For more than a decade, the interdenominational Fellowship of Merry Christians has been publishing The Joyful Noiseletter, an award-winning newsletter filled with church life humor by some of the world's top comedians, humorists, clowns, and cartoonists. Now, the most snicker-spurring, laughter-inciting of those comical contributions are available in four uproarious collections: Holy Humor, More Holy Humor, Holy Hilarity, and More Holy Hilarity.Featuring work by such gifted cartoonists as The Family Circus creator, Bil Keane and B.C. creator, Johnny Hart, these collections by editors Cal and Rose Samra are a virtual treasury of good, clean, inspirational humor. Within each book's pages, readers will find enough rib-tickling jokes, uplifting anecdotes, one-liners, joyful Scripture references, inspiring stories, top ten lists, clean limericks, church cartoons, real-life "uh-ohs, " bulletin bloopers, misprints, and "jestimonials" from health professionals, chaplains, and patients to make them laugh from start to finish.Conveniently arranged by topic or month for easy use, each book is perfect for pastors, teachers, public speakers, and all who seek to fill our lives with God-inspired joy and holy laughter. Sure to add zest to sermons and speeches and bring much-needed joy to those who see laughter as the best medicine to help them face the challenges of life.
Volume nine includes five books published between 2003 and 2009, a set of cards that present the Shambhala warrior slogans, and eighteen articles and interviews, all from 1983 or earlier. The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa brings together in ten volumes the writings of one of the first and most influential and inspirational Tibetan teachers to present Buddhism in the West. Organized by theme, the collection includes full-length books as well as articles, seminar transcripts, poems, plays, and interviews, many of which have never before been available in book form. From memoirs of his escape from Chinese-occupied Tibet to insightful discussions of psychology, mind, and meditation; from original verse and calligraphy to the esoteric lore of tantric Buddhism—the impressive range of Trungpa’s vision, talents, and teachings is showcased in this landmark series. Volume Nine contains an extremely diverse group of teachings. It includes both early and later talks, from an article published in 1966 in India to books published in the new millennium to material from a set of cards that present the Shambhala warrior slogans. The subject matter ranges from Zen to dharma art, from Shambhala politics to Vajrayana buddhadharma. The selected writings in this book are articles from before Chögyam Trungpa’s death in 1987 and include two interviews and several previously unpublished pieces.
The emergence of Positive Psychology has highlighted the importance of studying the good life and how to attain it. Positive life outcomes, such as well-being, thriving, flourishing, and happiness were discussed and investigated. Among them, different orientations to happiness were identified, such as a life of pleasure, life of meaning, and life of engagement. Other outcomes, such as subjective and objective fulfillment in life or societal recognition have been less studied. Among the characteristics that facilitate positive outcomes, the VIA-classification of strength and virtues distinguishes 24 strengths with humor/playfulness being one of them. Only a small segment of humor entered the definition of humor as character strengths, namely the parts that contain some “goodness”. Humor as a character strength facilitates a lot of positive outcomes, such as positive emotions and positive relationships, and there is a “lightness” accompanying humor/playfulness. The field is broader though and transcends the definition of humor as used in positive psychology, in at least two ways. First, there is actually a family of overlapping but still distinct concepts with different research traditions. We include next to humor (and types of humor), also laughter, playfulness, and cheerfulness. We think that more research is needed on how they do overlap and what makes them distinct. Second, while positive psychology is interested in the goodness of we do want to stress that there is the need to study the non-virtuous parts as well. That is, laughter may not only be expressing amusement but scorn directed at people, humor may be benevolent but there is also sarcasm, and playfulness may elicit positive emotions but also risk-prone and immature types of behavior. Therefore, the aim of this Research Topic was to collect current perspectives on humor, playfulness, laughter, and cheerfulness in both adults and children, to study their full diversity but also interrelations and overlapping features, to introduce new instruments or ways for their assessment in future studies, and to study their causes and consequences in a variety of life domains. We encouraged studies on differences due to gender or nationality, the embodiment in different groups (e.g., class clowns, psychiatric patients), or whether or not they can be trained. We also welcomed contributions from adjacent disciplines (e.g., education, leisure studies, or therapy/counseling) and different regions of the earth. The outcome is a set of 33 manuscripts from altogether 101 authors. Not all areas are covered and not all aims were met; while we made progress there is much left to do. In this sense, the merging of these topics may be the first milestone but like every milestone, it only marks the beginning of a long journey.
The Posen Library’s groundbreaking anthology series—called “a feast of Jewish culture, in ten volumes” by the Chronicle of Higher Education—explores in Volume 9 global Jewish responses to the years 1939 to 1973, a time of unprecedented destruction, dislocation, agency, and creativity “An extensive look at Jewish civilization and culture from the eve of World War II to the Yom Kippur War . . . It’s a weighty collection, to be sure, but one that’s consistently engaging . . . An edifying and diverse survey of 20th-century Jewish life.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review “Readers seeking primary texts, documents, images, and artifacts constituting Jewish culture and civilization will not be disappointed. More important, they might even be inspired. . . . This set will serve to improve teaching and research in Jewish studies at institutions of higher learning and, at the same time, promote, maintain, and improve understanding of the Jewish population and Judaism in general.”—Booklist, starred review The ninth volume of The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization covers the years 1939 to 1973, a period that editors Kassow and Roskies call “one of the most tragic and dramatic in Jewish history.” Organized geographically and then by genre, this book details Jewish cultural and intellectual resources throughout this era, particularly in political thought, literature, the visual and performing arts, and religion. This volume explores worldwide Jewish perceptions of momentous events that transpired in the mid‑twentieth century and how Jews redefined themselves across regions throughout an era rife with tragedy, displacement, and dispersion. The breadth and depth of this work goes beyond any comparable collection, with detailed insights and sharp focus to accompany its breathtaking scope. A major, ten‑volume anthology project more than a decade in the making, the Posen Library is an ideal reference tool for scholars, teachers, and students at all levels.
Nearly 300 speeches provide public speakers with a wealth of quotes and inspiration, from Pericles' funeral oration and William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech to Malcolm X's powerful words on the Black Revolution. Includes 7 selections from the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
