Life by Judith Sachs
You’re in for more than 100 relaxing, invigorating, and just-plain-fun getaways that really can be enjoyed in just 20 minutes or less— everything from desk dreaming to gourmet getaways to romantic respites to pampering yourself. These vacations take you far away from the pressure and stress of daily life. The best part is that they are totally affordable in terms of both time and money… yet they offer you the respite you need to go back to your life and work with renewed zest. Just reading this book will be like a vacation for you.

555 Ways to Put More Fun in Your Life by Bob Basso
Is it possible to overdose on fun? Buy this book to find out. In this unconventional how-to manual, Bob provides 555 quick-tips to change your life by replacing funk with fun. You’ll learn an incredible variety of loony and tame things you can do to add zest and glitter to your life and work. As Bob says, “Have fun with your life. The alternative doesn’t make any sense.”

1001 More Ways to Be Romantic and 1001 Ways to Be Romantic by Gregory J.P. Godek
Has the romance gone out of your relationship? Or would you like to make a good thing even better? Either way, these books have what you need: creative, fun, and affordable ideas for acting on your feelings and surprising the heck out of your partner. 1001 MORE WAYS picks up where the best‑selling 1001 WAYS leaves off: with all‑new tips and techniques to bring more joy, peace, and passion into your life, from secret messages to Star Trek dinners to spiritual getaways.

1001 Ways to Be Romantic: Author’s Annotated Edition by Gregory Godek
Based on the notion that “romance brings love alive in the world,” this book is about re-igniting passion and deepening intimacy. Has the romance gone out of your relationship? Or would you like to make a good thing even better? Either way, this book has what you need: creative, fun, and affordable things you can actually do to bring more joy, laughter, peace, and passion into your life. Oprah says, “I like 1001 Ways to Be Romantic— it will fill your brain with all kinds of wonderful romantic ideas. I like number 584!” The other 1000 are super, too! Obviously a great gift for Valentine’s Day… and for making every day Valentine’s Day!

1,003 Great Things to Smile About by Lisa Birnbach et al and 2,002 Ways to Cheer Yourself Up by Cyndi Haynes
This terrific “two-fer” lists 3,005 ways you can put a smile on your face and good cheer in your heart! These two uplifting books will help you jump-start joy in your life. Smiles and good cheer do indeed work magic… the 3,005 deceptively simple yet highly-effective ideas will leave you grinning from year-to-year. This two-book set is also a great gift to help coworkers, friends or family members to lift their spirits.

14,000 Things to Be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer
Reading this chunky compendium is as irresistible as eating popcorn.  Over the course of twenty years, the author collected and celebrated in these pages almost everything that ever brought a smile. She discovered that it’s the little things that make life worth living. A pure, unadulterated listing, this book, to be sure, is 14,001.

1,000,001 Things That Make You Crabby: The Official Checklist by Natalie Windsor
You’ll find all the things that make you crabby here: reckless drivers, telephone peddlers, canceled fights, restroom lines, people who’d count all 1,000,001 of these things. And 999,996 more – just in case you run out!

Absolutely Unforgettable Parties: Great Ideas for Party People by Janet Litherland
With this idea book, you can throw a party with pizzazz. Includes 23 themes for all seasons and occasions, from a TGIF Party to a Back‑to‑School Party for Parents, a whodunit Murder We Wrote Party, a Reincarnation Party (come as you were), a Retire with Fire! Gala, and more. Each plan comes with complete how‑to instructions, recipe suggestions, reproducible party game papers and invitations for you to photocopy. All ideas have been thoroughly party‑tested.

Acts of Kindness: How to Create a Kindness Revolution by Meladee and Hanoch McCarty
Here is the best, most practical book inviting you to join the kindness revolution that is sweeping the country. This delightful book tells you everything you need to know to perform intentional acts of kindness for your family, friends, co-workers or people in need. You’ll learn over 100 uplifting, heartwarming ways to spread sunshine and funshine. The authors include chapters on “Kindness Through Humor and Playfulness,” “Acts of Kindness in Education,” “Kindness for the Grieving Process,” “Acts of Kindness in the Workplace,” etc. Do yourself an act of kindness and get this book… for yourself and/or for someone you care about.

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum
A handful of books have magic attached to them– this is one of the rare few that has already become a modern classic.  This book raises the spirits and warms the heart with uncommon thoughts on common things.  A fun-away best seller, this book has taken on a life of its own.  Robert Fulghum writes with wit and insight about small lives with big meanings.  Every essay in this book will affect you, making you pause to reflect on (and chuckle about) your own life.  A rendezvous with Fulghum will leave you wiser, gentler, and feeling good.

Almost Home: Embracing The Magical Connection Between Positive Humor & Spirituality by Jacki Kwan
This new heartfelt memoir/self-help book will inspire you to have a joyous “homecoming” experience as you meet the elf in yourself. Discover the journey one woman took to bring laughter into her life and the lives of others and how she embraced the intricate and intimate connection between positive humor and spirituality. You’ll learn how humor can have a profound influence on your quality of life and your passion for tomorrow. You’ll also find how humor therapy has helped and can help people suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and a host of other medical challenges. Through Jacki’s poignant stories and practical tips (e.g., for setting up a humor therapy program), you’ll develop the (comic) spirit that can bring the “spark” of life back to you and others.

America on Six Rubles a Day by Yakov Smirnoff
In 1977, the United States and Russia made one of the biggest trades in history. We sent them millions of tons of wheat. They sent us millions of tons of wit in the form of Yakov Smirnoff… and we’ve been laughing ever since. The Wall Street Journal describes him as “America’s first comedian from the real Borscht Belt.” This book is filled with his hilarious observations on his adopted land… you’ll understand why Yakov says, “What a country!” You’ll exclaim, “What a book!” as you read the words of  The HUMOR Project’s  National Humor Treasure Award.

Anguished English by Richard Lederer
You’re in for a shrewd a wakening if you pick up this book!  An anthology of over 1000 accidental assaults upon our language includes wholly holy bloopers from church bulletins, odd ads, student bloopers, excuses written by parents to school, signs of the times (In an Acapulco hotel:  “The manager has personally passed all the water served here.”), and much more.  We have personally passed this book as one that will leave you helpless with laughter.

Balancing Acts! Juggling Love, Work, Family & Recreation by Susan Stautberg and Marcia Worthing
Kids, spouse, job, house, hobbies, exercise, PTA, aging parents, midlife malaise, friends, meetings… help! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, let this book show you how to “reinvent” yourself. Proven strategies point the way toward the kind of success you can’t dress for: a satisfying balance of work and play. “Enough practical ideas for several lifetimes.”‑‑ Julia Kagan, Working Woman magazine.

Be the Star You Are!: 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference by Cynthia Brian
As Bill Shakespeare once said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” How can you “act” so that you lead a fulfilling life and make a difference for others? Cynthia (who will be leading one of our pre-conference workshops— see page 11) gives you 99 alphabetically-arranged gifts like Affirmation, Challenge, Dedication, Fun, Grace, Health, Imagination, Leadership, Spontaneity, etc. Each gift includes a personal story, a positive message, a simple exercise, and an apt axiom… essentially, the ingredients for your recipe to be the star you are and to live your dreams. Bernie Siegel in the Foreword: “This book shares many gifts with you. Let Cynthia be your acting coach so your life is filled with joy and love.”

