Book excerpt: I WAS DELIGHTED TO RECEIVE THIS NEW SUBMISSION BY Daniel Keller. The Laughter Factor presents laughter and humor as a form of therapy. The author claims laughter is essential to the emotions, the body and soul, and the survival of civilization.We all know that 'laughter is the best medicine' and Keller succeeds in proving this theory in his book. Humor is at the core of a whole and healthy personality. Kellar adroitly describes the healing power of laughter -- based on case studies from individual and group therapy sessions. He notes that we, as humans, neglect the power of laughter in our lives by taking humor for granted. We ignore the healthy impact of a good hearty laugh on the body:What happens, when our cheeks blush and our belly shakes the spasm of a guffaw, is more than a good feeling. Our vocal cords are sounding an elixir as old as Solomon's praise of a 'merry heart.' And modern medicine tells us that we are measurably cleansing our somatic pores. We now know that laughter catalyzes the endocrine system. Our pituitary gland releases pain-reducing chemicals. Endorphins and enkephalins trigger the sensation of pleasure.With a clear and lucid style, Keller offers the reader a wealth of information that applies humor to therapy, laughter, and life as a preventative medicine of salvific proportions. This makes for insightful and entertaining reading."Dan Keller's book touches what I felt when I wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Both I and Randall Patrick McMurphy suggest you read it." -- Ken Kesey"Keller's book reminds us that laughter is the best medicine, far better than a dose of medicine. I recommend The Laughter Factor without a single reservation." -- Virginia Durr"Keller writes about humor with humor. He proves his point in story after story that humor really does make a difference."-- Conrad Hyers"I am delighted to see a book of the caliber Dan Keller has written on the role of humor in psychotherapy. I believe its value will be in the stories it tells." -- Gerald Piaget"Keller's work is masterful. It probes the light side of life, and the philanthropic justice of laughter." -- Tonea Stewart"Keller reminds us that when we go off the rails, laughter picks us up and puts us back on track. The Laughter Factor is a terrific book."-- David BouchierOne may judge the importance of a book partly in terms of content and partly in terms of need. On both counts Keller's The Laughter Factor is important. There is a dearth of literature available to the psychotherapist that applies humor theory to humor therapy. Anyone who has done counseling surely senses that humor - on the part of both therapist and client - can be a significant ingredient in the healing process, yet few have given the matter systematic reflection and application. Freud made a preliminary effort in this direction in his Wit and the Unconscious, and Keller draws upon his study; but many aspects of the subject remained to be developed, especially the uses of humor by the counselor and client. The Laughter Factor corrects this lacuna in our knowledge.Before Freud, none other than the great American therapist Mark Twain credited healing powers to humor (and to his profession) when he wrote in Tom Sawyer of the old man who "laughed joyously and loud, shook up the details of his anatomy from head to foot, saying that such a laugh was money in a man's pocket because it cut down the doctor's bills like everything!" That, in essence, is what Keller's book is about, including a chapter on recent research indicating the various positive effects of shaking up the details of one's anatomy from head to foot in hearty laughter.A book that might profitably be read in conjunction with Keller's book is Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cu