Forrest Wheeler, Author Educator and Clown open new doors to better your life using the power of humor. Imagine yourself in Afghanistan delivering and protecting emergency human supplies while wearing a colorful clown costume, bright makeup highlighted prominently by a red rubber nose, all of which brings a smile to hostile, armed-to-the teeth soldiers. In his new book, Using the Power of Humor, he provides the reader with an easy to understand and usable definition of humor. It clearly separates humor from comedy. It demonstrates in simple language the appropriate from inappropriate uses of humor and comedy. It offers the reader new perspectives on humor, giving people permission to take humor seriously. This book opens up a whole new category of humor which when combined... Less

In an educational environment of high-stakes tests and school accountability, humor has been virtually banned from the classroom. That's a shame, and perhaps a mistake, since student success depends on engagement, and young adults seem to be naturally drawn to comic media. How can you take advantage of your students' interest in humorous material? According to Bruce A. Goebel, incorporating humor writing into the classroom not only reduces student anxiety but also provides them with an opportunity to study and practice the careful and effective use of language.Divided into four chapters--(1) Humorous Words, Phrases, and Sentences, (2) Funny Stories and Essays, (3) Light Verse, and (4) Parody--the book offers more than 150 activities you can use to help students develop writing skills in... Less

" The humor of the Old South -- tales, almanac entries, turf reports, historical sketches, gentlemen's essays on outdoor sports, profiles of local characters -- flourished between 1830 and 1860. The genre's popularity and influence can be traced in the works of major southern writers such as William Faulkner, Erskine Caldwell, Eudora Welty, Flannery O'Connor, and Harry Crews, as well as in contemporary popular culture focusing on the rural South. This collection of essays includes some of the past twenty five years' best writing on the subject, as well as ten new works bringing fresh insights and original approaches to the subject. A number of the essays focus on well known humorists such as Augustus Baldwin Longstreet, Johnson Jones Hooper, William Tappan Thompson, and George Washington... Less

Providing both theory and praxis, this insightful and creative textbook explains how to write humor, comedy, satire, parody, nonsense, and both the literary and the joke monologue. Through its close analyses of short stories, sketches, essays, and scripts, it is a must-read for serious and not-so-serious writers of every genre. Guiding aspiring writers through the many techniques for creating humor, it illustrates and analyzes what works and what doesn't, suggests ways to energize passages that fall flat, and offers insights into brainstorming, team writing, and revision. This book includes the history and cultural background of each major genre, followed by a rich array of writing exercises. Readers will find an inventive selection of examples to learn from, including a script from... Less

Using dozens of examples and anecdotes, this book explores the connections between humor and creativity, teamwork, risk-taking, and effective communication. In addition to exploring the benefits of humor, the author also provides research based explanations and answers to important questions like: What is humor? Why is it so closely related to creativity? How does it reduce stress? The book also includes exercises and tips to help you experience the benefits of humor in your work place.

Stepping out of the darkness, the American emerges upon the stage of history as a new character, as puzzling to himself as to others. American Humor, Constance Rourke's pioneering "study of the national character," singles out the archetypal figures of the Yankee peddler, the backwoodsman, and the blackface minstrel to illuminate the fundamental role of popular culture in fashioning a distinctive American sensibility. A memorable performance in its own right, American Humor crackles with the jibes and jokes of generations while presenting a striking picture of a vagabond nation in perpetual self-pursuit. Davy Crockett and Henry James, Jim Crow and Emily Dickinson rub shoulders in a work that inspired such later critics as Pauline Kael and Lester Bangs and which still has much to say about... Less

Focusing on a multitude of genres, this unusual collection stresses the overall importance of humor as an index to popular thought. Primarily descriptive rather than theoretical, each chapter is organized to provide an overview of a specific genre of expression or a significant topic in modern humor. Subjects range from literature, the comic strip, film, broadcast humor, the magazine, and standup comedy, to racial and ethnic humor, women's humor, and political humor. Each genre or topic is traced historically and analyzed with respect to those characteristics that make it unique. A bibliographical essay and checklist is provided for each chapter to facilitate further study.