Becoming a Humor Being: The Power to Choose a Better Way by Steve Rizzo
Just like Steve’s closing keynote at our 2004 conference, this book draws rave reviews: Dr. Bernie Siegel: “Becoming a Humor Being rates a 10.” Richard Carlson, author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: “If you pick up this book, you won’t want to put it down. It made me want to become a better ‘humor being.’” Through his own and other peoples’ stories, Steve reveals how humor can short circuit negative thoughts and emotions and transform the direction of your life! This book focuses on: tools you need to nurture and awaken the humor being inside you, three steps to pump and strengthen your humor muscle, the power of humor to laugh off fear, the laughter-learning link, humor in the workplace, the love-laughter bond, and four ways humor helps you embrace change.

Being Happy!: A Handbook to Greater Confidence and Security by Andrew Matthews
More than half a million people have already enjoyed this international best seller. This book is about why you only spill spaghetti down the front of your BEST suit, why some people always seem to be in the right place at the right time (and how you can be one of them) , and why traffic lights stay red for half a day when you’re late for an appointment. Make an appointment to buy this delightfully-illustrated book!

Belly Laughter in Relationships: Something Else Positive Below the Belt by Enda Junkins
This book shows that love may make the world go ‘round, but laughter keeps us from getting dizzy! Enda helps us look at the love-laughter link while learning ways to transform “serious relationships” into relationships that last with laughter. Filled with insights and playful/powerful laughter exercises for couples, this book will help you learn how to: keep laughing and having fun with your partner; utilize laughter and humor to achieve effective communication; call on laughter to deal with differences; and employ laughter to ease, enrich, and revitalize the four big relationship-stress areas of sex, money, children, and housework. You’ll also learn how to use laughter in a relationship with a “serious” partner. Discover the power of laughter as a relationship magnet, lubricant, and glue in creating a lifetime of love that lasts.

The Best Of Beetle Bailey by Mort Walker
Mort Walker is the most widely syndicated cartoonist in history.  This book is a wonderful Walker down memory lane that looks at one of the most popular comic strips in the world (syndicated in over 1800 newspapers).  In looking lightly and lovingly at the frailties and foibles of the human family, BEETLE BAILEY  has brought laughter to millions of people for over 40 years.  This book includes hundreds of cartoons along with behind-the-scenes insights from the mind of its comic genius creator.

The Best of Bulletin Board: Of Simple Pleasures, Cute Kids, the Kindness of Strangers, and Other Scenes from the Human Comedy edited by Daniel Kelly
This book is chuckle-full of hundreds of extraordinary stories, rich humor, and human insight. Connoisseurs of life’s silly and tender moments will relish this engaging look at life in the 90’s and the humorous human condition which provides a lot of fodder for laughter… and food for thought (e.g., Kathy on page 13 telling us that “My greatest simple pleasure is when I hear my husband say those three little words that I long to hear: ‘Let’s eat out.'”).

Best Of Gravestone Humor by Louis Schafer
You’ll die laughing if you pick up this book.  You might not think of looking in a cemetery for humor, but this amazing, amusing collection of musty, dusty old epitaphs will tickle you.  These grave matters are indeed laughing matters.  On the whole, I’d rather be reading this book.  And speaking of hole, there was a tombstone of a dentist:  “View this gravestone with gravity… He is filling his last cavity.”

The Best Of Hi And Lois by Mort Walker and Dik Browne
Since its debut in 1954, HI AND LOIS, the quintessential family comic strip, has chronicled the changing (and yet unchanging) life of the American family.  This book is truly the ultimate collection that includes almost 300 daily strips and more than 80 Sunday pages from 1954 to the present, plus a special behind-the-scenes look at how the strip is created.  An affectionately funny retrospective on four decades of American family life.

Bets You Can’t Lose By Patrick Sullivan
This is a book that will pay for itself– and if you use it often enough, it may even pay for all the other books in this catalog!  It includes 57 different bets involving magic, puzzles, and tricks you can do with no skill whatsoever.  Each bet is a challenge that can invite laughter and creative problem-solving in the home, on the job, in the classroom, at parties, or on street corners with strangers.  We bet you’ll buy this book!

The Bounce Back Quotient: 52 Action Oriented Ideas for Bouncing Back from Any Change or Setback in Life by Linda Nash
In a world filled with accelerating change and challenges, this book is just what the doctor ordered! It includes an insight-filled, self-diagnostic resilience assessment tool and a great goldmine of bounce-back tips and skills. Discover your own personal bounce back quotient and then follow the 52 affirmations and solid action steps. You’ll definitely be playing with a full deck in surviving and thriving in the future.

Care Packages for the Home: Dozens of Ways to Regenerate Spirit Where You Live by Barbara Glanz
This book is a great “life balance” complement to Care Packages for the Workplace! Too many families these days seem to be in “survival” mode. Rushing from one activity to another, trying to juggle work commitments with home responsibilities, today’s families often find themselves with little time to show their caring. This priceless book is filled with countless, inexpensive ways to help families forge more caring, creative, and joyful places to live. Through the stories of real-life families, schools, and neighborhoods, Barbara encourages you to take action by adapting the ideas to your own family… whether yours is a traditional family, a single-parent family, a blended family, an extended family or a retired family. Steven Covey: “This wonderful book is literally overflowing with fun, uplifting, and creative (yet practical) ideas that will enhance your family life and bless those around you in a tremendous way.” As a special bonus, the book is blessed with dozens of John McPherson’s CLOSE TO HOME cartoons to invite smiles and laughter. This book will leave you feeling regenerated, renewed, and refreshed– what a great CARE package for you and your family!

Celebrate Today!: Over 3000 Boss-Proof, Tamper-Resistant, Undeniable Reasons to Take the Day Off by John Kremer
Take this book fun-day-at-a-time– you should find at least one reason for celebrating each day. Features 3000+ special days, weeks, months, and anniversaries– Mother-in-Law Day, Anti-Boredom Month, God-Awful Tie Day, etc. This is the only book you’ll ever need to help you: plan parties or meetings they will never forget, have fun motivating yourself and others, create great bulletin board displays, carry out offbeat promotions for your products or services, and more.

Change Your Attitude: Creating Success One Thought at a Time by Tom Bay & David Macpherson
Here is a how-to change manual and fast-paced reality check that presents important attitudes along with profiles of 100+ people, communities, and companies around the globe that exemplify those attitudes. Chapters include: “Assessing Your Attitude,” “Relishing Reality with Its Responsibilities and Risks,” “Igniting Imagination, Innovation, and Integrity,” “Nourishing Goals Through Greatness and Graciousness,” “Celebrating Your Balanced, 360-Degree Life,” and “Enjoying Humor and Healthy Habits” (which will give you a lift and a laugh).

Change Your Life with Humor by Lorrie Boyd et al.
This book, which contains the tools you will need to use humor in all parts of your life, is organized into 3 sections: (1)historical look at humor along with the physiological and psychological benefits; (2)insights on making humor a part of your life (family, job, lifestyle, dealing with grief and loss); (3)exercises to tickle your funnybone (measuring your Humor Quotient, finding humor, using props, etc.). Gene Perret (head writer for Bob Hope): “This book is fun– and will help you learn to be funnier.”

