Since college I have begun a quote book of my own. I found quotes that were inspiring, romantic, and helped put an interesting spin on life and certain circumstances. I found this book, picked it up and had to buy it. There were just so many quotes that I liked and could identify with or aspire to, but I couldn't possibly copy all of them in my own quote book. So, this is a welcome addition to my fascination with quotes. And I really enjoy the fact that the quoted individuals range from Confucious to Joe Namath...it provides an interesting perspective.

If you enjoy reading tidbits on happiness, attitude, dreams, forgiveness, success, overcoming obstacles and more then this would be a book to pick up. Otherwise, leave it for someone else to appreciate.

I'm a sucker for collections of quotes, whether they're in books or on the web. And this collection is my favorite. It's divided into helpful sections (like Alter your attitude, Be grateful, and Cultivate kindess & compassion), and it has an index of sources. It draws from a wide variety of sources, but it is unfailingly friendly, inclusive, and inspiring. I read it myself, and I use it at the beginning of a training class I'm giving to a group of construction workers. (They love it, too, believe it or not.) It's a hardback book that is both substantial and beautiful. Buy it for yourself or give it as a gift. And remember, "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care." (Don Swartz, p. 26)

I originally bought this book as a reference for my presentations. What I learned as I flipped through it, is that this book is also valuable as a tool for personal growth and encouragement! These quotes can give you a fresh perspective on a multitude of ideas. One of my favorites is in the "Let 'er rip" section.....after all (as found on p.87), "Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can." Danny Kaye. AMEN!

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.

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.

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!

Educational and entertaining, this book relays convincing evidence as to the psychological and physiological benefits of humor. The author gives concrete and helpgful techniques and suggestions as to how we can begin to bring more joy and laughter into our lives. Lots of humorous anecdotes and examples bring the points home. I found this book informative and motivational.

Since reading this book in 1994, I have used it as a reference for my life AND work. Using a warm and witty style of writing, Allen teaches us the physiological and emotional benefits of mirth. My favorite chapter title is "Strike While the Irony is Hot!" So clever!! I recommend this book to friends who are facing life challenges and to everyone who attends my workshops. On a more personal note, since embracing The Healing Power of Humor, I felt freer to add a little levity to my Aunt Alice's funeral. My family was amazingly grateful. Me too!

Wonderful book, which truly elevated my spirits so much that people started complimenting me about my positive attitude. Good bedtime reading. Chapters are written so that you study one "lesson" per day.

More than 650 uplifting quotations.

Mr. Klein's newest collection of quotations is my favorite so far. Divided into the eight broad categories of Applause (praise), Arts, Beauty, Creativity, Family, Friendship, Heart, and Lighten Up, these are short, inspirational quotations that really can lift your spirits. I love opening the book at random and dipping into a few quotes.

A few of my favorites are, "love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here" (Marianne Williamson); "The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands" (Robert Persig); and "Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light" (Helen Keller).

A quote book is a quote book is a quote book. And you can quote me on that! This handy little volume contains over 650 quotes that will inspire readers and probably provoke some thinking.

Most of the quotes are different from what we hear every day, citing a very wide range of Quoted Persons. Sources range from Goethe to Oprah Winfrey. Now that's a wide range! Familiar folks like Mark Twain ("Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been") and Martin Buxbaum ("A dog wags it's tail with it's heart") and interspersed with more modern figures like Barbara Bush ("Believe in something larger than yourself.")

A table of contents organizes the subject areas (sixteen major categories) and an index of authors enables the reader to find a favorite source quickly.

Looking for some different quotes? Some though-provoking words from Shakespeare, Alan Alda, Brooker T. Washington, and more? This book will be a good investment. Recommended for coffee tables and waiting rooms.

I find Allen Klein to be a spirit-lifter extraordinaire! His latest, the "Lift Your Spirits Quote Book" is another book I can reach for whenever I need an uplift. I keep his book in my personal library, handy for when I need an instant spirit lift. Alice Potter, author of the Positive Thinker series of books.

This book added to my appreciation of older adults as vital people with much to contribute. It is well-written and a pleasure to read. Also read other books by this author!

