By Allen Klein
Goodman Beck Publishing, $14.95, 198 pages

Loss is a universal experience. In times of grief, it can be hard to find happiness. In his book Learning to Laugh When You Feel Like Crying, Allen Klein provides a look into the healing process. Inspired firsthand by the loss of his wife, Klein breaks the grieving process into five stages: Losing, Learning, Letting Go, Living, and Laughing. Within each stage are smaller sections no more than two or three pages long. Each section begins with an inspirational quote. Many entries are just Klein’s reinterpretation of the quote. It is unclear whether he wrote the book and found quotes to support his points, or found the quotes and wrote a book around them. Another drawback is the lack of information about using humor to heal (which is what the title implies the book is teaching). Klein is a proponent of the therapeutic value of humor, but not until the last 30 pages does he even begin to touch on the topic. With many books about loss on the market, Klein’s contribution is not that unique. If you are looking for a light, quick read, this book is for you.

Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin

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