Chuckles, Challenges, and Cheap Thrills: Your Guide to Comic Relief in the Celebration of Life by Mary Durham and Chuck Durham
This thought‑provoking, smile‑inviting book is chuckle‑full of “cheap thrills” that can make a big difference in your (laugh) life. With 1,300 frugal fun activities and ideas; 500 anecdotes, quotes, and jokes; and 135 graphics to make you grin, it’s a rich and varied resource and an instant pick‑me‑up. Each chapter includes a focus on the therapeutic benefits of laughter and play.

Claw Your Way To The Top: How To Become The Head Of A Major Corporation In Roughly A Week by Dave Barry
You will have to claw your way back into your chair after you fall out of it while reading this book.  By the way, Dave dedicated this book to “Burton R. Legume, inventor, who in 1907 dreamed up the concept of the hold button, without which the modern industrial economy would not be possible.”

Clown Ministry Handbook by Janet Litherland
This is the original book of clown ministry basics with many skits and sketches for service and worship.  The Provident Book Finder calls this “a means for freeing up new talent and sharing truth and love with lots of smiles.”  This handbook will show you how to become a “Clown Minister” and set up a clown‑ministry troupe for in‑church or outreach programs.   It comes complete with descriptive information about clown types, make‑up tricks, props, and performance techniques.  Yet another way that the positive power of humor can bring people together through comic spirituality.

Comedy Writing Secrets by Melvin Helitzer
A valuable resource for all those humorists who want to get their work on stage, onto the big screen, and into print.  Writers will learn everything from how to think, write, and perform comedy to marketing themselves and their work.  Read this for $ so you can write for $$$$ . . .

Comedy Writing Step By Step: How to Write and Sell Your Sense of Humor by Gene Perret
Gene Perret won three Emmy Awards for his work on The Carol Burnett Show (Carol wrote the Foreword to this book). Not only is he a master of his trade, Gene is a born teacher who enjoys helping others to achieve their goals through humor. Whether your goal is to have comedy as a hobby, as a second income or as a career, Gene provides a treasure trove of tips, anecdotes, and examples on how you can write light. This has been acclaimed as by far the best book on the subject.

Comedy Writing Workbook by Gene Perret
Gene teaches secrets for “thinking funny” and for writing successful comedy.  Includes 87 super workouts that take you from writing cartoon captions, anecdotes and one-liners all the way to full monologues and plots.  This self-guided workbook format helps you practice very specific tricks of the trade used by Jack Benny, Phyllis Diller, Robin Williams, and other comedic kindred spirits.  This is a great way for you to get in comedic shape– and to shape your own sense of humor.

The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even If You’re Not by John Vorhaus
Comedy may be mysterious, but we don’t have to leave it to chance. Mostly, it’s simple rules and structures– the logic of the illogical– tools that anyone can use. This book is a straightforward, often humorous, workbook approach to comedy writing as creative problem solving. Hollywood comedy writer Vorhaus teaches writers, comics, and anyone else who wants to be funny such comedic tools of the trade as: Clash of Context, Tension and Release, The Law of Comic Opposites, The Wildly Inappropriate Response, The Myth of the Last Great Idea, and much more. Write on… with the Light Stuff!

Cooking with Humor: A Unique Recipe Collection by Robin Copper Benzie
Here’s proof that serious cooking can be fun: a delicious assortment of 100 imaginative recipes, from party food to main courses to sweets. The titles are your first clue: Pie R2, Salmon Chanted Evening, Thunder Thighs (as in chicken), Vegetarian Flank Steak. For casual and sophisticated cooks alike, this punny collection will make you a giggling gourmet. “Funny! Joyous!… Essential for every cook with a sense of humor.”‑‑ Paul Prudhomme.

The Coward’s Guide to Conflict: Empowering Solutions for Those Who Would Rather Run Than Fight by Tim Ursiny
Are you a conflict coward? If so, don’t worry… you are not alone! From the corporate bully to the passive-aggressive employee to the demanding spouse, there are people in our lives who cause frustration and anger. Here’s a chance for you to: make conflict less frightening… quickly; avoid the top 10 mistakes made when dealing with upset people; realize the 7 choices you can make in conflict; understand the top 10 reasons people avoid conflict; discover the 5 communication styles we all use to face conflict. Drawing on humorous stories, interactive exercises, and real-world examples from both the workplace and home, this book will boost your confidence and competence in dealing with difficult people and situations. You’ll see after all that conflict can be a good thing!

Creative Clowning by Bruce Fife, Tony Blanco, Steve Kissell et al.
Here’s your chance to become a class (act) clown!  This book teaches you skills to become funny and entertaining.  Along the way, you’ll learn everything from juggling to creating and telling jokes to developing a clown personality.  Topics also include balloon sculpting, mime, working with puppets, magic, make-up and wardrobe.  Get this book if you don’t want to clown around– or if you do!

Dave Barry’s Greatest Hits
Popular syndicated columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner Dave Barry is definitely one of the funniest people on the planet.  His books make us laugh out loud!  This is a collection of pieces from Dave’s hall of fame that includes insights on:  why the government prints 4000 copies of a 452-page document with every word crossed out, why every man pushing 40 needs an electric guitar, and how to manage a children’s birthday party (“Serving suggestion:  If you’re running behind schedule, you may save yourself time by bypassing the children and rubbing the fudge sauce directly onto the drapes.”).

Dave Barry’s Guide To Marriage And/Or Sex
Love may make the world go round, but laughter keeps us from getting dizzy!  Dave does it again!

Dave Barry Turns 40
Dave Barry turns… common everyday matters into hilarious laughing matters.  His latest book is the definitive silly guide to grownuphood– when all of a sudden you’re too young for the nursing home and too old to be a rock star.  Readers’ caution:  if you ever laugh so hard you cry or laugh so hard you wet your pants, please read this book wearing a wet suit!

Dealing with People You Can’t Stand: How to Bring Out The Best in People at Their Worst by Rick Brinkman and Rick Kirschner
This updated and revised 500,000+ international best-seller has been a best-seller for us, too! With wit and wisdom, the authors describe proven techniques you can use right away to get people to stop whining, attacking, procrastinating, sabotaging, and all the other behaviors that drive you up the wall.

The Directory of Humor Magazines and Humor Organizations in America (and Canada): 2nd Edition edited by Glenn Ellenbogen
An excellent networking tool that will help you get in touch with over 60 different humor publications which reach 2,609,120 fellow humor travelers. This “yellow pages” guide also lists dozens of humor-related organizations or associations (everything from The International Save the Pun Foundation  to the International Association of Professional Bureaucrats).

Don’t Laugh at Me (with CD-ROM) by Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin Illustrations by Glin Dibley
Afterword by Peter Yarrow
Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary fame is the opening keynote presenter at our 2003 annual international conference (see page 13). “Don’t Laugh at Me,” the powerful anthem for a bully-free and ridicule-free world, inspired Peter to start the Don’t Laugh at Me Project.  The moving music is brought into full-color harmony through rich, emotionally engaging illustrations. The audio CD that comes with the book includes the recording by the authors, the musical score, and an instrumental version for sing-alongs. A portion of the proceeds from book sales will be donated to the not-for-profit Don’t Laugh at Me Project. This book and CD are a must-have gift for every child… and for every adult who cares about children.