Stepping out of the darkness, the American emerges upon the stage of history as a new character, as puzzling to himself as to others. American Humor, Constance Rourke's pioneering "study of the national character," singles out the archetypal figures of the Yankee peddler, the backwoodsman, and the blackface minstrel to illuminate the fundamental role of popular culture in fashioning a distinctive American sensibility. A memorable performance in its own right, American Humor crackles with the jibes and jokes of generations while presenting a striking picture of a vagabond nation in perpetual self-pursuit. Davy Crockett and Henry James, Jim Crow and Emily Dickinson rub shoulders in a work that inspired such later critics as Pauline Kael and Lester Bangs and which still has much to say about... Less

Here is the first book that is geared toward practical applications of humor with children. Health care professionals, counselors, social workers, students, and parents will find this to be a fascinating, instructive volume that illustrates how to effectively incorporate humor into children’s lives to produce enormously positive results. With a strong “how to” focus, this enlightening volume addresses the use of humor in the classroom--to promote learning and to foster higher levels of creative thinking. Experts who are on the cutting edge of humor and its benefits for children examine the importance of humor in fostering social and emotional development and in adapting to stressful situations. And for the scholarly reader, Humor and Children’s Development documents the major research... Less

Creative Humor at Work: Living the Humor Perspective describes benefits and blocks to using humor and identifies areas where this has been an effective tool to ease stress and enhance communication. There are frequent differences between how men and women appreciate humor and, since humor is often used in building and maintaining relationships, information on these topics is included. Several humor skills are identified, and are suggested as means to create your own mental "Humor Kit" to be used whenever the need arises.Research has demonstrated that humor attracts and motivates people and that having a well-developed sense of humor combats depression and is an effective measure to reduce stress. Each of us can create a mental or physical "Humor Kit", one that contains jokes, stories,... Less

Author Rob Ballister delivers a touching and entertaining portrait of his journey through dating, growing up in New Jersey, and surviving cancer. Along the way, he learns that God Does Have a Sense of Humor. Follow him: Through surgery—My understanding was that the doctor, while hopping up and down on one foot and singing the national anthem, was going to remove my lymph nodes using a butter knife, a hacksaw, and some 10W-30 motor oil. Into the confessional— There sat Father Riener, who was technically old enough to have been one of the original apostles. As I began reciting my list, Father began falling asleep. Being only in the fourth grade, I did exactly what I did at home when my younger sister fell asleep. I kicked him. Through family Christmas traditions—That first year,... Less

The book is intended to provide a definitive view of the field of humor research for both beginning and established scholars in a variety of fields who are developing an interest in humor and need to familiarize themselves with the available body of knowledge. Each chapter of the book is devoted to an important aspect of humor research or to a disciplinary approach to the field, and each is written by the leading expert or emerging scholar in that area.

Stepping out of the darkness, the American emerges upon the stage of history as a new character, as puzzling to himself as to others. American Humor, Constance Rourke's pioneering "study of the national character," singles out the archetypal figures of the Yankee peddler, the backwoodsman, and the blackface minstrel to illuminate the fundamental role of popular culture in fashioning a distinctive American sensibility. A memorable performance in its own right, American Humor crackles with the jibes and jokes of generations while presenting a striking picture of a vagabond nation in perpetual self-pursuit. Davy Crockett and Henry James, Jim Crow and Emily Dickinson rub shoulders in a work that inspired such later critics as Pauline Kael and Lester Bangs and which still has much to say about... Less

The paramount question answered in this absorbing collection of essays is: What's so funny about American humor, and why? What are American humor's characteristics? How have they evolved and displayed themselves? Which characteristics are distinctively, or even uniquely, American? Originally appearing as an issue of the American Quarterly, these essays take a close look at American humor from revolutionary times to the present day, and focus particularly on the neglected trends of the past fifty years. Looking at American comic figures as diverse--and even surprising--as Mark Twain and Richard Nixon, at various vehicles for American humor such as comic strips, radio and television, movies, and standup comedians, and at different genres of humor including political, ethnic, and feminist... Less

Here is the first book that is geared toward practical applications of humor with children. Health care professionals, counselors, social workers, students, and parents will find this to be a fascinating, instructive volume that illustrates how to effectively incorporate humor into children’s lives to produce enormously positive results. With a strong “how to” focus, this enlightening volume addresses the use of humor in the classroom--to promote learning and to foster higher levels of creative thinking. Experts who are on the cutting edge of humor and its benefits for children examine the importance of humor in fostering social and emotional development and in adapting to stressful situations. And for the scholarly reader, Humor and Children’s Development documents the major research... Less

More than ever, moms and families need laughter....