If you want a great time be sure and read all three of Effie Wilders books about Hattie McNair and her FairAcres gang. It is most enjoyable. I read all three. I hope she writes more. It makes me understand my Mom more. It almost makes me want to move to a retirement home. Granted there are sad times but also lots of good times. You find out how loving and helpful people are. Have some fun and read this book.

Clear, concise information that every traveler should have on their next trip. This book is filled with useful information, stories, and practical advice for the most experienced traveler or novice. I suggest it for every one who travels.

As the author of "Calming Upset Customers," I travel a lot to deliver speeches and seminars. I've used Allen's book as a source of great ideas for reducing the stress of traveling. The ideas are delivered in a wittly, lively style, that makes it fun to read.

Over What Hill ? is another very entertaining short novel by Effie Leland Wilder. It touches your heart and then makes you laugh. The book is written as a diary in which Hattie shares the her thoughts and the events that happen at FairAcres retirement center. The point of view of an eighty something with a sense of humor is refreshing. If you have to choose between this book and Out to Pasture (But Not Over the Hill) then buy Out to Pasture. This book is the sequel.

A well organized collection of uplifting quotes for those days when we all can use some thought or change of perspective to lift our spirits. You can go through the table of contents to find quotes for your particular troubles, or just open to any page and get either a laugh or just some relief. And its appropriate not only for you, but your mother as well!

In this, her first book, the author uses her own experiences in a retirement home to illustrate her story. Her main character, Hattie, is a lovable & outgoing busybody, a habitual eavesdropper and journal writer, recording the day to day activities with a sense of humor and sometimes with a touch of sadness. She shows us that 's it's still possible to have a rich and meaningful life, no matter what one's age, with the right attitude. A good, clean book ( I especially enjoyed the humor and the light poetry).

Mrs. Wilder has given all generations a delightful and easy to swallow book about aging. The main character, Hattie, is into everyone's business, but in a kindhearted way. Through her eyes the reader can see much of the pain and joy of being older. Leaving your home and moving into a retirement home is never an easy choice, but I think Hattie shows us that if done with grace, it can work out to be a fairly good life. The book is a joy to read, offers lots of laughs, a few tears, and some good hard lessons about life. I look forward to sharing this book with my "adopted" eighty-four-year-old grandmother.

I bought this book at a time when I could see that we were going to have to find a new, safe place for Mother to live. However, she resisted the thought of moving to an "Old Folks Home", as she put it. She had also fallen into the "I don't want to go anywhere, because it takes too much effort" routine. Since she has always been a very sociable person, she fell into a deep depression. As I read this book to her, we both saw that there was a better alternative for her, as she was not so far along, physically and mentally, as to need a nursing home. After she moved into The Reunion Inn, in Marshall, Tx., I started reading to the residents from this book on a weekly basis. I am scheduled on their monthly calendar as "The Whimsical Reader." The book has allowed the residents to recall a lot of memories, as well as opening their eyes to the humor around them. It has also given them ideas as to how The Reunion Inn can be improved for their convenience. They really liked the idea of the benches across from the cafeteria line. Reading to the residents has given me the opportunity to get to know them better than I probably would have otherwise. This book has given such pleasure to all of us that The Reunion Inn is going to buy the rest of the books in the series so that I can continue reading to their guests. I recommend this book to anyone facing the possibility of moving into or placing their parent in an assisted living facility. It certainly made the decision easier for us.

Ready, Set, Relax provides teachers and parents with an important resource for helping young children learn valuable self-regulation skills. Jeff Allen and Roger Klein make us aware that learning requires both physical and mental preparation. By introducing physical relaxation and positive mental imaging skills into the classroom environment, children develop essential learning prerequisites, increase self-confidence, and enrich creative interactions between teacher and child. The lessons of Ready, Set, Relax should be eagerly integrated into every elementary school curricula.

We ran through the "Ready, Set, RELAX program when our child had a serious illness. It helped him overcome his fear of treatment and helped reduce the anxiety level of our whole family. I am hoping for a sequel.

This book is a fantastic alternative to customary means by which you raise your children. I wish my own parents could have read this fine book 40 years ago.