Don’t Let the Funny Stuff Get Away by Jeanne Robertson
You do not have to be a comedian or comedy writer to turn life experiences into humorous vignettes. Just follow Jeanne’s proven methods (from 40+ years as an award-winning humorist and past president of the National Speakers Association) and enjoy the results! You’ll learn how to: use minimum time to gather gobs of clean, funny anecdotes; magically transform everyday experiences into laughter; and design a personal (and powerful) humor journal. This reader-friendly book comes complete with Jeanne’s step-by-step humor-gathering system along with lots of funny examples that prove the system works! A must-read for speakers… and people who love to laugh..

Falling in Fun Again by Doris Jasinek and Pamela Bell Ryan
Working too long? Parenting too hard? Suffering from “fun deprivation”? Here’s practical , insightful advice on how to put the spark back into take-it-for-granted relationships and other close connections. This book can help you add tang to your twosome and put some fun in your humdrum.

Fun? But We’re Married!: A Wise and Witty Guide to a Lasting Marriage by Lois and Joel Davitz
Here is a loving and lighthearted blueprint for wedded bliss that shows the real key to a lasting marriage is having fun together, that your marriage can survive a few good fights (if you know the rules), and that getting out of sync is not necessarily fatal. Drawing from their own research and marriage of 54+ years, the authors provide a witty and wise guide for those about to marry, those who are experiencing their own stumbling blocks, and those who seek a legacy of love and laughter in their relationships. Includes a non-threatening, thought-provoking self-study guide you can use to identify shared interests, values, pleasures, and joys.

Funny Ladies: The Best Humor from America’s Funniest Women by Bill Adler
Spanning more than 100 years, this book is a veritable Who’s Who in Funny Females. You’ll love the wit and wisdom of hundreds of amazing and amusing women— including Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball, Whoopi Goldberg, Erma Bombeck, Mae West, Goldie Hawn, Ann Landers, Rosie O’Donnell, Mary Tyler Moore, Phyllis Diller, and even Miss Piggy. This fun-of-a-kind collection has something on every page to make you smile, get you to laugh aloud or give you some delicious food for thought.

The Funny Things Kids Say Will Brighten Any Day by Grace Housholder
Kids say (and do) the darndest things! Rib-tickling stories and heart-warming watercolors create a keepsake book that will delight the grandparents, teachers, friends, and relatives on your holiday and birthday gift lists. A veritable Bartlett’s of Bloopers, this book includes precious and funny things kids have said about food, money, health, pets, sex, sports, etc. This is a gift that keeps on giving… a smile!

God Knows You’re Stressed: Simple Ways to Restore Your Balance by Sr. Anne Bryan Smollin
If you find yourself all stressed up with nowhere to go… then go to this book! This uplifting book spells out 12 proven ways to maintain control over potentially stressful situations and to handle all of life’s little trials and larger tribulations. You’ll learn how stress can be transformed: you can manage stress before it manages you. Sr. Anne (who is the closing keynote speaker at our April international conference— see page 22) draws on her wealth of powerful principles and touching and hilarious anecdotes to help you like yourself better, treat yourself with more kindness, laugh and play more, breathe more deeply, hold hurts more loosely, and rest more soundly.

A Good Planet Is Hard to Find: Cartoons by John Heine
Those who truly treasure the earth and strive to protect its wonders will cherish this book.  Heine’s cartoons create a mirthquake as he pokes fun at human foibles that have disastrous consequences for the environment. His message is obvious: good humor is important to find in dealing with serious environmental issues.

Grimmy Come Home by Mike Peters
This is a funderful feast of hilarious Mother Goose And Grimm cartoon strips (the fastest-growing syndicated cartoon in the country).  This collection will help you to GRIMM and bear it as you grin and share it!

Headlines by Jay Leno
Jay Leno says that all he does is travel the country and identify the absurd.  He certainly has a lot of material with which to work!  In this book, he shares some of the incongruous, bizarre, and unintentionally (we hope) funny headlines.  When he shares these headlines on the TONIGHT SHOW, the audience loves ’em!  You’ll love ’em, too, and you’ll find your head filled with laugh lines as a result.

Hometown Humor U.S.A. by Loyal Jones and Billy Edd Wheeler
Gathered from the porch swings and corner cafes of America, hundreds of side‑splitting jokes and stories capture our national sense of humor. Covers courtship and marriage, aging, health, schools, people at work, politics and the law, religion, sports, and more. Our favorite chapters: “Humor and Healing: Relieving the Ills of Mind, Body, and Society” and “Finding Your Own Lake Wobegon: The Healing Power of Humor.”

How to Be a People Magnet: Finding Friends— and Lovers— and Keeping Them for Life by Leil Lowndes
This book reveals specific and proven techniques you can use to become a magnet for interesting and engaging people. You’ll learn the secrets of attracting friends for fun and romance as well as networking to strengthen business contacts and relationships. Whether you are shy or outgoing, you can use these tips to: encourage strangers to like you instantly; stamp out that Fatal FUD Factor (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt); make everyone around you feel singularly special; avoid the two biggest mistakes when meeting someone new; and win hearts in ten words or less.

How to Be Funnier (Happier, Healthier & More Successful, Too!) by Roger Bates
This excellent book will reveal to you the secrets of the world’s funniest people. With hundreds of humorous examples and 50+ fun exercises for strengthening your funny bone, you’ll learn how to catch, experience, share, and enjoy more of life’s abundant humor. This book is like having your own private humor coach whispering in your ear about how to use humor to reduce stress, build confidence, improve relationships, add life to your years (and years to your life). Best of all, this book practices what it teaches– it’s fun to read!

How To Be Funny:  Discovering The Comic You by Steve Allen with Jane Wollman
No one knows more about comedy than Steve Allen.  Creator of the TONIGHT SHOW, Steve Allen has looked into every aspect of who’s funny, what’s funny and why.  Now, in this newly-released edition of this entertaining and informative book, he shares insights on the art of ad-libbing, constructing humor, and performing comedy.  Written in a unique interview format and sprinkled with generous examples of Allen’s wit and excerpts from his sketches and monologues, this book is like a course in Funny 101.  Here’s a chance for you to have a “meeting of minds” with the person who will receive the National Humor Treasure Award at The HUMOR Project’s annual international conference.

How to Develop Your Sense of Humor: An 8-Step Humor Development Training Program by Paul McGhee
Written by one of the pioneers in the field of humor research, this book shows you how to use humor as a natural remedy for T.S. (Terminal Seriousness). It includes an excellent chapter on the physical health benefits of humor. After analyzing your own sense of humor, you will learn how to develop the playful side of yourself, improve skills in joke-telling and spontaneous verbal humor, find humor in everyday life situations, and laugh at yourself. This is an ideal text for humor courses and workshops – providing you with a curriculum to use or integrate with your own content.

