Why and How We Laugh: The Psychology of Humor

by Samuel Kahn

Overview

The psychological meaning and importance of laughter is explored in this insightful volume by the eminent psychologist and author.
 
One of the great, simple pleasures of life, laughter is also one of its great mysteries. In Why and How We Laugh, psychoanalyst Dr. Samuel Kahn explores the many purposes, causes, and effects of laughter. He examines laughter as a form of communication and as an important contributor to physical and psychological health.
 
Dr. Kahn also looks at the curious nature of what makes us laugh. With clinical expertise and relatable examples, he covers the different kinds of laughter, from polite chuckles to nervous titters to convulsive belly laughs. He also uncovers what makes various kinds of jokes funny, as well as the laughter-inducing quality of certain surprising, profane, or even frightening events.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781504067652
Publisher:	Philosophical Library/Open Road
Publication date:	08/17/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	86
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Dr. Samuel Kahn was an experienced psychiatrist and medical practitioner for many decades. He was born in Montreal, and served in the US Navy in the South Pacific during World War II. Kahn earned a PhD in clinical psychology, specializing in play therapy for children, from Columbia University. He was the author of numerous books and papers in the field of applied psychology, including The Psychology of Love, Sing Sing Criminals, and Freud and Hysteria. Khan was also on the staff of Muhlenberg Hospital and Union County Psychiatry Clinics, and was the director of the Quakerbridge Summer School and Camp. In retirement, he became a licensed arborist and an artist, with a one-man show at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center.