THE 7 1/2 HABITS OF HIGHLY HUMOROUS PEOPLE

A guide to using humor to improve your life.

Life hasn’t always been kind to David Jacobson. He lost his father at an early age. Soon after, he was diagnosed with severe arthritis that put an end to his dreams of an athletic career and left him temporarily confined to a wheelchair. But at his lowest point, when he was bedridden and forced to rely upon his mother for everything, Jacobson had a revelation. While attempting to race his mother to a ringing telephone, his purposefully exaggerated walk caused her to burst into laughter–making them both feel better. The author then realized that humor was a powerful tool for improving an individual’s health, mental state and general well-being. He also came to believe that humor could help in other areas, such as dealing with anger and helping people with divergent opinions communicate effectively with one another. In his book, Jacobson lays out his theories in detail. The author’s sense of humor ranges from the scatological to the brainy to the absurd. He effectively highlights examples from his own life to support his theories and presents a strong case for laughter. The narrative does seem somewhat disjointed at times, but, overall, its scattershot style fits in with the author’s less-than-serious approach to his topic. Most impressive is the book’s obvious warmth and sincerity. It reads like a labor of love, not an attempt to cash in, and it is difficult not to like the author by the end. While Jacobson’s work is short on true belly laughs, only the most hard-hearted and humorless of readers will get to the end without several, if not many, quality chuckles. The book’s collection of illustrations, including photographs and original artwork, fleshes out this guide to comic healing.

A warm, touching look at the power of laughter.