How to Make Luck: 7 Secrets Lucky People Use to Succeed by Marc Myers
Pssst! Want to get lucky? If you do, this fun, insightful, and inspiring book is a great place to start! Stephen Covey puts it well: “This book persuasively demonstrates that the best way to predict your future is to create it. It defies the cynic who explains away most any success as ‘pure luck,’ and it powerfully affirms that we literally can become the creative force of our own lives.” This is your lucky day— your opportunity to learn seven specific steps you can take to attract good luck, limit bad luck, and develop a lucky personality. Along the way, you’ll also puncture a number of “good luck myths” and gain insight on the profound and intimate relationship between luck and success. This book is the missing link between Emotional Intelligence and The Millionaire Next Door!

Humor:  God’s Gift by Tal Bonham
Here’s a joyous book that celebrates the healing value of humor in life and beyond.  Chapters include “Yes, God Has a Sense of Humor,” “The Emotional Healing Power of Humor,” and “Laughter and the Hereafter.”  Serious and sensitive topics are covered with grace, care, and always a light touch.  Includes an introduction by Steve Allen.  This thought-full and thought-provoking book is a gift to us all!

Humor Log: For the 8-Step Humor Development Training Program by Paul McGhee
This comprehensive workbook is designed to be used as a companion to the book How to Develop Your Sense of Humor: An 8-Step Humor Development Training Program or by itself to give you the hands-on experience you need to apply humor skills in your life. It includes in-depth background information related to each of the 8 steps, and provides many opportunities for you to grow your sense of humor through homeplay assignments. This would be a great resource for each of the participants in a seminar or class.

Humor, Risk & Change: Survival Skills for People Over 5 and Under Pressure by C.W. Metcalf
Practice humor skills and humor visualizations, overcome your fear of foolishness and failure, and reduce the negative effects of change on your life. This set of psychological and physiological “survival skills” can enhance your mental and physical health, making you a better risk‑taker, stress‑fighter, and leader. C.W. echoes our message: “Take your job seriously, and yourself lightly.” An excellent series‑‑ we recommend it highly. 5 hours on 5 cassettes in an attractive vinyl bookshelf album. Audiotapes

Humor Scholarship: A Research Bibliography by Don Nilsen
More than a bibliography, this state-of-the-art reference book captures the vibrancy and significance of the interdisciplinary field of humor studies. It provides extensive bibliographies on 45 fields of humor study, each introduced by an essay outlining trends and pointing to major findings. An appendix of humor research institutes, journals, scholars, and programs is icing on the cake. Don Nilsen’s pioneering work in this rich compilation provides a powerful foundation for the practical applications of humor.

Humor – The Magic of Genie: Seven Potions for Developing a Sense of Humor by Jeanne Robertson
This book is written by the former president of the National Speakers Association.
Art Linkletter says, “The ability to laugh can be inspired and nourished by this lovely book by my friend Jeanne.” This book is a fun-filled, information-packed primer that identifies the prerequisites for “making sense of humor.” Jeanne takes you on a magical journey as she weaves humorous stories with her seven ingredients for adding more humor to your life.

I’m Counting to 10… Hope and Humor for Frazzled Parents by Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner
With chapters like “Desperately Seeking Mary Poppins,” “Cleanliness Is Next to Impossible,” and “If You Are What You Eat, Then I Am a Compost Heap,” this book expresses with humor what all parents experience. Told in the voice of Jahnna (the mom), these 45 hilarious and poignant stories celebrate the art of parenting. If laughter is the best medicine, stressed-out parents will feel a lot better after each reading. Take one chapter and call us in the morning!

If This Is a Lecture, How Long Will It Be? By Lynn Johnston
Now, thanks to Lynn, every parent (and every teenager) will identify with the chaos that adolescent Michael’s hormone attacks bring.

If You Could Hear What I See: Lessons About Life, Luck, and the Choices We Make by Kathy Buckley
Kathy is a keynoter at our annual conference this year (see pages 13-14). Let’s let two of her fans speak for this book: Anthony Robbins: “This is a terrific book. Once I began reading it, I couldn’t put it down. Laughter is one of the most powerful factors in how our lives turn out and Kathy reveals its power with love and wit.”  Suze Orman: “Kathy’s stories will inspire you, her courage will empower you, but most of all her words will forever remain in your heart as a way to live your life with hope, integrity, and faith.”

If You’re Afraid Of The Dark, Remember The Night Rainbow by Cooper Edens
This beautifully illustrated book is a fine way of giving the gift of humor.  With a light touch, it includes words of wisdom that are both simple and profound.  You’ll find such gems as “If you have butterflies in your stomach… ask them to fly into your heart,” “If you find your socks don’t match… stand in a flowerbed,” and “If you lose the key… throw away the house.”

The Joyful Christ:  The Healing Power Of Humor by Cal Samra
This is a book about holy humor that is not only fun to read but also heals your spirit.  Starting with “The Gospel According to Erma Bombeck,” Cal will lead you on a merry chase through the Bible, church history, and his own personal testimony to uncover joy and jest in the most unlikely places.

Just One More Hug by Lynn Johnston
As husband Rod says, “We catch most of the kid’s ploys, but the one I can never resist is that most fantastic of all their stalls…. “Just one more hug!”

Kids Who Laugh: How to Develop Your Child’s Sense of Humor by Louis Franzini
In this groundbreaking book, you will discover the many benefits of humor as well as the fact that humor is a learned behavior- a skill that parents can teach their kids through a wide assortment of exercises and games. Each activity is fun, easy and designed to appeal to children of a specific age, ranging form newborns to teens. Special chapters focus on the characteristics of children’s humor, how to encourage your child to create humor, potential abuses of humor by children (and how to avoid them), humor for use by special needs children, and tips for teachers to promote healthy humor in their classroom. Give your child the gift of laughter as a lifetime tool for success.

Laughing Together:  The Value Of Humor In Family Life by Dotsey Welliver
“A merry heart is good medicine.” (Proverbs 17:22)  The author suggests that we can keep the faith and keep on truckin’ if we use the vehicle of humor.  She shares dozens of specific suggestions on how to inject humor into the family.  If you put them into practice, you’ll see that the family that laughs together lasts together.

Laughs and Limericks on Aging (in Large Print) by Wesley Haines
“You can live without prostate, bladder or tumor/But this I know beyond rumor/I have no doubt/You can’t life without/A good healthy sense of humor.” Wesley practices what he preaches a Reggie the Retiree, who recommends that you never retire your sense of humor. This delightful collection of anecdotes, cartoons, and limericks is especially for those whose broad minds and narrow waists are trading places.

Laughter In Hell:  The Use Of Humor During The Holocaust by Steve Lipman
This is an important, reflective look at a tragic time in world history, and the powerful role that humor played in helping the human spirit triumph over incredible adversity.  While nothing about the Holocaust was funny, its victims created and used humor as “the currency of hope, both a psychological weapon and a defense mechanism, a drop of truth in a world founded on lies,” according to the author.  Using both observations and examples in chapters such as “Laughter Under Oppression” and “The Humor of Optimism,” this sensitive text clearly reflects the healing power of humor.

Laughter: A Scientific Investigation by Robert Provine
Drawing on ten years of research, neuroscientist Provine investigates the evolution of laughter, its role in social relationships, its contagiousness, neural mechanisms, and health benefits. The book also includes a chapter on “Ten Tips for Increasing Laughter: Perspectives from the Mall, Workplace, and Clinic.” This would be a good book for anyone studying laughter from sociological, philosophical, physiological, and/or psychological perspectives. Fascinating and filled with provocative insights, here is an erudite, wide-ranging, witty, and long-overdue exploration of a frequently surprising subject: laughter.