"I heard one [presidential] candidate say that what this country needed was a president for the '90s," Ronald Reagan once said. "I was set to run again. I thought he said a president in his 90s." Abraham Lincoln, in one instance, was able to put a serious injury in a humorous light; in response to a young woman's question about where a soldier was wounded, Lincoln replied, "Ma'am, the bullet that wounded him would not have wounded you." Presidents often bring a sense of humor to the White House with them, allowing the American public to catch a glimpse of their not-so-serious sides. This book examines how five of the nation's funniest chief executives- Abraham Lincoln, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan-used wit and humor to their advantage during... Less

Humor is a powerful force that can nourish children's growth, development, health, and sense of well-being. This study will inspire adults to lower their threshold for humor — to let humor enter their professional lives and intertwine their relationships with children. Examines the significant role that humor plays in meeting children's needs at various stages of development. Children between the ages/stages of preschool to eleven years of age (pre- adolescence) are the focus of this book. Professionals who are creative users of humor, and whose work with humor is exemplary in nurturing children's cognitive, social, and/or emotional development, illustrate how humor played a key role in the relationships they developed with children. Authors, representing a wide range of backgrounds and... Less

The book is intended to provide a definitive view of the field of humor research for both beginning and established scholars in a variety of fields who are developing an interest in humor and need to familiarize themselves with the available body of knowledge. Each chapter of the book is devoted to an important aspect of humor research or to a disciplinary approach to the field, and each is written by the leading expert or emerging scholar in that area.

ISBN13: 9780866566810. ISBN10: 0866566813. by Paul E. McGhee. Published by Taylor & Francis. Edition: 89

Life works best when we remember to use things and love people. It never works well the other way around....

"I heard one [presidential] candidate say that what this country needed was a president for the '90s," Ronald Reagan once said. "I was set to run again. I thought he said a president in his 90s." Abraham Lincoln, in one instance, was able to put a serious injury in a humorous light; in response to a young woman's question about where a soldier was wounded, Lincoln replied, "Ma'am, the bullet that wounded him would not have wounded you." Presidents often bring a sense of humor to the White House with them, allowing the American public to catch a glimpse of their not-so-serious sides. This book examines how five of the nation's funniest chief executives- Abraham Lincoln, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan-used wit and humor to their advantage during... Less

This volume brings together the current approaches to the definition and measurement of the sense of humor and its components. It provides both an overview of historic approaches and a compendium of current humor inventories and humor traits that have been studied. Presenting the only available overview and analysis of this significant facet of human behavior, this volume will interest researchers from the fields of humor and personality studies as well as those interested in the clinical or abstract implications of the subject.

A lively retelling of the stories in the bible as read each week in the synagogue. Interspersed are jokes and anecdotes that highlight the author's points. The author uses highly original analysis and interpretation of the major events of the bible, adding Rabbinic and midrashic sources to bolster his contentions. The reader encounters a humorous moment on every page of this enlightening volume. The chapter headings themselves hint at the anecdotal nature of this work, and its in-depth study of every major story in the Bible.

A collection of humorous events and stories written and collected by a community pharmacist who has practiced his profession in the corner drug store for more than fifty years. He has observed all kinds of people under all kinds of circumstances. He has seen them all, the good, the bad, and the indifferent. He reflects on his many years as a pharmacist dealing with people.

“Insightful, and mirthful...Six comprehensive chapters define, examine, and illustrate various types of visual humor, including wit and whimsey, parody and satire, and even comic nonsense and Surrealism.... Focusing on 20th-century studio art and design, the text also explores caricature and cartooning.”—Curri culum Review. “A light-hearted, visual romp through the whimsical and the witty in 20 century art.”—Art Times.

One of the most entertaining genres of American literature is the bold, masculine, wildly exaggerated, and highly imaginative frontier humor of the Old Southwest, produced between 1835 and 1861 in an area that extended from Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia westward to Lousiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas. Hennig Cohen and William B. Dillingham have tapped the wealth of this region to produce a collection that over the last three decades has become the standard anthology of Old Southwestern humor.This new, extensively revised edition includes an expanded introduction, a dozen replacement sections, an updated bibliography, and works by three new writers--Phillip B. January, Matthew C. Field, and John Gorman Barr. Most generously represented are George Washington Harris, Augustus... Less

Chuckle along with the best 19th-century humorists, who provide you with tall tales, puns, and witty ripostes....

With endorsements from two of the largest and most influential public speaking groups -- the National Speakers Association and Toastmasters International-- this book is written by an award-winning speaker and storyteller. Stories add depth and interest to any presentation. They get an audience listening, add a change of pace, teach without preaching, provide a context for information, and create a bond between the speaker and the audience. This practical, down-to-earth guide will teach readers how to use stories and humor to support their speaking objectives. From the apparently "spontaneous" story that's planned well in advance to an entire presentation that is a story, the author demonstrates how professional speakers use stories and humor, and shows how readers can use these elements... Less