The Laughter Prescription by Laurence Peter and Bill Dana
Steve Allen calls this book “a marvelous how-to manual on the creation of a lifestyle in which humor is a conscious and significant element.” The creator of The Peter principle and the legendary TV star (alias Jose Jimenez) include hundreds of useful tips on how to achieve health, happiness, and peace of mind through humor. Fun quotes, jokes and cartoons illustrate the text. Rx: buy this book.

Life Is an Attitude! Staying Positive During Tough Times by Elwood Chapman
Chapman’s newest book on attitude is the best yet, a fresh approach that includes specific strategies for staying positive when the world seems against you. He shows how a positive attitude can lead to positive relationships, succeeding at work, surviving minor jolts and major blows, and setting goals that add new meaning to your life.

A Look Inside… For Better Or For Worse:  The Tenth Anniversary Collection by Lynn Johnston
People at our most recent annual conference got to meet Lynn– and now, through this book, you will, too.  Many of you already have an on-going relationship with Lynn and her strip.  FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE consistently ranks among the top strips and reaches more than 60 million people daily.  Lynn is also the first woman and first Canadian ever to receive the Reuben Award (the cartoonists’ equivalent of the Oscar).  This 250+ page book traces Lynn’s growth and development as a cartoonist and includes hundreds of color and black-and-white cartoons which chronicle the turmoils of toddlerhood to the shock of “A Teenager in the House.”  You’ll be delighted with Lynn’s comic spirit and comic vision!

Magic for the Complete Klutz by Irv Furman
Written by the co-author (with Joel Goodman) of Magic and the Educated Rabbit, this richly-illustrated book will amuse you… and help you to amaze others! Irv teaches you simple and powerful magic tricks along with lots of fun-liners.

The Magic Of Conflict:  Turning A Life Of Work Into A Work Of Art by Thomas Crum
Tom Crum, co-founder with John Denver of the Windstar Foundation, presents a practical stress-reduction strategy based on the Japanese martial art of aikido.  The Aiki techniques are illustrated with evocative photos and real-life experiences that show how creatively to turn conflicts into opportunities for choice and change.  I-kido-you-not:  these powerful principles can be applied to all parts of our lives– home, office, personal, political, and international.

Make ‘Em Laugh by Steve Allen
Here’s a chance to learn from the recipient of the National Humor Treasure Award in 1993 at The HUMOR Project’s annual international conference. This hot-off-the-press-humor-how-to book focuses on thinking funny (including six magic formulae for fun), ad-libbing your way out of tight spots, delivering funny speeches and emceeing, writing comedy (TV satires, funny letters), etc. For five decades as a keen observer of the human condition, Steve Allen has looked into every aspect of who’s funny, what’s funny, and why. In this book, he reveals his insights. This book is for you only if you want to be a more amusing conversationalist, a more effective public speaker, or just more fun to be around.

Making Friends: a Guide to Getting Along with People by Andrew Matthews
This Aussie author is back with this block-busting sequel to Being Happy and it’s already the #1 best seller in six countries. Matthews does not propose an exotic formula for friendship. Rather, he offers plain, simple and commonsensical thoughts on how you can share the joy and laughter of lasting personal relationships.

Mark Twain Tonight! and Will Rogers’ USA
Hal Holbrook is Mark Twain and James Whitmore is Will Rogers in these tour‑de‑farce one‑man performances. You’ll feel that you’re in the presence of Twain and Rogers and their wit and wisdom. Don’t miss these magnificent portrayals. “Uproariously funny, pungently wise.”‑‑ Time magazine.

The Marx Brothers!
Spend four hours with the madcap Marx Brothers; you’ll laugh so hard you’ll feel better for days. (And you can always go back for seconds.) 25 original radio broadcasts recorded from 1937‑1972 are packed with classic sketches and surprises (including a first‑time‑ever interview with Harpo). 4 hours on 4 audiocassettes in a wood crate.

More Holy Hilarity by Cal and Rose Samra
Just when you thought you couldn’t laugh anymore, Cal and Rose return with a second serving of ho-ho-wholesome humor.

My Favorite Intermissions: Lives of the Musical Greats and Other Facts You Never Knew You Were Missing by Victor Borge
You laugh when Borge sits down at the piano. Now that he has sat down at the typewriter, you’ll roar. If you like to laugh, you’ll enjoy this book. If you read it, you’ll enjoy it even more! Come let Borge’s muse amuse you.

My Granddaughter Has Fleas by Cathy Guisewite
This collection of the popular syndicated CATHY cartoon portrays the demands of a “thirtysomething” career woman responding to the complexities and contradictions in our everyday lives.  She struggles with frustrations involving the “four basic guilt groups”– food, career, mother, and relationships.  She finds her alternatives are clearly conflicting:  Be aggressive, be submissive; be ambitious, be demure; eat healthy, eat happy.  CATHY helps us to see the lightness in the midst of these tunnels.

Now That Makes Sense!: Relating to People with Wit and Wisdom by Mark Ortman
Compiled by an award‑winning teacher, this wealth of quoteworthy advice is for anyone who works with people. Every selection has something to do with how people relate to one another. Topics include: appreciation, arguments, criticism, difficult people, encouragement, influencing others, listening, negotiation, resolving conflict, smiling, trust, and more. Perfect for presentations, training programs, newsletters, memos‑‑ whenever you want to educate or entertain.

Oh, Lord, I Sound Just Like Mama by Lynne Alpern and Ester Blumenfeld
“When I’m older, I’ll never do what my mother did!” Ever say this? It’s probably time to eat your words. Here is some food for thought. This book is filled with inspiration, guidance, admonitions, and miscellaneous wisdom. That will help you walk down memory lane – I remember Mama!

One Life to Laugh: Using Humor to Turn Life’s Frustrations into Victories by Donna Enoch Nelsen
This book can help you to survive (and thrive!) as you tickle life’s challenges before they tackle you. With lots of examples and fun formulae, you’ll learn how to use humor in dealing with: teenagers, bosses, problematic co-workers, apathetic agencies, incompetent repair people, noisy neighbors, etc. You’ll also find ways to use humor in conquering growth-stoppers: when your worst critic is you, when you play the “If only…” game, when you are experiencing depression, anger or anxiety. Learn how to use trauma as a laughter tool… this book will improve your laugh life!

Organized Obsessions: 1001 Offbeat Associations, Fan Clubs, and Microsocieties You Can Join by Deborah Burek and Martin Connors
From Messies Anonymous to Elvis Enthusiasts and the Institute of Totally Useless Skills, this book profiles 1,001 wacky, wonderful American organizations. Don’t like crowds? Try Loners of America. Is your name Jim Smith? There’s a group just for you. No matter how peculiar your passions may be, you’re not alone! Groups range from the serious to tongue‑in‑cheek; each listing includes a complete description and membership information. Of course, we’re tickled that The HUMOR Project is part of this unique collection.

Overworked and Underplayed?: 30 Quick, Easy Ways to Boost Energy, Defuse Tension, and Make FUN of Life! by Mitzi Gregory
This is just the shot in the arm you need— a real care package that is a stress reliever and energizer rolled into one!  This book was written with extremely busy, time-starved individuals in mind. It will help you pinpoint SMALL changes that you can make on a daily basis to make a BIG difference in elevating your energy and adding more fun to your life. Written in a light, humorous style, each chapter focuses on quick techniques that you can readily incorporate into your non-stop, action-packed days (or is it “daze”). We encourage you to take just five minutes a day to try these easy ways to renew your spirit, replenish energy reserves, practice safe stress, and take a temporary respite from adulthood by inviting childlike perspectives and playfulness.

The Portable Life 101: 179 Essential Lessons by John-Roger and Peter McWilliams
This book tells “everything we wish we had learned about life in school but didn’t” It’s a handy guide to all the “blank spots” of our education – the cracks between math and reading and science where tiny but important things like human relationships, self concept, the value of mistakes and the purpose of life “fell through, leaving us to figure things out ourselves.” LIFE 101 will tickle with a variety of simple yet profound ideas about what’s truly important in life. School is in session, and everyone graduates with honors.

The Pre-History Of The Far Side:  A 10th Anniversary Exhibit by Gary Larson
Did you ever want to meet the creative genius behind the Far Side?  This is your chance!  Gary Larson chronicles the birth and evolution (complete with examples of various mutations) of this cartoon panel.  He reveals anecdotes, foibles, behind-the-scenes experiences, and his sketchbook which give a glimpse into the way his mind works in coming up with cartoons.  Includes an “exhibit” of his personal favorite cartoons since the panel began on January 1, 1980.  This is a delightful inside look at THE FAR SIDE.

Purrfect Parenting by Beverly Guhl and Don Fontenelle
Here’s an ideal book for today’s busy, hassled, two‑career, microwave‑dependent parents.  It offers a humorous approach to solving the behavior and attitude problems that parents face everyday.  The book is written in everyday language and accompanied by humorous illustrations that everyone can relate to.  This is the “purrfectly” sensible, wonderfully humorous approach to parenting!

Relax– You May Only Have a Few Minutes Left: Using the Power of Humor to Overcome Stress in Your Life and Work by Loretta LaRoche
Loretta has been a featured keynote speaker at our annual conference for the past two years. The halls of our conference site are still reverberating from the high-decibels of laughter and the loud standing ovations that Loretta received. You’ll give this book a standing ovation as well. Let’s hear from a couple of Loretta’s fans: Christiane Northrup, M.D.: “The first time I ever heard Loretta, I thought I would wet my pants from laughing so hard. Her best stuff is right in this book, so you have here a kind of portable Loretta whenever you need a dose of humor to boost your immune system or soften any of your hardened attitudes.” Joan Borysenko: “If she who laughs lasts, Loretta just added ten years to my life. This wise and hilarious book is packed with valuable information on health and well-being from the Erma Bombeck of stress.” Loretta’s tour de force is filled with practical exercises, hilarious anecdotes, and specific prescriptions for laughter as Loretta dismantles our prediliction for taking ourselves too seriously

Simple Fun for Busy People: 333 Free Ways to Enjoy Your Loved Ones More in the Time You Have by Gary Krane
This book shows you how to put more fun in your life without spending more time or money. It begins by focusing on: why we’re overworked and underplayed, myths about play, and why play is so important. Gary goes on to show how to move from workaholism to play-fullness– the book includes hundreds of fun activities that can be played in ordinary situations– at dinner, driving, waiting in line, at the mall, watching TV, waking up, and going to sleep. All 333 games can be done with as few as two people… and there’s even a chapter of solo games. A must for anyone desiring a more creative, spontaneous, and fun-filled life… and anyone who agrees that “we do not stop playing because we grow old… we grow old because we stop playing.” Richard Carlson (author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff) says this “is the first book I’ve seen which truly enables us to make our hectic day to day lives extraordinary.”

Sing A Celebration by Joyce Anisman-Saltman and Ronnie Froum Greenspan
Amusing grace… how sweet the sound!  A song can turn any common occasion into a memorable and mirth-making event.  This book is a collection of original lyrics set to old familiar songs for use at birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and other “special” occasions (like operations, divorce, Boss Day, etc.).  This book is a hum-dinger!

Soviet Humor: The Best in Krokodil by the editors of Krokodil magazine
Dr. Laurence Peter once suggested that “there are two things which reduce prejudice: education and laughter.” This book has both! It is a collection of delightful and insightful cartoons from Krokodil, the 68-year-old national Soviet humor magazine. These cartoons will help you to puncture stereotypes and to realize that humor is indeed a universal language.

Stay Fit & Healthy Until You’re Dead by Dave Barry
You’re in for some healthy fits of laughter as Dave provides a steady diet of humor and insights (and some out-of-sights– including “fitness after death”).

Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward: Rising Above Life’s Challenges with Humor, Hope, and Courage by Brian Luke Seaward
The author remembers an epiphany– a turning point in a childhood filled with incredible stress. His grandmother handed him a plate of freshly baked cookies with these loving words: “Now, remember, stressed is just desserts spelled backwards!” He realized that humor and compassion go a long way toward easing both stress and sorrow. Filled with 70 inspirational, compelling, witty, and wise short stories about human triumph over adversity, this book gives you a lot of food for thought about how in life you can have your cake and eat it, too! Richard Carlson (author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff): “A true gem. Valuable, practical, and full of invaluable wisdom. Read this today and keep it by your bedside.”

Successful Stand-Up Comedy by Gene Perret
Gene distills the insights he’s gleaned from 30 years of writing for and observing great comedy performers like Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett. This comprehensive sourcebook of offers invaluable advice not only for comedians but also for anyone who would like to inject comedy in their presentations. You’ll learn how to get good material, rehearsing and polishing your performance, taking charge of an audience, working clean, what to do when you bomb, and much more. As Bob Hope said, “Gene is the physician of the funny bone, the doctor of jokes, the chiropractor of comedy. He really can help you keep an audience in stitches.”

Teenage Years:  A Parent’s Survival Guide illustrated and written by Beverly Guhl
Here is an easy‑to‑read and understand guide for anyone who really needs help with their teenagers (which probably includes everybody who is a parent of teens).  Using wit and humorous cartoons, this book lets you laugh at situations while learning to resolve them.  Topics covered include communications and listening skills, behavior modification, dealing with conflict in a positive fashion, and parental expectations.  This book will bring you a new perspective, and you can all enjoy a happier life together!

They Used to Call Me Snow White… But I Drifted: Women’s Strategic Use of Humor by Regina Barreca
Kirkus Reviews says, “In the 80’s, men were advised, “It’s all right to cry.” Barreca convincingly tells women of the 90’s, “It’s all right to laugh.” You (women and men) will be intrigued and come away with practical tools through such chapters as: “Getting It” (recognizing and using gender differences in humor), “Putting a Punch in Your Punch Line” (dealing with aggressive humor), “Laughter in the Kitchen” (growing up female and funny), and “Laughing All the Way to the Bank” (humor strategies for success).

Tickle Your Soul: Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often by Sr. Anne Bryan Smollin
Sr. Anne has been tickling funnybones and touching souls for years in her live presentations (see page 8). Now this book can tickle you, touch you, and teach you happiness. It provides a roadmap to put more laughter, joy, and humor in your life. Anne shows how to abandon anger and embrace laughter. She reminds us not to strive for unattainable perfection at work and at home, but instead to maintain perspective through the humor present in almost any situation. As Anne says, humor is truly food for our soul. This book will inspire you with lots of sure-fire ideas and hilarious stories to help you write your own laughter prescription.

Tongue Fu!: How to Deflect, Disarm, and Defuse Any Verbal Conflict by Sam Horn
Do you ever get tongue-twisted and then think of the perfect response… the next day? If so, you’re in luck. This book is full of ideas you can put to use immediately to: maintain a sense of humor (Fun Fu!); find solutions, not fault; practice Tongue Glue! (so you don’t say something you regret); turn conflict into cooperation; respond with amusement rather than animosity; and generate swift comebacks for sticky situations. John Gray, author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, tells us that “This is a great book! Tongue Fu! puts a new twist on communication. Everyone should read it

A Treasury of Senior Humor by James Myers
Here’s a wonderful collection of wise, witty, and wry stories, jokes, and anecdotes. You’ll truly enjoy reading the wisdom and wit that can come only with age and experience. This book is more than just funny-‑ it reveals just what older Americans think of life and how it could be lived.

Uh-Oh: Some Observations from Both Sides of the Refrigerator Door by Robert Fulghum
Once again, the #1 best-selling author offers a delightful, eye-opening collection of essays that deal with the extraordinary wonder in ordinary, everyday life. In this new release, he reflects on everything and anything from meatloaf to the Salvation Army Band, with his characteristic charm and low-key humor.

Vacations That Can Change Your Life: Adventures, Retreats & Workshops for the Mind, Body and Spirit by Ellen Lederman
Everyone dreams of taking a vacation that will completely rejuvenate them— one that will return them to work and family more relaxed, health, sane, confident, and creative. This ultimate vacation guide features over 200 life-changing destinations that go beyond the routine. Whether you want to indulge your sense of adventure, enrich your spiritual curiosity or encourage lifelong learning, this book is your roadmap. Discover vacations throughout North America that are affordable for any budget and that will make a creative difference in your life. You are in for lots of ahas, hahas, and ahhhs as you treat your mind, body, and spirit to the most rewarding vacations of your life… vacations that keep on giving.

Weekends: Great Ideas for Memorable Adventures by Hanoch McCarty and Sidney Simon
A weekend without laughter makes one weak. Before you can say TGIF, this book will get you off and funning with over 100 great ideas to make your Saturday nights live, to create extraordinarily relaxing Friday nights, and to cook up wonderfully sweet Sunday afternoons. This book helps you answer three important questions: What is there to do? What do I want to get out of it? How must I be to get it? Get this book– you will get a lot out of it in making every weekend a celebration: a chance to get renewed, refreshed, and recharged.

We’ve Been Through So Much Together, and Most of It Was Your Fault by Ashleigh Brilliant
Ashleigh Brilliant lives up to his name.  He is our country’s unofficial humor laureate.  This collection of funny, provocative, insightful epigrams, each no longer than 17 words and each accompanied by an illustration, is based on his Potshot postcards, which have sold over 100 million copies.  You can see from the title the kind of honest fun you’ll be experiencing.

What? Me Pregnant? By Lynn Johnston
Laugh with Elly as she comes to groups (and grins) with pregnancy, dirty diapers, and late-night feedings.

What’s Holding You Back?: Thirty Days to Having the Courage and Confidence to Do What You Want, Meet Whom You Want, and Go Where You Want by Sam Horn
Our annual conference has had many stellar, world-class speakers like Sam Horn (see her pre-conference workshop on page 8)!  Now you can take Sam home with you in this inspiring book, which is divided into 30 brief chapters. You’ll learn how to: tap into your talents, turn mistakes into lessons instead of failures, set up a success spiral, know what you stand for (and what you won’t stand for), and take life by the lapel. Every chapter ends with a Starting Today Assignment to help you transform what you’ve just read into real-world results. You will “catch” confidence through this empowering book that overflows with witty quotations, step-by-step practical advice, and illuminating stories. This valuable guide will help you dream your dreams… and live your dreams!

What’s So Funny About Getting Old?  by Ed Fischer and Jane Thomas Noland
One bonus of getting older is that it gives us a long perspective on life, and that includes plenty of humor.  This book of elderhumor captures the wry comedy of our real-life sitcoms.  As George Burns notes, “You can’t help growing older, but you can help growing old.”  The cartoons, quips and astute observations in this book will refresh you–especially if you are fiftysomething (more or less).

What’s So Funny About Looking for a Job? by Scott Badler
Humorous anecdotes and common‑sense advice combine in this positive guide. Being out of work is no joke, but the higher your spirits, the better the chances of keeping your sanity while you search. When you need a good laugh‑‑ to relieve stress, release frustration, and feel better about yourself‑‑ reach for this book. You’ll also find funny stories, cartoons, practical tips on how and where to look for jobs, and a generous portion of hope. A great gift for a career-changing or job‑seeking friend or family member.

When Life Gives You Lemons: Remarkable Stories of People Overcoming Adversity by Alex Tresniowski
People magazine senior writer Tresniowski delivers a profoundly touching and compelling celebration of extraordinary human grace under pressure. Rich in wisdom, hope, and intimate portraits of famous and not-so-famous people who have been rocked by adversity, this book will inspire and equip you to transform hardship into hardiness and happiness. It captures the essence of creativity, courage, and resilience and delivers dozens of priceless “Tips for Tough Times” you can immediately incorporate into your own life. Whether you’re seeking a dose of inspiration, a winning edge in life, or a soul-shaking push in the right direction, the 21 powerful stories will help you see setbacks as opportunities to turn lemons into lemonade. Pick yourself up by picking up this book!

Mark Twain Tonight! and Will Rogers’ USA
Hal Holbrook is Mark Twain and James Whitmore is Will Rogers in these tour‑de‑farce one‑man performances. You’ll feel that you’re in the presence of Twain and Rogers and their wit and wisdom. Don’t miss these magnificent portrayals. “Uproariously funny, pungently wise.”‑‑ Time magazine. Each is 1 hour 40 minutes on 2 cassettes.

The World Of Cartooning:  How Caricatures Develop with Mike Peters
So you want to be a cartoonist?  This book is a fun, step-by-step guide to the art of cartooning.  Mike shares the five important cartoonist’s rules to help you draw the (funny) line!  And he should know– he is a Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist and a two-timer (that is, he twice has won the coveted National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award)!  Of course, lots of illustrations accompany the text extracted from the right side of Mike’s brai

Ziggy’s Star Performances by Tom Wilson
“Is life really just a game?…  Yes, but there is some assembly required!”  This book involved Tom Wilson in assembling nearly 600 of his favorite Ziggy cartoons from the past ten years.  As America’s most lovable loser, Ziggy is well-known to over 25 million people every day.  You’ve also seen Ziggy in one million books and 55 million greeting cards.  As you enjoy Ziggy’s first treasury in ten years, you’ll be laughing all the way to the humor bank.  We love Ziggy so much that several of his posters keep an eye on us at The HUMOR Project.